Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

An electrical pop was heard followed by a thump within the subspace aircraft hangar. “Abyss’s Bliss, that hurt,” Kish hissed, popping his burnt finger into his mouth.

“I told you the casing on that wire wasn’t stable,” scolded Pai as he came around the corner.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I just have this awful feeling that this ship needs to be fully repaired already and it’s taking too long,” replied Kish in frustration.

“I really wish you’d tell me what’s going on with you. It’s been four years and suddenly you have this need to go back. Why?” Pai stood with his arms crossed glaring down at Kish, awaiting his answer.

Sighing, Kish popped the maintenance cover over the exposed circuit board and stood up. Running a hand through his hair, “I told you I don’t know. Something just feels off and it’s making me twitchy.” Kish’s eyes slid to the floor. He hated keeping secrets from his friend and cousin, but Pai would be seriously pissed if he knew the truth.

Pai was about to confront him before a voice called from outside the ship.

“Yo, Kish, ya here?”

‘Perfect timing,’ thought Kish as he teleported out of the ship and into the hangar bay. With a ripple, Kish appeared before his friend Tek. Tek was not only his best friend besides his cousin's Pai and Tart, but he was also his second in command. Kish was now the Commander General of the entirety of planet Cynicla's military forces and Tek was his Vice General. Standing at six feet, he was the same height and build as Kish, however, that was where the similarity ended. Tek's hair was a deep rich black that reached almost to his waist. His bangs were long and framed either side of his face, sprouting up from his widow's peak before curling against his cheeks in front of his ears and ending just below his jawline. Eyes the palest of blues twinkled with mischief partially hidden by those bangs. Toned and lean muscles stretched under alabaster skin from many years of hard training in the military as well as living in the harsh environment of the planet before the return of Kish and his cousins. Eyeing his friend, “If you've come to remind me of today's inspection, I told you to handle it. Besides, if they can't do a simple routine inspection without me then this planet is doomed. Then again, with you handling things, it probably already is,” he teased.

“Prick.”

“Ass.”

“Cocky bastard,” Tek Continued with finality and a grin.

“That may be half right, but…” Kish trailed off as he suddenly gripped his vest over his heart in pain. It felt like someone was simultaneously ripping his heart out through his rib cage, while at the same time crushing it. Stumbling forwards, Kish fell to his knee in agony as he tried to breathe. His mind called out to Pai who appeared beside him almost immediately.

“What happened?” Pai asked looking back and forth between Tek and his cousin.

“I have no idea, we were just talking, and he collapsed like he was in pain,” Tek replied, worry evident in his voice and eyes.

Kish's free hand slapped to the floor to brace himself as a single word burned through his mind. “KISH!” Ichigo had screamed out his name in absolute pain and anguish.

Pai glared down at his cousin, “That.. That’s not possible. That was loud and strong enough for even me to hear through you. How in the Abyss was she able to reach you this far?”

Taking a few shuddering breaths, his hands still clutched over his heart, Kish looked up at his cousin with tears gathered at the corners of his amber eyes.

“For the love of the All Bright!” Pai hissed. “I knew it. I knew you chose her! You're an Abyssal fool. How could you choose her!?”

“Someone want to clue me in?” asked Tek as he held his hand out to help his shaky friend.

With Tek’s help, Kish got to his feet, but placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to steady himself. The sudden pain and telepathic link had completely drained him. Ignoring Tek’s question for the moment, Kish glared at Pai, “It wasn't like I had a real choice. You knew how much I loved her. Still love her. That uneasiness I've been feeling. I have to go to her. She sounded like she was in agony. What if something's happened to her? What if she's hurt?” he pleaded.

“Wait. You talking about that Mew girl? The one back on Earth? What does she have to do with this?” Tek asked confused. He knew his friend had developed feelings for the Earth girl while he had been stationed there. Kish had told him that himself. But he didn't understand what she had to do with Kish's current pain.

Pai narrowed his eyes at Kish, but answered Tek, “The fool chose her as his mate. Apparently they're bonded enough that she was able to reach his mind.”

Tek sucked in a breath, “Are you freaking kidding me! Well, I guess that explains your complete lack of interest in females. But really!? I thought she was your enemy? Not to mention, didn't you tell me she was in love with someone else? And it's been four years. Why now all of a sudden?”

Kish hissed at the painful reminders. “I have no idea, but I have to find out. I don't care what you say Pai, I'm going back. And now.”

Pai saw the panic and worry clear in his cousin's eyes. Slumping his shoulders in defeat, “If you and Tart can pull double duty with the council and keep them off my back, I can have the ship fixed in a week.”

“A week! But what if she's hurt, Pai!? I need to leave now. As it is, it's over a weeklong flight there,” Kish pleaded.

Sighing, “I'll do what I can, but I make no promises.”

“Thank you cousin.”

Pai only nodded before teleporting back outside the ship. Turning to Tek, Kish clasped him on the shoulder, “Come friend. Let's go find Tart. The three of us are going to be extremely busy the next few days and I have a few things to tell you that I may have left out.”

“You think?” growled Tek.

“Come on. It's almost dinner so Tart should be at our place. I'll meet you in the kitchen.” Tek nodded in agreement and the air around him rippled as he teleported to Kish and Tart's home which was just down the street. Before following, Kish closed his eyes tightly. Using every bit of love in his heart, he thought a single word towards the woman he loved more than anything.

Meanwhile...

It was the middle of the night on Earth and Ichigo once again found herself wide awake and drenched in sweat. Fear and pain coursed through her as her nightmare replayed in her mind. She’d been having the same nightmare on and off for the last three weeks. It was always the same. Helpless to watch as the alien Kish gave his life for her. Dying in her arms. But this time, something had changed.

This time, when Deep Blue ran his sword through Kish, he survived. He had teleported in front of her, taking a knee as blood seeped between the fingers of the hand he had pressed to his wound. He had reached his left hand out to her behind him and she had twined her fingers with his. He tugged her to his side. Tears were streaming down her face as she locked eyes with his golden gaze. “Why, Kish?” she managed to get out between sobs.

Coughing as a small trickle of blood left the corner of his mouth, he lifted his lips and flashed a fang in his trademark smirk. “You know why, Kitten. It's because I love you.” This time, when he leaned towards her, their lips met. Not only that, but she kissed him back for all she was worth. He licked her lips for entrance, and she complied. His tongue slid deep, tasting every crevice of her mouth. With a sigh, Kish pulled away.

“Wait Kish. No! I can't lose you!” she pleaded, clenching her hands in his shirt.

“Does this mean you'll be mine?” he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Yes! Anything! Just please don't leave me,” she begged.

His smirk shifted to a full genuine smile. “Thank you, Kitten. At least I got to hear you say it before I go.” He turned his attention back to Deep Blue and his eyes hardened with determination as his smile became a hard line. “To finish this,” he hissed. Stumbling to his feet, he summoned his dragon sais. He teleported forwards, his sais aiming for Deep Blue’s heart and throat. But Deep Blue was faster. He brought his large sword up and deflected Kish while he wrapped his other hand around Kish's neck. With a deafening crack, Deep Blue snapped Kish’s neck and dropped him to the floor in a lifeless heap.

Ichigo couldn't hold back the scream that tore from her lips in the form of Kish's name. Her heart was shattered as she watched Kish give his life for her. She had shot up in bed, still screaming his name in her head, tears streaming down her face, and her hand clutching at her heart that felt like it had been hollowed out.

Her parents rushed in. Apparently, she had been screaming his name aloud as well. Thankfully, they understood. She had broken down and told them all about being a Mew Mew and about Kish and the other aliens. She'd even told them what had happened during the final battle after she had had nightmares in that first month. She had to explain why she kept waking up in tears screaming either Kish’s or Masaya's name. They were surprised and worried for their little girl but took it surprisingly well. As they sat on her bed and tried to comfort her from this latest nightmare, Ichigo swore she heard a voice in her head. A voice she had missed terribly these last few years. A voice that simply asked, “Kitten?”

The next afternoon, Ichigo found herself sprawled in the grass under a shady tree in the park near the cafe. She had already called into work telling them she wouldn't be in today. There was no way she would be able to focus with last night's nightmare on replay in her mind's eye. Four years. It had been four long years since she had last seen Kish and the other aliens. She was now nineteen and had opted out of college. She didn't feel like that was where her life was meant to go.

She still worked at the cafe almost every day along with Lettuce and Pudding. Though, Lettuce only worked weekends because she was going to college and Pudding only worked there three to four times a week because her father had finally returned and had opened a Dojo. Pudding's father taught all the different fighting styles that he had mastered on his worldly travels. And, now at sixteen, Pudding was starting to take over some of the classes herself. Mint and Zakuro would stop by occasionally to catch up, but both were extremely busy with their new careers. Mint had graduated from Juilliard and was becoming a renowned ballet dancer. Zakuro had landed a lead role in an upcoming blockbuster movie. All the Mew Mews seemed to have found their place, but for the last two years, Ichigo had felt stuck, or left behind rather.

It had taken a week after the final battle before she had been able to tell the others what had happened. Though she knew the aliens that had sacrificed themselves had been revived, she still felt pain when she thought of them. Both Kish and Tart had specifically died for her. It had temporarily broken her. She spent almost every night crying herself to sleep then waking up crying from nightmares.

Masaya had comforted her many times. Had listened as she poured her feelings out. She probably wouldn't have survived that first month if it hadn't been for him, and she had loved him even more for it. When she had finally gotten the courage, she told the girls, Ryou, and Keiichiro everything that had happened inside the ship. Masaya had held her hand the entire time, but when she got to Kish's sacrifice, he had excused himself and left the cafe. She had looked at him with hurt and confusion in her eyes but continued her story. He later admitted that that was one of the few clear memories that he had of the night before he had taken over Deep Blue. He could clearly see himself stab Kish. But the real truth didn't come out until well over a year later.

Ichigo and Masaya had been a perfectly happy couple. They spent as much time together as their schedules would allow and were very much in love. However, Masaya left for England for college and Ichigo had stayed behind. After graduation, she just didn’t have it in her for college. After all, she was still technically a Mew Mew. And though predacite sightings were a rarity, they did still happen. Probably some accidental leftovers from Kish and the others. They were weak and she took care of most on her own, only calling on the others occasionally. She didn’t mind honestly. It gave her a purpose. Something she found herself laughing at. ‘Oh, the irony,’ she thought. When she was younger, she would’ve given anything to be a normal girl. Now she’d give almost anything to get that excitement back. She enjoyed her role now and took it very seriously. She had friends that had died for her and this planet, and she’d never take that for granted, so she gave it her all.

She gazed out over the park. Her life always seemed to circle back here somehow. From dates with Masaya, predacite battles, and an annoying alien stalker that had cornered her here more times than she could count. Fact, her life with Masaya had basically started in this park and ended in it.

He had come home after his first year in college to visit. A few days after he had been home, they had come to this park to talk. They had been gradually growing apart, and they both realized it. They’re lives were moving in different directions. Masaya was looking more and more to the future while Ichigo seemed stuck in the past. She just couldn’t seem to fully move past her guilt surrounding Kish and Tart’s deaths as well as her awful treatment of Kish overall. Not to mention her refusal to step away from the Mew Mew life. Masaya had tried to talk her out of it constantly, but being a Mew Mew was literally in her DNA. It was a part of her. Which had caused many fights between them. She had also not been able to look at Masaya quite the same anymore. Not after finding out that he had been Deep Blue all along. She had apologized, but she just couldn’t help the flutter of worry that would occasionally pop up within her whenever he got angry or loud, though that happened rarely. Masaya, being the gentle soul that he was, completely understood what Ichigo had meant and didn’t take it personally. There were times he still worried himself.

It was when they had decided to break it off and remain friends, that Masaya had finally revealed a dark secret. He had admitted the real reason he disliked talking about Kish’s death. While it was true he could clearly remember it happening, he admitted that at the time he wasn’t sure if it had been him or Deep Blue that had delivered the final blow. And even if it had been Deep Blue, he worried that he had agreed with the action. Masaya had heard Kish’s declaration and had become just as jealous and protective. Ichigo was his, no one else’s, especially not Kish’s. He loved her.

Ichigo had sworn up and down that there was no way someone with as kind and loving a heart as he, could have actually killed anyone. Especially in cold blood. Masaya had given her a peck on the forehead and hugged her hard while thanking her for that. His fear of harboring any lingering remainders of Deep Blue being partially quelled. But he also admitted that lately he had become slightly jealous of Kish.

She had looked at him in utter confusion.

“Lately, you’ve been reminiscing about the past a lot. And whenever you speak of him, you become more animated. Seem a bit more full of life. It was something I noticed back when we were all still fighting. For some reason you always seemed more yourself around him. You were always quiet and slightly awkward around me; someone you said you loved. And yet when he came around you spoke your mind clearly and seemed to fill with confidence. I found it odd that we were in a relationship, and you knew exactly where we stood, but acted like you didn’t. While with him you were always confused where you two stood with each other, but acted like you knew exactly how things were.”

Ichigo had just sat and gaped at him. “Why had you never mentioned any of this before?” she had asked.

“Honestly, I was worried I may inadvertently point out some hidden feelings you may have had towards him, which could have jeopardized our relationship. But since we’re just friends now, I figured I should come clean.”

Looking at the ground, Ichigo had let all his words sink in. “I think… I think you might be right, but not how you may think,” she admitted after a long pause.

“Go on,” he urged.

“Looking back, I think I did come to care for him. I was never in love with him or anything like that back then though.”

“Back then? Does that mean you do now?” he asked hesitantly.

“What?! No. I mean we literally just broke up. And I haven’t really thought about him this hard in a very long time. But I can see what you were saying. I always did feel like myself around him. I never felt the need to hide any of my thoughts or feelings. Though, the pervert sure as hell made me embarrassed and awkward more times than I can count.”

He chuckled, “True, but you never had a problem telling him that’s how he was making you feel.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighed. “But Masaya?”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to know that back then and even now, you were the only one I loved. A part of me will always love you,” she said softly and sincerely.

“I know, Ichigo. You showed me all the time. Hell, he died for you and yet you still chose me, even when I turned out to be the real villain. You fought for me. Believed in me. And maybe that was all there was for our destiny. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that I turned out to be Deep Blue. Being loved by someone as true and faithful as you is what ultimately saved the planet. And though our destinies now seem like they’re at a crossroads, I will always love you in some way and will always be here for you as well.”

She hadn’t been able to hold back the tears any longer at that point. Though it was mutual, her heart was still breaking at the loss of her love. Wrapping his arms around her, he had pulled her into his lap and held her tightly while she sobbed her eyes out. When she had finally calmed down, they hugged one last time and went their separate ways. They still remained close friends.

That had happened just over two years ago at the park bench that she could see on the other side of the pond. They kept up with one another periodically. Keeping the other informed of the latest happenings and hot gossip. It was barely a year ago when he called and told her he had met someone. A twinge of sadness hit her, but it quickly disappeared. She was absolutely and honestly happy for him and congratulated him. He deserved to find someone that could make him happy and could follow where his life led. He chattered a bit more about his new girl and Ichigo found herself laughing and chatting along, making him promise to introduce them the first chance he got. After all, this new girl needed Ichigo’s approval. Which only made him laugh, but he promised he would introduce them as soon as they could. When they hung up, Ichigo momentarily worried the pain or heartbreak would return, but it never did. She smiled to herself as she got ready for bed. Maybe she was finally starting to grow up.

Flopping back onto the sun-warmed grass, she folded her arms behind her head and looked up. Shafts of sunlight were streaming through the softly swaying leaves and branches of the tree above her. As her eyes flitted through the leaves, she could easily picture someone with deep green hair, startling amber eyes, and, she could finally admit this to herself, a sexy fanged smirk lounging within the branches. He always had had an affinity for stalking her from high places. Whether it was tree branches or roof tops. So many times, if she looked up, he’d be there.

It hadn’t taken long after the call from Masaya about his new girlfriend for her mind to start supplying her with images of Kish almost daily. At first she chalked it up to her loneliness. Masaya had someone else, so she started to grasp for someone. But when she had really sat down and thought it over, she realized what Masaya had once touched on may not have been so far from the truth.

As it always seemed to do, her life had come to another startling realization as she walked through what she had started referring to as her park on the way home from the café one night.

They had celebrated her eighteenth birthday and of course had started reminiscing about the old days. Pudding had mentioned how much she missed Tart and wondered what he was up to. This in turn pushed Ichigo to wonder the same about Kish, even going so far as to mention the thought out loud. Everyone had given her a funny look. He was her ex-stalker after all. She simply waved them off, saying it would be nice to know how the three were doing and if they had managed to save their planet. Conversations continued and drifted, but Ichigo suddenly could not get Kish off her mind. After saying her ‘thank yous’ and ‘good nights,’ her feet once again took her to her park.

She had found herself on a small bridge that overlooked one end of the pond. A certain memory flashed behind her eyes. A memory that had caused a turning point for her back when she and Kish were still fighting.

On a similar night as now, she had stumbled upon Kish quietly floating on his stomach over the water. Glancing around, she hadn’t seen any predacites or infusers, so wondered what he was up to. Quickly, she had snatched Masha before the little fluff ball could alert him to her presence. She hid behind the wall of the bridge and spied him between the slats. He looked to be deep in thought and incredibly sad. Then she remembered that earlier that day she had been exceptionally mad at him for spoiling the first day off she had had in forever. Granted, he had no idea about that. She had turned down his advances harshly, calling him a perverted nasty alien and a creep to name a few. She really had been incredibly cruel and nasty. More so than usual. Other than a few come-ons that really hadn’t even been that bad, he hadn’t deserved the sharp sting of her tongue. Sure, they were enemies, but she didn’t need to be so unnecessarily cruel.

He had been trailing the tip of a finger through the water causing ripples to distort his reflection. Suddenly, he had released a loud mournful growl, punching the water and completely shattering his reflection. Just before he had teleported away, she had heard him whisper, “Why, Kitten?” She tried to yell at him to wait, though she had no idea why. But he didn’t hear, or if he did, he never returned; she had waited around for a while just in case.

That memory was one of the first times she had gotten a glimpse behind his façade. He wasn’t just some brash perverted stalker. He had genuine feelings and had looked so hurt. It had made her start to question, ‘Why? Why were they truly fighting?’ All she knew was it had something to do with his home planet. But it was the first time she had really begun to question the point of it all. She would never stop defending Earth. But maybe, just maybe, there was another way.

The weeks following her eighteenth birthday, Ichigo had done some serious soul searching. She replayed many of her and Kish’s conversations over and over in her head. And without the constant obsession of her first love or the sweet naiveté muddling her brain, she started to realize some things. Kish had been not only trying to win her over in his own way, but had actually been much more discreet about his honest and true feelings than what had been apparent to her back then. She recalled feeling so proud of herself for beating him so often, but looking back now, it was so blatantly clear how much he had really held back for her sake. Even allowing her to believe she had bested him. Not saying she never held her own against him at any time, but he certainly shouldn’t have lost as often as he did. And as the time to the final fight drew closer, so did an urgency in Kish. He had tried explaining to her so many times what he was trying to do. But she would never listen. Constantly flinging insults at him or attacking before he could say anything past “Hello Kitten.”

God she had been so immature. He had tried to get her to help betray his own leader. All because he loved her and didn’t want to see her get hurt. But she had stamped her pretty little foot and told him she could never join him or go with him. He had looked absolutely broken when he had said, “Fine, Ichigo. If that’s what you want. I’ll go alone.” She had been so utterly stupid. If only she had truly listened and tried to actually talk, they may have prevented that horrible final battle all together.

So many times he had tried to talk to her, had intervened on her behalf, had rescued her, had even tried to comfort her. And every time she had spit on his efforts. It was a wonder he kept on loving her. That was when she realized it had never been a game to him. Maybe teasing in the beginning just to get a rise out of his enemy. But then it had become all too real. Real and dangerous. He was caught. In love with the enemy with the choice of betrayal or hurting his love. His people and planet or her. And he had chosen her.

She had always known it deep down, but it was like it suddenly became more real. Yes, he had hurt her many times, but he had had to. If Deep Blue knew how deep his feelings really went he could have been killed at any time. He had to make the fights look real. ‘Which, let’s face it, wasn’t too hard with me constantly attacking and hurting his feelings over and over again. A guy can only take so much,’ she thought dryly.

Back then she truly had been deeply in love with Masaya. But now… Now she was free, older, and maybe even a bit wiser. Now she might be willing to give him a chance. But now he was gone and possibly for good. Fate had a cruel sense of humor. Or maybe it was just herself that liked cruel irony. For she had walked away from a love that she had once fought so desperately for. Only to wish for a chance at love with the person who had so desperately fought for her.

Not long after that, she had started to daydream of him. She’d start getting ready for bed, only to find him sitting on her balcony waiting for her. His fang flashing smirk sliding across his lips as he’d say, “Hey, Kitten.” Then they’d spend the rest of the night talking. Him telling her how much he still loved her and she how much she had missed him. They’d continue to catch up before falling asleep cuddled together. Or he’d appear above her in the park as she walked home, and he’d try to steal another kiss. She even got into the habit of leaving her balcony door unlocked just in case he did come back. It was extremely wishful thinking, she knew, but she didn’t care. She decided to hold onto hope. She constantly wondered what he was doing. And, more importantly, if he still held feelings for her. Three and a half years is an awfully long time to continue to love someone. Especially when that someone had turned you down multiple times and had been in love with someone else.

Her desperation had turned her innocent dreams and fantasies into something much hotter. Fantasies that were now rooted more in primal needs and desires. It had actually surprised her at first, waking up after her first sexual fantasy revolving around Kish. True, she was a virgin, but she wasn’t a prude either. She and Masaya had experimented, though they had never really done anything more than heavy petting. He wanted to wait for marriage and Ichigo always felt off engaging in sexual activities with him. It was like he was too perfect to be doing those sorts of things.

She had had wet dreams about Masaya many times before and knew how to take care of herself. But her steamy dreams involving a golden-eyed alien were much more intense. They were way more erotic and felt much more real. Every time she awoke from one she’d immediately need to shower to wash herself free of the sweat and lingering dampness, cool herself down, or finish what the dream had started.

The Kish of her fantasies could be soft and sweet or hard and demanding, but either way she was always well satisfied. Always knowing exactly what to do or say to push her to new heights. And she knew that if she ever got the chance, she wanted to know if those fangs felt as amazing in reality as they did in her dreams.

Her Kish had also been slightly aged up to what she believed he most likely looked like now. She imagined he still wore the two forelocks but didn’t keep them tied and that the rest of his hair had grown maybe an inch or two. She pictured him in the same style of clothes, only now his shirt and pants were tight, showing off his muscled physique. The two things that didn’t change were his molten amber eyes and his fangy smirk. She’d give almost anything to see that grin that used to piss her off so much when she was young. She’d give almost anything just to see him.

The nightmares soon followed. The worst day of her life put on repeat. And now it had changed. Become even harsher. Even more heartbreaking. Mixing her desires into her real memories. Causing more pain and anguish.

Ichigo slammed her fists down at her sides in frustration. Gods she wanted to see him again. To know that he was alright and that it all had been worth it. Even if he didn’t love her anymore. Even if he was in love with someone else or even married. She still wanted to see him again. To tell him she was so, so deeply sorry for all the hurt and pain she had caused him. To apologize for being a naive little girl who hadn’t taken the time to actually listen. Especially, since she now knew how it felt to possibly love someone, but not be able to do anything about it.

Ichigo looked up at the sky. The stars were starting to come out. She had wasted an entire day reminiscing. It was time to go home and go to bed. And she prayed she didn’t have another nightmare.

Chapter Text

‘Gods and Goddesses his head hurt,’ moaned Kish to himself as he started working through another file of documents. He and Tart were currently holed up in the offices they shared with Pai going over as many ridiculous, redundant, and sometimes downright stupid, missives and proposals they could get through. They had been hard at it for almost four days. He didn’t know what was going to drive him insane first, the regular cries of pain from Ichigo or the copious amounts of emails and files from the council’s paperwork. Speaking of Ichigo, he glanced at the clock. On the third night he realized that all the attacks happened between the hours of seven and nine at night. It was currently seven-thirty, so it probably wouldn’t be long now. Sighing, Kish slumped back in his chair.

Glancing over at his cousin, Tart closed out of his personal holographic screen with a wave of his hand and floated towards Kish. Folding his legs, he set his elbows on his thighs. “Want to get some dinner? I could use a break,” he asked softly. To say that Kish had been moody lately would have been a gross understatement, though Tart couldn’t blame him.

“After the next attack, sure,” Kish answered rubbing his chest.

“How do you know it will happen again?”

“Just a feeling,” Kish growled.

Tart looked at his cousin closely, “You know, you’re either the noblest or stupidest man I know.”

“And what in the Abyss does that mean?” Kish snapped.

“Because only an absolute idiot would decide on a mate that was not only in love with someone else but is from another planet. Then leave that mate so they could be happy with that other person. I.E.: Stupid yet noble,” Tart finished with a shake of his head.

“Once again, it wasn’t exactly a choice. It just happened. You’ll understand when it happens to you. You can’t choose who you fall in love with,” Kish responded angrily.

“True, but we both know you could have locked down the mate instinct. Starting that process is a choice,” Tart snapped right back.

Kish’s eyes flicked to Tart’s, “Maybe I didn’t want to stop it. I knew I’d never find anyone else like her. I knew I’d only ever want her. Besides, what’s done is done. No changing it now.” Kish suddenly yanked himself into a ball in his chair. One hand clenching at his chest and the other in a white knuckled grip on the arm of the chair. He clenched his eyes shut as he struggled to breathe.

Tart felt incredibly sorry for his cousin that was more like a big brother to him. Being highly empathic, he could feel just about everything Kish was going through. Normally, he’d have to touch someone to read them, but he’d always been very close with Kish and slightly less so with his brother. Besides those two, only his mother couldn’t hide her feelings from him. It was why when they had been on Earth, Tart had kept Kish’s secret. Only teasing to keep it light so the others wouldn’t notice the seriousness of those feelings.

He could vividly remember feeling Kish in intense pain and had gone to his room. Kish had opened the door, looking none too happy. He had his hands wrapped around his upper arms and, though he was trying to use glamor to hide, Tart had seen the blood. They had battled the mews earlier and Ichigo had been unusually cruel to Kish. Clearly her words had hurt him worse than normal, and he had apparently dug his fingernails into his upper arms to take his mind off the rejection. Tart acted as though he didn’t see anything and told him, “That Old Hag sure seemed off today. Mentioned something about finally having a day off and it being ruined. So, I wouldn’t take it too personally.” After a shared gaze, Kish finally nodded and closed the door. He had returned to his old self by the next day.

He had no idea how Kish was keeping himself so put together. Tart could literally feel his agony and, in turn, Ichigo’s. To know your chosen was in such pain and calling for you, yet still unable to do anything. It must be like torture. There’s a reason his kind was incredibly careful with who they chose to start a mate bond with. A wrong choice could actually be fatal. Once the process was started, there was no stopping or choosing another. Only way out was if the chosen accepted the bond, they died, or someone else claimed them with a full mate mark. Otherwise, the separation and unfulfilled bond could end up leading the person to insanity.

Kish took a deep breath and lowered his legs which drew Tart’s attention. “That one seemed to last longer.”

“I noticed,” Kish snapped weakly.

“Pai’s working as fast as he can. I know it. We’ll get you back to her in no time. I promise Kish. And listen, I’ve decided when you leave, I’m going with you.” He tried to sound firm, but even Tart heard the falter in his own voice.

Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, Kish quickly snapped them to Tart and eyed him up and down. “Only reason you’re bringing this up now is because you know I’m too weak at the moment to beat some sense into you. So, all I’ll ask is: Why?”

“Because you two forget that I was young while we were stationed there and empathic. I actually made friends with them. Specifically, the monkey girl,” here Kish interrupted, “You mean Pillow?”

“Pudding,” Tart automatically corrected without thinking.

“I know,” teased Kish.

Tart’s cheeks burned at the trap Kish had set. “Anyways, I miss them. Mostly her, but all of them. Even the Old Hag.”

“Watch it brat,” Kish growled.

Tart held his hands up, “Sorry. Couldn’t resist. But still. I’m going. Remember, I gave my life for her too cousin.”

“I know. I was still trying to break out of my confinement so I couldn’t help her in time. So, thank you for that.” Kish sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “You do know Pai’s going to blow a gasket right?”

Tart giggled, “I know, but I have an ace up my sleeve.”

“You must really want to go if you’re willing to use your death card. So, tell you what brat. Let me break the news to Pai and you can hold onto your insurance policy a little longer. But you must promise to be on your best behavior while we’re on Earth and to follow my orders. Understand?”

“Really? You mean it, Kish?”

“Consider it a thank you for helping Kitten and maybe I’d just like the company in case things don’t go as I hope.”

“You got it cousin. I promise to be good. Though most would be more worried about you,” Tart teased.

“That actually brings up the last part of this little arrangement,” Kish said seriously.

“There’s more?!” Tart pouted.

“Just one more thing and it’s very serious.”

Tart could tell Kish wasn’t lying so he asked, “What?”

“If this doesn’t go well for me, I need you to keep an eye on me when we return. If I come back alone you know what may happen. I’ve already talked to Pai, but if things get that far, I don’t know if he could actually release me to the Abyss after his trauma with you. I’d normally never ask something like this of you. But I need your word. If I get bad and Pai can’t do it. I need you to swear that you’ll help me to the Abyss.”

Tart swallowed thickly. He knew what Kish was asking of him. So, he decided to step up and show just how much he’d grown up.

Dropping to the ground, Tart summoned his clack-clack weapon and placed it on the ground between him and Kish. Placing the toe of his boot on the weapon, he held his right hand above it, palm down.

Surprised, yet deeply moved, Kish placed the back of his hand against Tart’s.

“I swear an oath over my spirit weapon that should Pai fail, I will see to it that you are helped to the Abyss.” Tart finished the oath and flipped his hand over, waiting for Kish to accept.

Kish turned over his hand and wrapped it around Tart’s wrist. “Oath accepted. And thank you,” Kish spoke, a lump in his throat. It was the highest vow a member of the military could make. If broken, Tart’s spirit weapon would be snapped along with any bonds between he and Kish.

A spirit weapon was just that, created from part of a person’s spirit. They were incredibly difficult to create and much more powerful than ordinary weapons. You could also only create one in your lifetime. They are the proudest symbol of a warrior and are unique to each individual.

Tart waved his hand, dismissing his weapon. “So, feeling better now? And if so, up to get some dinner? I’m starving.”

Giving Tart a quick nod, Kish gingerly got to his feet. Slowly they floated their way to the palace dining hall.

Later that night, Kish teleported into Pai’s subspace hangar to check on his progress. An exhausted Pai was asleep at his work desk in the corner. Carefully, Kish wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and teleported home. He desperately wanted to know how close Pai was, but he knew he had been pushing himself nonstop for the past few days. He could at least wait a few more hours until morning.

Kish woke to a loud buzzing in his ears. Blinking, he tried to determine the source. It was much too early for any of his alarms to be going off, the sun wasn’t even up. Shaking the last of his sleep haze away, he realized it was Pai trying to push through his mental barriers. Dropping them enough, he heard Pai speak telepathically.

“About time!” Pai snapped.

“Watch it. I just woke up. What’s got you so uncharacteristically impatient?” Kish replied groggily.

“The ship’s ready.” Pai’s reply had Kish snapping fully awake.

“Be there in thirty,” Kish snapped in excitement before teleporting himself straight to the bathroom. Kish showered and dressed as quickly as he could before appearing downstairs in the kitchen to find Tart.

“You’re up early,” Tart said, munching on a piece of toast and something that resembled Earth’s peanut butter.

“Go get dressed. Pai’s finished with the ship. I’m heading there now. By the time you get there I should have everything sorted with Pai,” and with that Kish left a hyper Tart stuffing the last of his breakfast into his mouth as he hurriedly flew upstairs.

‘Finally,’ Kish thought as he appeared in Pai’s hangar. With a quick search of the area with his mind, he located Pai on the bridge of the ship.

“That was faster than thirty,” Pai teased when Kish appeared next to him. He may be considered the emotionless one of the three, but they were still family that had grown up together. And he may occasionally deny it, but he did love his obnoxiously annoying cousin.

Kish grinned, “Excited! And I had to beat Tart.” Kish loved the rare moments when Pai let his guard down and acted more like the cousin he grew up with.

“Why would…,” Pai cut himself off and crossed his arms. “No! Absolutely not! You both can’t ditch your responsibilities!” Pai’s voice had gone up an octave or two. He couldn’t believe these two.

“Now Pai, just hear me out,” pleaded Kish.

Drumming his fingers next to his elbow, Pai raised a brow, “I’m listening.”

“You and I both know Tart was still awfully young when we went to Earth. And you know how emotional he gets, especially back then.” Pai just nodded for Kish to continue. “Well, you know he made friends with that Pudding girl. Even some of the other Mews treated him differently because they only saw his physical age. He misses them, just as I’m sure they miss him. Besides, you know how hard it was around here when we got back because of his age. People didn’t like to take him seriously. When we know it’s his empathy that makes him seem so immature. He lets others believe he’s an immature kid so he doesn’t have to deal with the darker sides of things. And you and I both know he’s much more mature than he lets on. So please Pai. Allow him this. The kid deserves it. Besides, like I told him, I could use the company if she still doesn’t want me.”

“As much as I’m enjoying you’re sniveling and begging, I had already agreed when you brought up the Pudding girl. Something tells me he’s going to be following in his cousin’s footsteps,” Pai stated in annoyance.

“I don’t care what they say about you cousin, you’re the best,” Kish cheered with his trademark grin.

“Be that as it may, I won’t give you the ship’s control codes until I have a promise out of the two of you.”

“Wh…,” Kish started, but Pai interrupted.

“Perfect timing Tart. We’re on the bridge,” Pai broadcasted with his telepathy just as Tart appeared next to them. “I want you both to promise me two things before I let you leave,” Pai’s voice was heavy and commanding. Both Kish and Tart waited for him to continue. “Two months and not a day longer. You two get back here before two months have passed. But that includes travel time. I can keep up your council duties that long and I’m sure Tek can manage things at the Military Plaza for you Kish. Do we have an agreement on that?”

Both boys nodded but Kish spoke up, “I give you my vow that we will do everything in our power to return here within two months’ time.”

“Good enough. Now before you leave, you both get to go before the council this morning and explain your leave of absence. Kish, I don’t care what you tell them. If you want to keep your bond a secret, that’s fine and I won’t reveal anything. However, you will tell them you are leaving. Same with you Tart. I’ll support any reason you wish to give them, but you will give them a reason. And that goes for you and Tek as well Kish.”

“Agreed, Pai. Now let’s hurry and summon the council so Tart and I can get going,” Kish couldn’t hold back his smile any longer. He was only days away from finally seeing his Kitten again.

“Three hours! Three blasted hours they kept us there!” ranted Kish to Tek. After the council meeting, Kish had sought out Tek to not only discuss his imminent departure but to also take advantage of their friendship and vent. They were currently at Kish and Tart’s place and Kish was chaotically lashing about his room while he packed and unloaded on Tek.

Tek, being used to his friend’s antics, hovered out of the way with his legs folded and just watched. When there was finally a lull in Kish’s rant, Tek finally chimed in, “I don’t think you’ve ransacked that drawer yet.”

Kish gave his friend a quizzical look.

Tek smirked and waved his hand around Kish’s room, indicating the disaster zone that it had become.

Kish looked horrified for a moment before flopping down on his bed. “Sorry old friend. Those senile old coots can royally piss me off sometimes. It should not have taken three hours for Tart and me to explain a two month leave of absence and that Pai has our full support to count as our votes on anything critical that may occur while we’re gone.”

“You can’t fool me Commander General. Something else is eating at you. Spill,” Tek said as he took a seat beside his friend.

Kish growled. He hated it when Tek used his title outside of formal settings. Mostly because they were as close as brothers, but also because when he did use it, Kish knew he was serious and wouldn’t quit prying. Kish closed his eyes and sighed, “What if she’s still in love with someone else?”

Tek understood what he meant. Kish had fully caught him up on everything involving the cat Mew. And he meant everything. Kish had quite literally poured his heart out after several rounds of Cynth Ale had loosened his tongue. “Then don’t go,” Tek stated flatly.

“What?!” snapped Kish.

“If you’re that worried, then don’t go. If you stay and ignore the pain, eventually you’ll get used to it and will continue on with your life. Sure, you’ll never have a mate, but you had already resigned yourself to that life. But if you go to her and she denies the bond, then you’ll more than likely slip into madness. Staying avoids all that and lets you have a chance at a semi normal life.” Tek knew he was being blunt and harsh, but it was for Kish’s own good. Kish had always been stubborn and hardheaded. So, the only way to help was through cold logic and to let Kish come to the conclusion on his own. Soft words, encouragements, and platitudes would only cause Kish to dig his heels in deeper when he got like this.

“But she feels like she’s in so much pain. I can’t just ignore that,” Kish countered.

‘Almost there,’ thought Tek. “And who’s name did she call out?” Tek urged.

“Mine,” replied Kish, matter of factly.

‘And final push,’ grinned Tek to himself. “Do you really think if she was with someone else that she’d have called out your, another male’s, name? Wouldn’t she be calling for her chosen? Or was she a two-timer?” Tek saw the switch flip immediately in his friend.

“Absolutely not!” Kish roared. “She’d never hurt someone like that. She loves and gives with all she has,” Kish defended Ichigo venomously.

“Then you have your answer,” Tek stated calmly.

Kish cocked his head then instantly deflated.

Tek couldn’t help but laugh, “Now that my illustrious Commander General has remembered how to use that brain he’s oh so famous for, maybe he can stop acting like a love sick pup and actually focus on packing. Or have you also forgotten that you’re leaving to see your girl in an hour?”

“You can be a real manipulative prick, you know that? But thanks,” Kish said with a scowl.

Tek shrugged, “It’s why you keep me around. Someone’s gotta keep you in line. Besides, we both know I’m the real brains behind this operation.” Tek’s eyes shimmered with mischief.

Kish’s eyes matched as he lifted his lip in a smirk. “You wish.”

“Fine. But I am definitely the beauty,” Tek conceded.

“True. You were always the prettier one. But I’m clearly the one with the dashing good looks. However, you can keep all the admirers. I have a lost Kitten to find,” Kish winked before he resumed packing.

‘It is true,’ thought Tek. Tek had always been prettier than Kish. With his almost white skin, long black hair, and slightly delicate features, Tek was called beautifully handsome regularly. While Kish had always been a bit more rugged. Though much of their race had a bit of an androgenous look, Kish had always looked very masculine. It was something Tek had been jealous of when they were kids. They were both incredibly good looking, but Kish regularly drew just a bit more attention from the ladies. But what really ticked Tek off was that Kish never seemed interested. Oh, he entertained them occasionally, but messing around had never been Kish’s thing. Kish could have had any pretty little thing he wanted but kept ignoring them. It wasn’t until they were a bit older that Tek finally realized that one of the reasons girls were so drawn to Kish was because he had no real interest in them. Realizing he could never compete with that because he himself was too much of a womanizer, Tek decided to take advantage. He’d help Kish by distracting the pretty things off his hands, which Kish was more than happy to let him, and in turn Tek had access to even more beautiful young girls. Tek had once asked Kish why he never seemed attracted to or interested in any of the girls.

“Oh, I’m attracted alright,” he had smirked. “But I’ll know the girl I want when I see her. I don’t want to waste my time on those simpering fools that keep throwing themselves at me. I want a girl with some fire in her spirit that will challenge me. Life’s no fun if it all comes too easy.”

Tek had seen Kish in a new light then and they only became closer over the years, both remaining the heartthrobs of the community. And now they were probably the two most eligible bachelors on the planet. ‘Well, one now anyways,’ grinned Tek to himself. He couldn’t help but think of how many broken hearts he would be consoling when the ladies found out their beloved Kish was off the market.

“For the last time. Yes, Tart and I have everything. Yes, we promise to be back in two months’ time. No, we won’t reveal ourselves other than to the Mews and their allies. Yes, we’ll make sure to secure and dock the ship before searching out the Mews. Now will you please give me the flight codes so Tart and I can finish the pre-flight checks and be on our way?” Kish was starting to get more than a little annoyed with his cousin.

“Oh, very well,” Pai gave in. Telepathically, he sent Kish the codes for the ship and, using his mind, began opening the roof of the subspace hangar. “Just be careful you two. We may have parted amicably, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be suspicious of you,” Pai said with concern as he looked away.

The four of them were standing in the hangar before the ship. “We will. And I know you and Tek will take care of everything. Just don’t burn the planet down or listen to anyone named Deep anything,” Kish teased. He was giddy with excitement, but also incredibly nervous. He couldn’t stop thinking of Ichigo.

“Oh ha-ha. Very funny. I wasn’t the one who went halfway across the galaxy on his whim,” Tek shot back.

“That’s cause you had to stay and help keep things running smooth here. Not to mention, I was chosen because I was and am currently the best fighter,” Kish smirked as he flicked his thumb towards his chest.

“Alright, enough you two. Let’s get going already,” pouted Tart.

“You’re right,” Kish nodded. And, so, with a final round of hugs and handshakes, Kish and Tart teleported to the bridge of their ship.

Glancing over at Tart, “Ready brat?”

“You know it,” grinned Tart.

“Initiating launch countdown. Five…Four…Three…Two…One…” Both Kish and Tart flicked switches and pressed buttons along the console before Kish pulled back on a large lever between them. They lifted out of the hangar and just before Kish punched it into hyperdrive, he heard Pai’s voice in his head.

“Good luck and bring her back to us.”

“That’s the plan! And I’ll be sure to give that fish girl your regards,” replied Kish happily and teasingly.

Tek and Pai watched from the hangar below as the same ship that had returned from Earth just under four years ago seemed to stretch unnaturally long for a split second before disappearing into hyperspace, returning to Earth once again. Tek threw his arm over Pai’s shoulders, “Don’t worry. They’ll be fine. Kish may bend the rules more often than not, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders and an even truer heart. Not to mention he’s about as stubborn as it gets. If anyone can get the girl, it’s him.”

Pai chuckled darkly, “That’s part of what I’m afraid of. You think Kish is a handful now. Just wait. Those two are cut from the same cloth, I swear. There certainly won’t be a dull moment if and when she gets here.”

“Then I for one am looking forwards to it. All Bright knows we could use a little excitement around here,” countered Tek.

Pai rolled his eyes and shrugged off Tek’s arm, “And you’re just as bad.”

“Yup!” Tek said popping the ‘p.’ “Now let’s go get a drink. We’re gonna be pulling double duty for the next two months. Might as well make a night of it.”

“Fine, but first two rounds are on you,” Pai responded as he closed the hangar.

“What!? But why?” pouted Tek.

“This was your idea. And I’ll be pulling triple duty. Stepping in for both Kish and Tart. You’re just stepping up for Kish.”

“Oh fine. Off we go!” Tek tucked his arm through Pai’s, and they both disappeared.

Five days later and Kish was going completely stir crazy. He had managed to keep himself mostly busy the first few days by running flight simulations to chart the fastest possible route to Earth. But now the quickest route was already locked into the computer, so he needed to find something else to occupy his time.

He started imagining scenarios on how he was going to approach Ichigo. How to find out what was happening and to possibly explain the bonding. He thought of what he would say about his feelings. But that had led to a spiral of fear and nervousness that made him depressed and moody. He had gotten so bad that Tart had stomped into his room and slapped him across the face to snap him out of it. His depressing wave of emotions had been eating at Tart and he had had enough.

Kish’s eyes flicked to the navigational screen. Approximately three days and six hours left until they reached Earth and, more specifically, Tokyo. Pulling himself to his feet, Kish stretched his arms out over his head, twisting and popping his back and shoulders. Locking his hands together behind his head, he made his way to the training room. It had been a suggestion from Tart when he had literally slapped him out of his depression. A suggestion that was most welcome for Kish had completely forgotten the room was even there. He hadn’t had much use for it on the initial trip to Earth. Spending most of his time dealing with the Mews, following Ichigo, or working in the lab developing better and stronger infusers.

Exiting the bridge, Kish made a left. The ships layout consisted of three main corridors that were laid out like an inverted acute triangle. A corridor laid parallel with the bridge, and you could make a left or right when exiting. Taking a left like Kish, put the entrance to the infirmary on his right. He’d spent more time than he cared to think about in there. And he had the scars to prove it. The Mews may have only been teenage girls, but they could pack a punch when they wanted to. If he had made a right, the ship’s kitchen and mess hall would have been on his left.

Continuing that way, a left would have led him to the corridor containing the sleeping quarters. There were four that ran along the interior side. Each consisting of a sleeping chamber and a bathing area. The first belonged to Kish, then Pai’s, and finally Tart’s. The last one was left empty as most team’s usually consisted of four members. Their’s being an exception since they were family and complimented each other. On the right side of that corridor was the lab Kish shared with Pai. Kish had spent many hours splicing and researching the infuser’s DNA within that room. Coming up with all kinds of new horrors to send at the Mews, while Pai took notes and ran calculations. Just past the lab and the last door on that side of the ship was Tart’s hydroponic lab. There, Tart practiced and refined his special ability as well as grew some of their food.

Coming to the end of the short hallway, Kish hung a right. Directly to his left was a maintenance chamber that held space suits and repair equipment along with an emergency air lock. It was in case repairs needed to be done to the outer hull during travels. Though that air lock was seldom used because the main ship entrance was directly below the bridge. To his right was a narrow staircase that led to that entrance as well as the engine room that took up most of the belly of the ship. Continuing on, there were three doors next to the staircase. The first was a storage room for excess food supplies. The second contained excess medical supplies.

The final door held a storage room filled with all kinds of material scraps, raw elements, and miscellaneous components. Kish and the rest of his kind could use these raw materials to create anything that they may need. Whether for work, repairs, or leisure, as long as it consisted of the same base elements that they had access to, they could create anything. Anything as long as it wasn’t organic. He could use dead organic material like wood or bones to create something but he couldn’t create life. Not with his magic anyway. The infusers were created in a lab with a bit of magical manipulation involved.

The only exception to this rule was Tart and his plant mastery. But even he needed living organic material like a seed to start with. Tart’s ability was a rarity for their kind which was one of the reasons he had been included on the mission despite his young age at the time. If the mission had been successful, he could have used his abilities to begin terraforming Earth more to their liking while the rest of the Cyniclons headed there. He would have massively stimulated the vegetation on Earth causing the plant life to reduce human’s cities and structures to rubble. Covering the decimation with forests and vines.

Kish entered the second and last room on the left side of the corridor. This was the training room. It was about the size of a large gymnasium. Every room on the ship had a base in reality, but most of the room was created in a pocket of subspace that the ship’s engine maintained, even when the ship was powered down. That way anything left in a room wouldn’t be destroyed by the room’s collapse.

The far wall displayed all kinds of handheld weapons from broadswords and katanas, axes and maces, daggers and spears, and even some unknown to Earthlings like a strange double-bladed sickle called a Criltar. There were a few long-range weapons as well like bow and arrows, throwing daggers, javelins, and a round bladed disc. But there were no guns of any kind.

Sure, his people had the technology, but they had banned anything of the type centuries ago. Those sorts of long-range weapons were designed solely for one purpose, killing. And while his people certainly weren’t pacifists, life was something to be respected. So if you planned on taking a life, you did so by honoring them with at least a chance to fight back or flee. Even if their hope was slim to none. The option wasn’t removed from them before a fight by using the cowardly weapon of a gun. Yes, they used long ranged magic attacks like Pai’s fans. But magic took skill and it took time, energy, and focus to cast. All things an enemy could take advantage of if they paid attention. Using too many spells could leave you weak and vulnerable much faster than hand to hand combat, so there was a give and take, and openings for an enemy to use as they saw fit.

Kish trailed his fingertips over the blades of several weapons. He had been well trained and was proficient in nearly every weapon on display, in both their use and how to counter. But there was one weapon he obviously preferred above all the others. Walking to the center of the room, Kish took a knee with his arms partially stretched out at his sides. Cool steel slid across his palms and his fingers curled around the hilts of his dragon sais. Though used more for defense and disarming, the sais were just as deadly when in the hands of a master like him.

Taking a deep breath and clearing his mind, Kish shot forwards, summersaulting across the floor and jabbing his sais forwards. Jumping to his feet, Kish began putting himself through a series of drills. His feet danced across the floor. His body twisting, attacking, and defending against imaginary foes. His sais striking out like lightning or coming up to block, the blades flashing and gleaming under the lights. He’d been at it for about an hour when he noticed Tart leaning in the doorway watching him. Finishing a complicated move, Kish planted his feet. Spinning his weapons through his nimble fingers, he twisted them until the three prongs lay pressed along his forearms, “Since you’re here, you might as well come spar with me.”

“But Kish!” Tart pouted. “You know I suck at hand to hand.”

“All the more reason to practice with me,” Kish smirked. Dismissing his sais, Kish walked over to the wall of weapons. “After your clackers, you preferred tonfas right?” he asked with his back still to Tart.

Tart sighed in defeat. He knew he wasn’t getting out of this. “Yeah,” he muttered.

Kish nodded and spun around, tossing the weapons at a startled Tart who barely caught them. “First rule, always stay alert,” chuckled Kish.

“This is gonna suck,” whined Tart.

“Why’s that?” Kish asked.

“Because. Not only am I terrible at hand-to-hand, but you’re probably the best on the planet. There’s no way I’ll keep up.”

“Tart, do you really think I was born this skilled? It took a lot of hard work and determination to get where I am. I may have had a talent for melee combat, but I still had to train for years to gain the skill,” Kish said crossing his arms as he stood before Tart.

“Yeah, but I’ve been training as well and still can’t compete with you. I’m the same age as you when we went to Earth the first time and as I am now I still wouldn’t of been able to beat you back then.” Tart was a mix of anger, frustration, and jealousy. Kish seemed to always be at an unreachable level.

Kish looked his cousin over, “Tell you what. Put your emotions aside for now and spar with me. If you manage to get a hit in, I’ll reveal a secret or two that will help you catch up almost instantly.”

“You’re lying. That’s not possible,” demanded Tart.

“Fight and find out. Or leave this room and continue to wonder. The choice is yours, brat.” Kish gave a slightly wicked smirk as he summoned his sais and took a defensive stance before Tart.

Tart’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his tonfas. ‘Could it be possible,’ he wondered. Raising his eyes from the floor, Tart held Kish’s gaze defiantly, “I accept.”

They spent the next couple of hours sparring, but try as he might, Tart hadn’t landed even a glancing blow. “I told you it was hopeless,” panted a frustrated Tart.

“You’re still broadcasting your movements too much. Drop your shoulders, widen your stance, bare your weight through your thighs and on the balls of your feet. Don’t stay so planted. Keep your eyes locked on your target but be aware of your surroundings. Don’t think too hard on what I might do but watch what I am doing. Eye flicks, muscles shifts, even breathing changes can all give a hint to what my next move may be. So, stop getting frustrated and focus. Too much emotion or feelings cause distractions,” Kish taught as he easily blocked another attack.

“Is that why you lost so often to the Old Hag?” Tart teased.

Kish’s step faltered as he rammed his elbow into Tart’s side much harder than he had intended.

“Hit a nerve?” Tart taunted as he took a knee, coughing and wheezing from the blow.

“While probably true, that was a low blow cousin,” Kish growled.

“I’ll take any advantage I can get,” coughed Tart as he got back to his feet and started to circle Kish.

“Dirty tricks hmm? Two can play at that game,” Kish dodged an attack and spun around behind Tart, a sai pressed to his throat. “I wonder if Monkey girl has fallen in love with some human yet,” he whispered in Tart’s ear. As Tart brought an elbow back, Kish let go and danced away. Tart glared daggers at Kish. Kish shook the point of a sai at Tart, “Nuh-uh. No getting upset. You brought it to the table making it fair game. Now less feelings and more focusing.”

They faced off again, but just as Tart was ducking under Kish’s arm and maneuvering in for a counterattack, Kish collapsed in pain, gripping his chest. Tart’s tonfa connected with Kish’s side, hard. Instantly, Tart dropped his weapons and took a knee beside Kish. Resting his hand on his shoulder, “Are you alright?”

Kish nodded through gritted teeth, “Ichigo…”

Tart understood. It was another attack.

Finally, the pain subsided, and Kish could breathe easier again. “The closer we get, the stronger these attacks feel,” muttered Kish as he folded his legs and sat down. Glancing at Tart, “And well-done brat. You managed to land a hit.”

“Wait. That shouldn’t count,” countered Tart.

“And why not? Didn’t you say you’d take any advantage?” Kish said, cocking a brow.

“But that’s not what I meant. This isn’t fair to you.”

“There’s no such thing as fairness in a real battle. So, sit down and listen.”

Doing as he was told, Tart sat down in front of Kish.

“You want to know how to catch up to me in hand-to-hand combat?” asked Kish. Tart nodded. “It’s simple, you can’t,” Kish stated flatly.

Reeling back, “What?! But you said..” Tart started to shout.

Kish held his hand up, palm out silencing him. “I know what I said. And I still mean it but listen. You can train for centuries, but you’ll never be equal to my skill. And before you freak out let me ask you something. Do you know why you prefer your tonfas and clackers over other weapons?”

Thinking hard for a moment, “Not sure about my clackers, but I chose the tonfas because they were similar to your sais. I had watched you use those for so long that I knew I could master the tonfas.”

“Then why not use sais yourself?” asked Kish.

“Because the sais were your signature weapon, I wanted something of my own.”

Kish tilted his head thinking that over. “While that may have played a part, it wasn’t the full reason.”

“Then why?” asked Tart.

“The thing that makes my sais and your tonfas similar is that they are both primarily used for defense, like blocking or disarming. However, my sais are also blades. I can hurt and kill with them just as easily. While your tonfas can certainly hurt when you connect a blow, the chances of seriously wounding someone or killing them is incredibly low if at all. You, Tart, were never designed to be a real fighter. Your empathy doesn’t allow for it. Yes, you fight for what you believe is right and will lay your life on the line for it, but you’ll do all you can before actually taking another’s life.” Seeing Tart’s face, Kish quickly added, “Now I’m not saying I’m some cold blooded killer or anything. But when need be, I can flip that switch. Push everything aside and do what must be done. You don’t have that switch. Which, honestly, makes you far better than I already.”

Tart stared at him in disbelief, “What do you mean?”

“Simple. You’re fighting with a handicap, if you will, and can still hold your own. You’re constantly shifting your attacks to avoid fatal hits or to lessen a blow. That’s something you should be proud of.”

“Then how can I get better like you said,” pouted Tart.

Sighing, “You don’t. At least not in hand to hand. Oh, keep up your practicing so you can when need be. But focus on your other talents. You can read people better than anyone I know. Use that. Your control over plants is unprecedented and unmatched. In battle you lean to your strengths. Use that empathy to gain trust or knowledge of weaknesses, and let your cousin handle the actual fighting. You be my support and conscience. Keeping my head in the game when my ego likes to appear. Or by giving me insight on our enemies. You can’t match my combat skills but you surpass me in other ways. And now that you see that and if you accept it, even your combat skills will improve. You won’t feel the need to prove anything anymore. You’ll be able to relax and let your instincts guide you more often. Because whether you can beat me or not doesn’t matter. Just the fact that at four years younger, you can still keep up with the Commander General is a huge accomplishment. So, stop doubting yourself and believe in yourself. I know I do.”

Tart was stunned speechless. It was rare for Kish to be so serious, especially with him. And he had never praised him so much before. He may be able to sense emotions, but this had completely broadsided him. His mind raced over everything Kish had said. It made sense and he took every word to heart. He was the Commander General. And was possibly the best fighter their planet had to offer. He’d be stupid not to listen to his advice, even if it was Kish. “Thank you, Kish. Uh.. Thank you. I’ll try to live up to your words, but already I feel much more at peace. I don’t feel like I need to compete with you and Pai anymore. I’ve always been a member of this team and I always will be, no matter what anyone says.”

Tart smiled as he hopped to his feet and headed to the door, but the clock above the door caught his eye. It was clearly visible to him and to Kish. “You knew!”

“Knew what?” Kish hollered back.

“You saw the time and knew you’d have an attack soon. That you’d be left weak and vulnerable. That’s why you kept pushing me to keep going.”

Kish’s eyes twinkled and he gave his fang filled smirk. Shrugging, “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said before turning back to the weapon racks.

Tart sighed, “Tek’s right. You’re an ass. But you’re also the best cousin anyone could ask for. And I’ll deny ever saying that.” With that, Tart left, but he could hear Kish’s laughter as the door closed behind him.

Chapter Text

“Hey, you going to be alright?” asked a concerned Tart.

“I don’t know, but I know I can’t wait any longer to see her. I need to find out what’s going on and if she’s alright. No idea when I’ll be back, so don’t wait around for me. I’m not the only one who’s been missing someone,” Kish answered with a wink as he teleported away.

Tart shook his head, already worried about his cousin.

They had landed about three hours ago at around nine at night. The ship was parked hovering near the top of Tokyo Tower. It was cloaked and locked in place with a distortion shield around it that would cause birds and what not to alter their course so they wouldn’t run into the invisible ship. Tart had tried to convince Kish that they should go to bed since it was so late, and they could go to the café in the morning together to look for the Mews. But Kish had shot that idea down, saying he needed to see her tonight. When Tart had asked why, Kish had revealed something startling.

Kish had noticed a time pattern to the attacks, but being on the ship he noticed another pattern. While on the ship, the computers showed the converted time of Tokyo as well as their own. Cyniclon time was different in that their hour was fifty minutes long and their clocks went to sixteen not twelve because a day lasted thirty-two hours on his planet. Though he himself could never have figured out how to convert times, the computer did. And Kish had noticed that his attacks always took place between midnight and four am Tokyo time. The time when Ichigo should most likely be asleep.

If that was the case, then these attacks seemed to be stemming from Ichigo waking from some extremely powerful nightmares. Which would make sense why the pain was sudden yet brief and why he felt as though she was calling out to him, though he had only heard her voice once. She was waking up from something terrible. But what could she be dreaming that was so painful? And why was it his name she had called out? To be reaching out to him, it had to be something bad and most likely related to the aliens. So he wanted to go to her at night. To see if he was right and if so, how he could help.

Floating along over Tokyo, Kish kept himself high enough not to be noticed while he let his mind wander. His body was on auto pilot for he could get to Ichigo’s with his eyes shut. He’d spent so many nights sitting in the tree outside her window. ‘Maybe he had been just a teensy bit stalkerish back then,’ he thought shaking his head. Looking below him he marveled at the bright city lights. As disgusting as they could be, he had to admit humans really could create some beautiful things. He had missed the beauty of all the lights twinkling throughout the city.

Paying close attention, he noticed some things had changed. The damage from the final fight had been cleaned up, but most of the forest that had grown that night still remained. Some had been cleared away here and there to make traveling easier, but it looked as though the city had embraced the vegetation and had worked to coexist with it, even in the middle of downtown.

Kish stopped, ‘Apparently, they can learn. And they’re trying,’ he mused. Realizing he’d drifted close to Ichigo’s neighborhood, Kish took a deep breath and teleported to her balcony, praying she still lived at the same house.

He wasn’t disappointed. Looking through the glass, he saw that her room looked nearly identical, though all the pink had either been muted to something softer or gone all together. Her bed was a bit bigger and many of the posters she had had were exchanged for paintings or framed photos.

The latch on the glass door caught his eye because it was unlocked. He’d never seen it unlocked before. Ichigo always made sure it was secure in case he showed up even though he could just as easily teleport inside. Which is what he did now, taking the unlocked door as invitation enough and he didn’t want to risk making any noise by opening the door.

He appeared hovering just off the floor next to her bed and his breath caught in his throat. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. But before he could really take in her features, movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Masha blamed the slow reaction time on not having sensed an alien presence for nearly five months. Popping into his full size, he was about to alert Ichigo, when a hand quickly wrapped around his mouth, silencing him. He was held up before an alien who placed a finger to his lips. “Shh. I’m no threat,” he whispered. Masha studied the alien before his eyes got big and he started bobbing up and down, agreeing. Slowly the alien released him.

Flying up, Masha hovered before the alien and whispered, “Alien Kish?” Kish smiled and nodded. “Kish friend. Ichigo misses Kish. Kish help Ichigo,” Masha said quickly but quietly.

Kish frowned at the little fluff ball. He wanted Kish to help Ichigo? He was about to ask what the furball meant, but the little thing had floated to his shoulder and promptly fell asleep. Apparently, the little robot did see him as a friend now.

Sighing, Kish returned his attention to the girl tucked away in bed. What was going on that not only had she called out for him, but even her little companion had thought he could help. His eyes drifted over her soft face. Right away he noticed the subtle changes the years had caused. Her rounded cheeks were now slightly more angled, showing off her high cheekbones. Cherry kissed lips had become fuller. Long lashes dusted her cheeks. Her hair was a touch darker and fell in longer waves around her face.

How he longed to bury his hand in those deep tresses while he kissed her. She shifted, turning her face towards the ceiling, which let the moonlight brighten her features even more. Her skin was a gently tanned pink and looked incredibly soft. But the light revealed something else. Kish noticed dark circles under her eyes like she hadn’t been resting well. ‘Maybe my nightmare theory is true,’ he thought.

Suddenly, she started to toss and turn. Her eyes clenching even while closed. Her lips parted as a small whimper escaped them. Being this close, he could feel the pain begin to build in his chest instead of just slamming into him all at once like usual. Tucking a lose strand behind her ear, he gently called to her with his mind, “Ichigo. Ichigo. It’s alright. Wake up, Kitten.”

Seeing her start to thrash harder and feeling the pain build, he knew she would wake up any moment. Teleporting over to the balcony door, he took a seat on the floor. Back pressed against the cool glass, one leg stretched out, the other bent at the knee which he rested an arm over, and his gaze hidden by his bangs as he kept an eye on Ichigo.

He didn’t want to scare her by being too close as she awoke, and honestly, he wasn’t ready to be that close to her awake just yet. Until he knew where they stood with each other, he’d keep his distance. It was the best he could do for now to protect his heart and his sanity.

Pain lanced his heart just as Ichigo’s eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Before she could yell out, Kish entered her mind, “Hush, Ichigo. It’s alright. I’m here.”

His words were like a spell that froze her voice and her movements. Slowly she blinked away the tears. “Kish?” she thought as her heart gave a nervous flutter.

“At your service,” he answered with a grin.

“But how? Where?” she asked frantically.

“Right here.”

Wiping the tears and sleep from her eyes, she looked around her room.

And there he was. Sitting on the floor of her bedroom. Her eyes locked with his glowing amber gaze.

“Hey, Kitten,” he said flashing his signature fang filled smirk.

Her heart began to race as she threw back her covers and bolted for him. Crawling to the end of her bed in record speed. She had just dropped to the floor at the foot of her bed when his voice in her head halted her.

“Wait Kitten. Stay there. We’ve got a lot to talk about first. And it’d be better if you stayed where you are,” his voice was firm but gentle.

And it cut through her heart like a knife. ‘He’d never insisted on distance before. In fact, personal space had been a foreign concept to him in the past. So why now? Maybe he really had moved on. Maybe he had someone else now, that’s why the need for distance,’ her mind railed on.

“Ichigo.”

‘I should have known he wouldn’t still love me after all this time,’ she continued.

“Ichigo…”

‘But God I want to hug him. I’ve missed him so much.’

Kish tried to get her attention again, his smirk growing as he heard her rambling thoughts, the moonlight glinting on his pearly fang. “Oh, Ichigo.” He sing-songed to her mind.

‘Damn that smirk has gotten even sexier,’ she couldn’t help but think. Suddenly, his smirk grew into a full blown smile, both his fangs flashing in the moonlight. Her eyes widened, ‘I wonder what those fangs would actually feel like pressed against my…’ her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an exasperated Kish.

“Kitten! If you’ll hush for a moment I’ll explain,” he shouted in her head.

‘But I haven’t said anything,’ she thought. Then it dawned on her. They had been speaking telepathically. ‘That means…’ Oh dear God, he had been hearing her thoughts. She turned bright red in mortification.

Kish had quickly interrupted that very interesting train of thought, even if he was very curious to see where it was going to lead. It had made his cheeks flush and his heart rate quicken. ‘Just what in the Abyss had been going on to have her thinking of something like that with him?!’ he wondered. Clearing his head, he finally managed to get her attention. He almost couldn’t hold in his laughter when she realized he’d been listening to her thoughts, though he hadn’t done so on purpose. When her face turned beet red, he did chuckle. “I didn’t mean to listen in, Kitten. But you were broadcasting your thoughts to me,” he tried to explain.

“But how?” she thought softly.

“First, I figured talking this way would keep us from waking your parents.”

“But I thought only Pai was telepathic,” she interrupted.

“Technically true. His telepathy is much stronger than mine. He can read most people’s minds unless they have strong mental defenses. I can only speak mind to mind with him and Tart because we’re so close. Though Tart is terrible at telepathy, usually coming through as broken sentences and emotions. I can speak easily with you because of our bond,” he explained.

‘Bond? Sure, they may not be enemies anymore and they did have some serious history, but what bond? And wait, where’s Masha? There’s an alien in my bedroom and he didn’t alert me. And why can’t I hear his thoughts if we’re speaking telepathically, but he can hear mine,’ Ichigo’s mind rambled.

Kish chuckled and pointed to his shoulder. The little robot was still slumbering away.

“Traitor,” Ichigo thought.

“Actually, he was worried about you and thought I could help.”

Ichigo blushed deeply.

‘Well, that was an unexpected reaction,’ Kish thought to himself. “I’ll explain what I meant by bond in a moment. To answer your other question, I can hear your thoughts because you’re still broadcasting them to me.” Sighing, “Do you trust me?” he asked sincerely.

Ichigo thought about it for a moment then slowly nodded her head.

Hesitantly, Kish stood and slowly made his way to Ichigo’s side. Kneeling beside her, he whispered, “I promise I won’t hurt you. Now just relax.” His soft words put her at ease, and she did as he asked. When he shifted to reach out, Masha tumbled from his shoulder. Gently he caught the fluff ball and placed him in Ichigo’s lap. Kish reached out and gently placed two fingers against her temple. “Close your eyes,” he whispered. Again, she obeyed.

Ichigo found herself surrounded by nothing but pure whiteness. No matter where she looked, it was only white. The only disruption besides herself was Kish standing before her. She took a moment to look him over. He’d certainly grown and matured over the years. He looked to be around six foot tall, making her have to look up to see his face. Like she had imagined, he no longer wore his forelocks tied, but left them loose to frame his face. They were also longer, coming to rest just past his collar bones. The rest of his deep green hair was also much longer, almost to the middle of his back. It was loosely gathered with a red tie behind his shoulders. The look made him appear even more dashing and trickster-like than before. His eyes were still that mesmerizing liquid amber that she could lose herself in.

He wore an outfit similar to Pai’s but still true to himself. It was a sleeveless mesh undershirt with a small vest like Pai’s, but Kish’s undershirt was dark green and the mesh didn’t reach out from under the vest. No, Kish’s pale abdomen was left completely bare. Showing off his defined abdominal muscles. Ichigo licked her lips. He still had the lean physique from when they were younger, but he had clearly continued to work out.

Moving on before her thoughts ran away with her, she noticed that he still wore his arm wraps around his wrists unlike the sleeves that Pai had worn, only now the wraps were black instead of red. His pants were also much lower slung around his hips than Pai’s had been, but they were the same type and a deep black. No longer the shorts and half tunic from before. The pants were tucked into more black wrappings which disappeared into a pair of boots like what he used to wear except these were also black. All in all, he had grown to become incredibly handsome and very sexy. Her assessment had only taken a handful of seconds as she looked up at him in confusion. “Where are we?” she finally asked.

A grin slid across Kish’s face as he watched Ichigo’s eyes travel down then back up his body, her heated blush revealing that she liked what she saw. Clearing his throat, “Technically, we’re inside your mind. But in a protected space that I created to keep your thoughts and memories safe. I’m going to give you a crash course in telepathy so that you won’t keep accidentally sharing your thoughts with me.”

Ichigo nodded, “Ok. What do I need to do?”

“First, I need you to envision a locked door, and behind that is where all your memories and private thoughts will be located. You can imagine it any way you like. Then picture a small waiting room, if you will, in front of that door. That area is your common ground. When you want to speak to me or share any specific thought, you’ll do it from there. Anything private will remain behind the locked door. Alright, do you have that pictured in your mind?”

Ichigo cleared her mind and envisioned what he said. Slowly, the vast white world faded away and they were left standing in something that vaguely looked like the dining area of the café only cozier and more private. There were a couple of small tables with chairs and a large fluffy sofa off to the side. Behind Kish was a massive red and gold locked door.

“Very good, Kitten,” Kish praised with a smile. “But be careful, I removed my barrier so if you don’t focus on keeping your private thoughts behind that door, I’ll be able to hear them again.” He gave her a wink.

“What if I want to share a thought or memory with you?” she asked.

“There are several ways. For thoughts, anything you think in here while aiming it towards me, I’ll be able to hear. Same with speaking, though speaking is much simpler so you don’t really need to think of yourself here. As long as you’re thinking at me, I’ll hear you. Just like if you were speaking to someone. And the same if you were to yell something here or in your mind, you’d be broadcasting it to anyone nearby that has telepathic capabilities. For memories, well there are two most used methods. One is while in here, just think of the memory you wish to show. I’ll see it as a slide show with only the strongest sounds of the memory coming through. If you wanted to share a memory more completely, where I could hear everything and even smell and feel all that you did, we’d go inside there,” he pointed to the locked door.

“But wouldn’t you see everything if you went in there?” Ichigo asked.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Kish leaned back and stretched his legs out. “Yes and no. Everything would still be private, but if I touched a memory while in there, I’d have access. I could watch as if I were living that moment through you. See all you saw, heard, smelled, and felt. Or at least everything that you remembered. I promise I won’t touch or do anything. But if you want, I could accompany you inside and show you what I mean.” Kish was being a tad selfish. He really didn’t need to enter her locked memories. But he was curious. What would her inner mind look like? And would she trust him enough to allow him access to her most private self?

Ichigo’s mind wandered, but she kept her thoughts firmly behind the locked door. Did she trust him with her innermost memories and secrets? He hadn’t done anything or pushed her to do something she hadn’t agreed to, so he hadn’t given her a reason not to trust him. But she could admit she was both scared and intrigued by the idea. And she really wanted to keep him talking and with her as long as possible. There was no telling when he may disappear on her. She still had no idea where they stood. Though, he had seemed flattered and amused by her earlier thoughts about him, but he hadn’t really revealed anything. She didn’t know how he felt about her or even if he was single. Then there was that bond thing he mentioned.

Sighing, she was starting to give herself a headache. Walking over to the sofa, she sat down at the other end, sitting with her legs folded in front of her and her hands resting on her thighs. She was facing him but left roughly a foot of space between them. “I’ll let you in there,” she flicked her thumb towards the door, “on two conditions.”

Kish turned his body towards her, bringing his left knee onto the couch so he could face her completely and leaned back against the couch’s armrest. “I’m listening,” he almost purred.

Suddenly, she released a yelp and rubbed at her temple, “Ouch!”

“Oh, sorry, Kitten. That was me removing our physical connection and sitting back down.”

Ichigo looked at him in confusion. “If you’re not touching me anymore, then how are you still here in my mind?” she asked.

“Part of that pain was me solidifying our link. Now that the connection has been made and as long as I have your consent, I can enter this part of your mind whenever you or I want.” Seeing a shift of worry cross her eyes, he added, “Don’t worry, Kitten. This is still your mind and I’ll never enter here without your permission. But if you’d rather continue this conversation in your bedroom, I could leave here.” His hand rolled back and forth between them while he made the offer.

Instantly, Ichigo’s hand shot forwards and wrapped around his wrist. “No! Uh… I mean. Please stay. At least a while longer while we finish talking,” she tried to hide the need and longing in her voice.

Kish smiled, “Of course, Kitten.” He rotated his wrist so he now held her fingers in his grasp and brought her hand up. He leaned forwards and placed a butterfly kiss to her knuckles.

Ichigo blushed scarlet as she pulled her hand back. “Thank you,” she managed to stutter out. They had both felt the sizzle of electricity run through their bodies at the contact.

Kish bit his tongue. He was skirting fate, he knew that, but he hadn’t been able to resist. Her touch had almost pushed him over the edge. Grasping for a distraction from the way her skin felt under his lips, he asked, “So what were those two conditions?”

“Oh, umm… First, I want you to explain what you meant by our bond. And second,” here she glanced up into his molten eyes and sucking in a deep breath for courage, “I want to know how you feel about me now.”

Kish’s eyes widened slightly at her second request. He knew it would come up eventually, but he was surprised it was her who was bringing it up. Another trickle of hope seeped into his heart. With that hope, a bit more of his old self rose to the surface. “Can the little kitty-cat pay attention long enough for me to explain?” he teased.

Ichigo crossed her arms defiantly, “I’ve been paying attention the rest of the night just fine. Haven’t I?”

‘There was his fiery Kitten,’ he thought. “Mm. I suppose you’re right. Well seems like it’s your lucky night, Kitten. For you’re in store for another lesson from Master Kish.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but giggle, “There’s the cocky alien I’ve missed. Was starting to wonder if he was still in there or if you really had actually matured.” With his old self returning, Ichigo had found her former confidence.

“Oh, trust me, Kitten. I’m still me. But if you play your cards right, I’ll be more than happy to show you just how much I’ve grown and matured.” His voice had dropped in tone and his eyes sparked with mischief and something darker. Now that he’d slipped back into his old habits with her, he couldn’t seem to stop himself. The teasing and flirting just came naturally with her.

Ichigo’s cheeks tinged pink, but as usual, she wasn’t one to back down to Kish. “Then I suppose you should hurry up with your lesson, Master Kish.” She let the last two words come out as a slow purr. Teasing him.

Kish licked his suddenly dry lips. His blood was warming as his heart rate quickened. ‘Gods and Goddesses, this was better than before,’ he thought. Not only was she being her usual defiant self, but his fiery little Kitten was playing back. ‘All Bright, help me.’

Clearing his throat, Kish began to explain, “In Cyniclon culture we have love, relationships, and marriage just like you humans. But we take it one step further. When we find that special someone that we know we can’t live without, someone we want to share our very soul with, we can form mate bonds with them, then eventually forge a mate mark. While finding a real mate can be difficult, it’s common in our culture. You can love and even marry without forming a mate bond. You see, it can be difficult to create the bond in the first place and dangerous. When someone finds a person they wish to forge a bond with, there are some things that are required. There must be some mutual positive feelings between the two. But if they don’t run deep enough, the bond becomes frozen, and the one who started the process would be stuck. They wouldn’t be able to cancel the bond and try for someone else. They’d never be able to have that connection with anyone as long as that other bond was frozen. With me so far?” Kish asked.

“Sort of. I think I’m following. But why couldn’t, let’s say the girl, just tell the guy that she wasn’t interested in him and break him from the bond?” she asked.

“Because mate bonds don’t work that way. They are something truly special and aren’t to be taken lightly. It’s why it’s rare but common. Most want that deep connection, but are incredibly careful when trying to obtain it. Let’s say the guy started the bonding process with a close friend that he loved dearly. The process would start because they both cared for each other but may end up frozen if she only sees him as a friend. Another reason why most couples speak about it before letting the process begin. Though occasionally someone may start the process because the person they fell in love with was it for them. That even if the bond became frozen, they’d be alright because she was his one and only. Besides, even with a frozen bond, you can still have relationships and even marry. Only a piece of their heart would always be locked away. But most don’t want to marry someone they couldn’t bond with for they would lose the chance at that deeper connection as well.”

Kish glanced at Ichigo to gauge her reaction as he continued, “The reason a bond can be dangerous is if a frozen bond lasts too long or if after the bonding process starts, that person then completely denies you. Then the person who initiated the bond can slowly be driven insane. You see, once the process has started, some things become shared between the two. Telepathy becomes easy and normal between the pair. Strong emotions are also shared, but only to the initiator. But in a frozen or rejected bond, the initiator still feels these things. Which can become like torture. To feel the one you care for either hurt or incredibly happy and you can’t help or join them begins to take its toll. Eventually, driving them insane. Most take their own life at that point or have someone they trust do it for them. It’s considered a kindness because there is no healing a broken bond.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Kish continued, “Now there are two ways to break a frozen bond other than being accepted. First, is in the death of the chosen. The link would be severed and the initiator would be free to pursue someone else. Of course, this breaks a fully bonded pair as well allowing the one left behind to move on if they so wish. The other way would be if the chosen completes a full mate bond with someone else, accepting their mate mark. Rejection and frozen bonds are incredibly rare because, as I said, most couples talk about taking that step before initiating it. Frozen bonds usually happen if they become separated before the bond is completed. Or in the rare cases where the chosen becomes unsure and decides they aren’t ready for the commitment or that they really aren’t happy with the pursuer. Rare, but can occur.”

Kish took a moment to wet his lips. He linked his hands together and stretched his arms above his head. Ichigo’s soft whisper pricked his sensitive ears.

“Are you trying to tell me that you started this mate bonding process with me?” she asked hesitantly.

Sighing, Kish locked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, “I’m getting to that my impatient Kitten.” He tried to sound teasing, but it mostly came out sounding tired.

“But why?! Why Kish?” she demanded. “You knew I was in love with someone else. Why do that to yourself? Why make a bond that you knew would end up frozen?”

Tears gathered at the corners of Ichigo’s eyes. She couldn’t understand. He must have been in pain all these years, believing he would never complete the bond. Would never have that kind of connection for the rest of his life.

Kish slowly slid his eyes open and locked his piercing gaze with hers, “Because, Kitten, you were it for me. From the moment I saw you, I knew. My heart would never belong to another. Then one night while we were fighting, it happened. Pai had fired an attack aimed at you before turning his attention back to the other Mew Mews. I had my back to Pai so I didn’t see the incoming attack. All my focus on you. But I saw the sudden fear flash through your eyes. I had moved into the line of fire and didn’t know. But you did. You jumped up and shoved me out of the way. As I hit the ground, I watched as Pai’s attack grazed your shoulder, knocking you to your knees. I realized if you hadn’t pushed me aside, it would of hit me full force. You had saved me. Though you called me names, denied my advances, fought me with tooth and claw, and claimed to despise me. You had feared for me and possibly saved my life. Even putting your own life on the line for me. It was in that moment I had felt the instinct rise to form the bond with you. And I neither could nor wanted to stop it. You were the only one I knew I would ever love.”

Closing his eyes and tilting his head away, he thought of that day. But suddenly the memory shifted, and he saw it play out from Ichigo’s eyes. Surprise hit him when he realized she was sharing her memory of that day with him. And though normally all he would see were the sounds and images, she was feeding him her emotions from that day. She had been petrified when she saw the attack heading for him. She had acted purely on instinct when she had saved him. And he saw something he had missed. When she had seen he was alright, she had wiped a tear away in relief.

As the memory ended, his eyes glanced back to Ichigo. She had tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were clenched tight. Like she couldn’t even stand to look at him. He could feel she was in pain. She was hurting for him. ‘Feeling sorry for what he had been going through most likely’ he thought. And sorry that she couldn’t return his feelings. He still hadn’t found out the cause of her initial pain and nightmares, but he needed to go for now. To lick his wounded heart and let her calm down. “I’m sorry Kitten. I never meant to upset you or make you cry.” Before he could exit from her mind, her next question froze him in place.

“Does that mean you still love me?” Her voice was shaky, timid even.

He swallowed thickly, “Never stopped, Kitten.”

The hollowness in Ichigo’s heart disappeared as something clicked into place. The bond had finally been completed. She accepted and reciprocated his love fully.

The pain Kish had been feeling was washed away as he too felt the thrum of the completed bond between them. Her happiness, love, and need for him slammed into his chest, filling his heart to the brim. The sheer force of her emotions knocking them both from her mind and back to the outside world and her bedroom.

Settling back into his own mind, Kish blinked as he looked at the girl on the floor several feet from him. He watched as she became aware of her surroundings again. Another blink and Kish’s eyes locked with hers. Again, he blinked and she was in his lap. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said she had teleported to him.

As soon as Ichigo had gotten her feet under her, she let her cat reflexes take control and launched herself at Kish. She had covered the distance between them in a single leap. And she now found herself in his lap. Her left knee braced atop his thigh, while her other knee supported the majority of her weight pressed to the carpet between his legs. Her fingers were curled around the shoulder straps of his vest, holding on for dear life.

But what currently had Kish’s mind spinning were her lips pressed firmly to his. She was kissing him! Kish’s mind finally snapped awake as he gently gripped her upper arms and pushed her away softly.

She allowed herself to be pulled away but didn’t release her death grip on his vest. She looked up at him in confusion.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? I’ll never be able to let you go now. Not only did you accept the bond Kitten, but you let me taste those lips. Why?” His voice was rough and slightly demanding.

Ichigo smiled, “Silly alien. Still haven’t figured it out?” She flashed him her own cat fanged smirk, “There was this cocky golden eyed alien that once promised to show me paradise. I finally realized what he meant and was offering. And I’m hoping the offer still stands.” She winked at him and leaned forwards, her lips brushing along the base of his long ear. A soft whisper escaped her, “I love you, Kish. And I’m yours if you still want me.”

In an instant, Kish had wrapped his arms around Ichigo and had pulled her against him. Their bodies flush with one another as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, so he clenched them shut. Breathing deep, he let her soft scent envelop him. She smelled like a ripe strawberry field after a spring rain. Clean, fresh, and delicious.

Ichigo held him tightly, one arm around his shoulders and the other hand slipping through his soft hair. When her hand caught on his hair tie for the fourth time, she slid it off. Wrapping the string around her wrist, her hand was now free to let the silken green strands slip through her fingers. When she felt the first drops of his tears run down her shoulder, she began to softly purr for him. To comfort him. She couldn’t blame his emotional state. If he truly had continued to love her for all these years, then she had just given him the greatest gift of his life.

With the bond now complete between them, she could even feel some of his emotional turmoil. All the pain he had suffered was being washed away and he was being left bare, raw. Fear also permeated his feelings. Fear that she didn’t fully realize what she was offering him. Fear that she didn’t genuinely love him and was simply confused. Confusion also surfaced. He couldn’t understand what had changed so drastically that made her suddenly love him. Concern and worry also warred within him. Worrying for her and concerned about their possible future. Kish gave a soft shudder before she heard him in her mind.

“How? When?” was all he managed to coherently ask. His mind was in shambles as he clung to Ichigo.

She nuzzled her cheek against the side of his head as she answered him in kind, “It’s a long story that took years of soul searching and realizations. You sure you’re up for it?” She teased lightly.

Taking a deep calming breath, “Kitten, I’ve waited more than four years for you to say those words. I can wait a bit longer to hear the explanation.”

Ichigo giggled softly, “Good to know, but not what I meant.” She could feel his confusion, so she shifted the knee between his thighs a bit closer. In doing so, it brought his slowly growing arousal to his notice.

He chuckled dryly against her throat, “Cut me some slack will ya? I have not only the most beautiful Kitten across two universes, but also the woman of my dreams wrapped in my arms.”

Ichigo blushed at the compliment. “I am. That’s why I asked if you could handle my long explanation.”

‘Oh,’ he thought. “I’ll be fine. But how ‘bout I make things a bit more fair. I seem to recall you wondering what my fangs would feel like against your skin.” While he spoke in her mind, he had kissed just below her ear then dragged the point of a fang down the side of her neck, leaving a faint red trail behind on her delicate skin. When he reached her shoulder he sealed his lips over her skin and let the tips of both fangs prick against her flesh.

A shudder coursed through her body as liquid heat pooled low in her belly. “Fuck,” she hissed at him. “I was wrong. Your fangs feel even better than in my fantasies.”

“Hm? Been dreaming of me Kitten?” he purred seductively in her mind.

The reminder of dreams had her snapping out of the haze that was enveloping her. “Tell you what. You take us somewhere more private and comfortable, where we can finish this conversation and I just might show you some of those fantasies.”

Kish continued to lick and suck at her shoulder as he pressed his fangs in deeper, but not breaking the skin. When he noticed her scent become peppered with the faint traces of her arousal, he pulled his mouth away. Glancing at her shoulder, he admired his handiwork. A light bruise was forming centered around two red indentions just above her collar bone. ‘Right there,’ he thought to himself. That would be where he would mark her. Leaning back, he looked into her eyes with a smile, “You’ve got yourself a deal, love.”

Using her thumbs, Ichigo brushed the last traces of his tears away. Trailing a hand down his cheek, she twirled a finger around one of his forelocks and gave it a slight tug. “For someone who was just so emotionally distraught, you sure did bounce back to your old self awfully fast.”

“All because of you, Ichigo,” he told her as he rested his forehead against hers. “Having you here, in my arms and hearing you say you’ll finally be mine. The walls I’ve kept locked around my heart have finally crumbled away. Now,” he placed a hand over her heart, “that I can finally feel everything that’s in here with our completed bond. I know you love me and aren’t just saying it.” His words were soft yet happy in her mind.

Smiling, “Of course I wasn’t just saying it, ya dumb alien. I do love you. It just took me a little while to realize it. And if you’d keep your deal, I’ll explain how.”

He grinned and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and back. “Then hold on tight, love.”

Ichigo wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and tucked her head under his chin.

Kish lifted off the floor slightly as the air began to ripple around them.

The pair vanished.

Chapter Text

Ichigo’s head was spinning as she held on to Kish for dear life. “Urgh. Make it stop. I want to get off the merry go round now please,” she begged.

Kish chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly. “Sorry, Kitten. Teleporting takes a bit of getting used to, especially for the first time.”

She tried to open her eyes to see where they were, but that only made things worse, so she squeezed them tightly shut. Wherever he had teleported them to, she had heard him snap his fingers before they had landed on what felt like a bed. And she swore she could hear the crashing of waves around them along with the smell of the ocean.

“Easy, don’t open your eyes just yet. I can help if you want?” he offered.

“Please,” she whimpered.

“Do you trust me?”

“You know I do,” she responded with a groan. She was currently sitting in his lap, her legs straddling his waist. Her body was tucked tightly against him as she tried to ride out the overwhelming topsy-turvy feeling roiling around within her.

Softly, he gripped her shoulders and pushed her away from him, so she was sitting up. He shifted one hand to lay his cool palm against her temple. His other hand slid down her side, coming to the bottom hem of her pajama shirt. Hesitantly, Kish slipped his hand under her shirt and placed it over her stomach, fingers splayed wide over her skin.

Ichigo gasped at both the touch of his hand on her bare belly, but also from his cool skin. A soft tingling sensation started to spread from his hands, pushing away the dizziness and uneasy feeling. Once the comforting warmth had completely enveloped her, all the pain and dizziness totally vanished. She finally opened her eyes just as Kish’s hand slipped from her and he fell back, eyes closed, onto the bed, nestled against a bunch of silky grey pillows.

Worry struck Ichigo as she looked down at Kish, who looked even paler than usual and seemed to be breathing hard. “Kish? Kish, are you alright?” She was starting to panic when he didn’t answer immediately.

Her panic was about to get the better of her when his voice finally entered her mind in a soft whisper, “Shh, Kitten. I’m alright. Just completely drained. Took a bit more out of me than I realized is all. Teleporting both of us so far, creating the bed, and then sharing my energy on top of that. Just need a few moments and I’ll be fine. Though it will probably take a few hours for my energy to be fully restored.”

“Dammit Kish, don’t do that again! You scared me half to death. You sure you’re alright?” She scolded at first but ended up softening her voice in concern.

“Aww, worried about me, Kitten?” Kish teased but still sounded very weak.

“Of course, I am you dumb alien. Besides, if something happens to you, I could end up stranded wherever it is you brought us. Where are we anyways?” she asked finally taking a moment to look around.

At the sound of her gasp, Kish cracked his eyes open and watched the beauty above him. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were the size of saucers as she took in the view around them. He let her take it in for a moment before he answered her, “I promised I’d take you to paradise, didn’t I? And after we talk and I regain my strength, I promise to show you to paradise.” His fang glinted in the moonlight as he smirked at his beautiful Kitten.

Her gaze shifted from the scenery to Kish’s face. His gold eyes almost glowing in the darkness of twilight. Resting her hands on his chest, she leaned over him. “It’s absolutely stunning, Kish,” her words were soft and choked with emotion. Leaning further down, she brushed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Against his lips, she whispered, “Thank you.” Before he could respond, she pressed her lips firmly to his.

Kish’s lips melded and moved with hers with as much passion, love, and devotion as he could muster. He damned his weakened state for he couldn’t even lift his arms to hold her.

Breaking the kiss and sitting up, Ichigo smiled at him before looking around them again. Though it was still very late or early, depending on how you looked at it, her cat genes allowed her to see extremely well in the dark. The bright moon and stars above also helped to cut through the darkness. It looked as though they were on a small deserted island. It was a narrow strip of land and though she couldn’t see the end, she could see the other side where the ocean met another beach. A small smattering of Palm trees and light brush sat between them and the other beach. The shore was filled with soft white sand as the dark waves ebbed and flowed over it. They appeared to be completely alone besides the occasional sign of wildlife including a few crabs and even a sea turtle a few yards away along the shore.

Looking down, she saw they were atop a large king-sized bed, placed on the sandy shoreline but far enough to be out of reach of the water. The bed was covered in a deep satin gray comforter and she could see deep green sheets peeking out from beneath. The many fluffy pillows also shimmered in the moonlight, the gray satin fabric soft and silky beneath her legs and hands. “Where are we?” she finally managed to whisper out. Her mind still in awe of both the natural beauty and the gift from the man before her.

Finally getting some strength back, Kish let his hands rest on her bare thighs, just below the hem of her pink pajama shorts. “It’s a tiny deserted island I noticed from my ship as we flew across the ocean to you and Tokyo. We’re probably a few hundred miles off the east coast of Japan.”

“You can teleport that far?” Ichigo asked in shock.

“Not easily,” he replied sounding proud of himself. “Most can’t. And it did take a lot out of me. But seeing your reaction was well worth it.” His smile was full of tenderness as he gazed up at her. Shifting, he sat himself up more fully, propping himself up with a few pillows so he was more eye to eye with her.

“You didn’t have to go through so much trouble for me. But again, thank you, Kish.”

“You know I’d do anything for you, Kitten.”

“And what’s with the bed?” she teased, knowing full well his intentions. He wasn’t her perverted alien for nothing.

“Like I said, I plan on showing you paradise later. And thought a bed would be much more comfortable and romantic than the sandy beach,” he winked.

“Still as perverted as ever, I see,” she teased.

“Ah, but Kitten. You forget I’ve seen your thoughts. I’m not the only one who’s had deliciously dirty ideas cross their mind. Besides, I’m starting to think you actually enjoy my flirtatious nature,” he said while purposefully flashing his fangs.

Heat from her arousal and embarrassment at being caught flowed through Ichigo’s body. “Maybe,” she grinned. “Though I was a bit too young and naive back then to truly appreciate it. But I’m sure you’re like that with all the girls back home,” she said turning her head away.

Kish’s warm eyes suddenly flashed with something harder, darker. “I may have been popular with the ladies before, and am still admired and sought after, but the only one I have eyes for is you. Has been since the day I met you. Where’s this coming from, Kitten? Are you jealous?” He was a tad angry at her lack of faith in him, but also concerned about her. She was usually so bright and fiery. But now she seemed almost lost.

“What?! No! Well maybe a little. But that’s not what I mean. I mean is all this true? Yes, I felt something settle in my heart when the bond completed, I can even sense what you’re feeling to an extent. But is all this really true? Has your love always been so strong for me? That we have this almost supernatural yet instinctual bond? Or is this just another of your tricks to get me to be yours. To get me to sleep with you?” Ichigo sounded almost desperate. Her emotions were all over the place. She knew in her heart the bond was real, but she also knew how tricky and devilish Kish could be. She was confused, scared, and worried her growing love for him would shatter along with her heart if this turned out to be a trick.

Pain seared his heart. Pain from not only her harsh accusations, but also from the uncertainty and anguish he could feel within her heart. He lashed his arms out, gripping her arms tightly and forced her to look at him. “How could you even think I’m just toying with you, Ichigo? I’ve meant everything I’ve said. I love you! I even died for you! I came back for you. Left my home and responsibilities to come find you because I felt you were in pain.”

She’d seen him this angry and upset before when he had almost killed her after she had denied him in the past, but she pushed forward. Her sharp gaze locked with his piercing eyes. “You even used to call me your toy,” she ground out.

His eyes softened immediately, and his grip loosened. “I was a fool,” he stated softly. “I called you that because I couldn’t say what I really wanted to.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t exactly hold back your thoughts about me back then,” Ichigo growled.

“Because you wouldn’t have understood, and it would have put us both in danger. I may have called you my toy, but I wanted to say my mate. If Pai or the others heard that, my life would have been in jeopardy, for they would of realized just how important you really were to me.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry for how much I tormented you back then. But I truly did and still love you. Always will. Things just got so twisted then. I was stuck. I was trying to save my people, my planet. Then I fell in love with you. How could I choose one over the other? I’d fight to kill you for all I loved back home, then realize I was hurting you, putting you in danger, so I’d suddenly stop. It’s part of why you could usually beat me so easily. Not only was I incredibly distracted by my thoughts, but I also wanted you to win. If you defeated us, then I wouldn’t have to keep fighting, wouldn’t have to keep hurting you. While also keeping me from feeling like a traitor to my people. But after I realized Deep Blue had never intended to help my people, I knew I would do whatever it cost to help you. Giving my life for you was the easiest decision I ever made. Though I do wish I had won and been the one to actually save you. But I’d have done anything to protect you, to see you safe. I still would. It was why I left without saying anything. I let you go so you could be happy with who you chose, and I wouldn’t continue to be in your way.”

Ichigo’s eyes were glassy as she fought back her tears. “No, Kish. I’m sorry. So incredibly sorry. For doubting you now and for how I treated you then. I was naive and so fixated on who I thought I was supposed to be with and me saving this planet that I never really saw you. Never saw how much you really cared or how much pain you were in. And even when I caught glimpses, I ignored it. You were hurting so much, and I was always so cruel to you.” She shivered from both the emotional overload and from the cold breeze coming over the water.

Kish’s heart ached for his mate. She had been suffering as well. Seeing her shiver, “Come here, Kitten.” He said wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled close against him, feeling warmth and comfort in his arms. Holding her close, he maneuvered them so they could slip under the blankets. He slid down a bit further into the bed and cradled her head on his chest as he pulled the warm blankets tight around his precious bundle. “Better?” he asked softly.

Ichigo could only nod as the damn broke and her sobs broke free. As soon as she could speak clearly again, she explained everything that had happened after he left. Her break up, the soul searching, constantly going over all their previous encounters, his death, how much she had started to miss him dearly, how she’d come to realized how much she had actually cared about him, how those feelings began to blossom into love, her regrets, how much she needed to see him again, and eventually her fantasies that started to become nightmares. She told him absolutely everything and he held her tightly through all of it. Never interrupting, only holding her close, his hand occasionally running up and down her back to help keep her calm enough to continue. Once everything was out in the open between them, she felt cleansed. Like a giant weight had lifted from her shoulders. She was finally where she truly belonged. With her mischievous, perverted alien. And for the first time in a very long time, she felt as if her life was finally moving forwards.

Never could Kish have imagined just how hard things had been for her. He thought he had left so she could be happy, but he had been terribly wrong. His heart felt heavy with her pain and his regret. Yet it was also full of pride in her. The resilience his fiery Kitten had shown and the strength of her loving heart. She never ceased to amaze him. His words were soft and gentle when he finally spoke, “Oh, Kitten. I thought by leaving you, I was letting you be happy. Giving you what I thought you wanted. But I promise, I’ll never leave your side again. I don’t think I could even if I tried. I’ve loved you for so long. And now that I have you, I’m never letting go. Please forgive me. I probably don’t deserve either your love or forgiveness. But please. Say you’ll always be mine.” His arms tightened around her in both fear and desperation. He couldn’t bear to lose her now. It would literally kill him. Again.

Ichigo sniffled and wiped her puffy eyes, “Kish… You really can be a dumb alien. You’re stuck with me til the end of time. I love you. And I’ll only forgive you if you forgive me.” She leaned up, looking him in the eyes as she awaited his reply. Strawberry chocolate eyes searched molten amber. A twitch of his lips drew her attention as she saw his trademark smirk crawl over his face.

“You drive a hard bargain. And til the end of time is an awfully long time to be stuck with such an emotional and hot-tempered little Kitten,” he teased.

“Kish…” she pouted, drawing out his name.

His smile grew until it reached his eyes, “Of course I forgive you, Kitten. And nothing would make me happier than to have my mate by my side for the rest of our lives.”

She grinned. “Do you have to sound so cocky about it?”

“Yes. Yes I do. After all. I was the villain, and I still got the girl. Plus, I was right. Even back then. I win,” he ended with a growl as he crushed his lips to hers. The kiss hot, passionate, and a little bit cocky as he claimed her. His tongue licked at her lips, demanding entrance and she happily obliged, opening her mouth to him. His warm tongue snaked between her lips, plundering her depths.

But she, never one to truly submit to her alien, tangled her tongue against his. Eventually pushing her way past his lips. She ran the tip of her tongue along a fang, which pulled a low growl from him. It was dangerous and incredibly sexy. Heat shot straight to her core as she whimpered softly into the kiss.

The scent of her arousal was taking over his senses. And he suddenly became very aware of several things all at once. His Kitten was deeply in love with him and was completely his, they were absolutely alone in bed, with her straddling his waist, and she was kissing him and getting aroused by it. Slowly, he drew his hands down her sides until they cupped the curve of her waist. Gently, he tugged her hips harder against his.

She gasped against his lips. The surprise of his thick arousal pressed between her thighs caused her cat ears and tail to pop out. Even through their clothes, she could feel his large size. A burning need was growing deep in her core with every slight bit of friction.

He nipped her bottom lip with a fang when the sharp scent of the spike in her arousal reached his nose. Using a strength and speed only he possessed, he flipped their positions, his lips never leaving hers.

Ichigo moaned as she felt him pin her down, his hips fitting snuggly against hers as he settled between her thighs.

Kish released her lips in favor of trailing kisses along her jaw before gently scraping his fangs down her neck. His tongue occasionally lapping at the faint tracks to soothe the sting.

‘Fuck! Those fangs!’ Ichigo’s mind railed in pleasure.

He chuckled against her skin, “I’m starting to think you’re becoming a tad obsessed with my fangs, Kitten.”

“Eavesdropping again, love?” she answered mind to mind.

“Can’t help it when you don’t shield your thoughts.”

“Maybe I want you to hear so you won’t stop,” she teased.

He bit down just harsh enough to leave a bruise before licking to the hollow of her throat. “You just have to ask, and I’ll gladly drag my fangs across every inch of your body, Kitten.”

A shudder coursed through her entire body. “Promises, promises,” she teased as she brought her hands up to trace over his bare abdominal muscles.

It was his turn to shudder. He used one hand to brace himself above Ichigo while his other slid down her hip and cupped the back of her thigh, pulling her harder against him. Slowly, he dragged his fangs across the tender skin of her collar bone until he reached the other side of her neck. Showing that side just as much attention as the other with both his fangs and lips.

One of Kish’s long ears brushed along her jaw and Ichigo couldn’t resist the temptation. Tilting her head slightly, she brought her lips near the upper edge and ran her tongue along the firm ridge.

Kish’s reaction was immediate as he yanked his mouth away from her and stared down at her with wide eyes. “Keep that up, Kitten, and this will be over much faster and rougher than either of us may like,” he panted out.

She raised a brow, “Are they really that sensitive?”

He smirked down at her, “You tell me.” Before she could react he had leaned up and captured the furry edge of one of her cat ears between his lips. Teasingly, he ran the tip of his tongue along the edge.

Immediately, her hands clenched at his sides and her legs clamped down tight around his hips. Her panties and pajama shorts were quickly becoming thoroughly damp as the extreme arousal shot through her. “Ok. So, note to self. Leave the ears alone unless I want to be fucked quick and hard,” she panted.

“Now who’s the dirty one?” he asked as he leaned back to take in her beautifully flushed face, slightly parted lips, and glazed eyes. She really was breathtaking.

“I suppose I learned from the best,” she said before nipping at his jawline.

“Mm… Finally admitting I’m the best? I like the sound of that,” he chuckled as his hand slid higher up her thigh, slipping under her shorts until his fingertips brushed the edge of her panties.

“Don’t get too cocky,” she scolded playfully. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed him until he sat back on his knees, allowing her to sit up. “You may be the best at being perverted, but I guarantee I can still distract you and catch you off guard,” she challenged as she pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside. Bare from the waist up, Ichigo couldn’t help the blush that stained her cheeks even as she tried to remain calm and confident under Kish’s hungry gaze.

Any response he may have had to her words died in his throat as he swallowed thickly. He couldn’t help but stare at the beauty before him.

“Cat got your tongue,” she teased as she laid back amongst the pillows. Her teasing used to cover up the slight rise of her nervousness. She watched him through partially hooded eyes.

The seductive tone to her voice snapped him back, “Kitten,” he growled.

“Hmm?” she purred, the tip of her tail flicking back and forth at her side.

“You are beyond beautiful,” he whispered as he started to bend down.

A sharp claw-like nail stopped him as she tapped it against his vest. “This, off,” she almost growled in demand.

Kish was only too happy to obey. Gripping the bottom of his vest, he pulled both it and the mesh undershirt off in one swift movement, tossing them towards her discarded shirt.

It was Ichigo’s turn to stare as her eyes traveled across the smooth expanse of his pale chest.

Enjoying how her hungry eyes raked over his body, Kish chuckled. “Like what you see, Kitten?”

Ichigo could only nod as she tugged him back down to her.

He allowed her hands to explore his chest as he brought his mouth down upon her right breast. He trailed open mouthed kisses over the top curve of the soft round globe, working his lips towards her rosy pink nipple. Teasingly, he licked and kissed all around except for where she most desperately wanted to feel his mouth. Just as his lips finally sealed around her peaked nipple, he brought his right hand up to knead her unoccupied breast.

Ichigo couldn’t hold back the moan that rose from her throat as she arched into his touch. Her mind momentarily flicked to Masaya and how he had never made her feel like this. But she quickly pushed that thought away, praying Kish hadn’t picked up on it. However, that prayer was quickly shattered.

Kish simultaneously bit down as his eyes caught and held hers, and his voice growled within her mind, “Good to know, Kitten.”

Her thoughts were shattered as he dragged the tip of a fang across the peak of her overly sensitive nipple. Everywhere he touched or placed his mouth tingled and burned.

Rolling one nipple between his fingers, he locked his teeth firmly around the other and pulled back. Just before it became painful, he let the abused bud slip from his mouth. Kissing his way across her chest, he proceeded to lavish the same treatment on her left breast with his lips, tongue, and teeth.

Fire. Heat and fire were engulfing Ichigo. Her skin was being licked by the flames of desire and a scorching inferno was raging and growing deep within her core. And Kish was the one igniting the flames, but he was also the only one that could soothe her burning need. Moans and whimpers escaped her lips. His touches were like heaven but also felt like torture. She needed more, but what that was she didn’t know. When she felt his teeth around her aching peak again, she couldn’t hold back the deep moan in the form of his name, “Kish…”

Long ears twitched at the way she said his name. He’d dreamed of that sound for years and they couldn’t even compare to how amazing and incredibly sexy she sounded. His blood burned for her, and he knew exactly what she wanted, what her body needed. Smiling against her warm skin, he started between the valley of her breasts and began working his way down her body slowly. Alternating between kisses, licks, and dragging his fangs, he traveled across her heated flesh, tasting every inch of skin along his path.

When he reached her belly button, he nipped at the sensitive flesh above it, causing her to hiss and mewl in pleasure. Her body was burning for him and he couldn’t help the wicked grin that crossed his lips. The scent of her arousal was stronger and it drew him lower, his mouth watering. He brought his hands to the top of her shorts and dipped his fingers under the band. A slight lift to her hips was all the permission he needed as he quickly, but gently, drew both her shorts and underwear down her long legs. When she pulled her legs free, he tossed them aside, finally ridding her of the last of her clothing.

Kish’s eyes trailed up her legs and over her now exposed womanhood, his own arousal grew tenfold, making his member twitch and ache. He drank her in. ‘Gods and Goddesses, she’s stunning. And she’s mine,’ he thought to himself. He’d always known she was beautiful, but seeing her completely bare and stretched out before him, he was wordless. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. Not even the amazing power of the Mew Aqua as it restored his home could compare to the sight before him.

Unknowingly, Kish had dropped his mental shields and Ichigo had heard his last thoughts. She blushed deeply at his praise as all her insecurities and nerves were chased away. “Who knew you’d become such a romantic. And thank you,” she said softly in his mind.

Kish blushed when he realized she’d seen his thoughts. Quickly, he pulled his shields back up. “It’s true. You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen and that you’re mine makes it feel almost unreal.” His hands caressed her thighs while they spoke, not being able to resist touching her, thumbs rubbing soft circles along her inner more sensitive flesh.

Ichigo pouted a bit at the loss of access to his mind. She enjoyed those rare glimpses into his secret thoughts. Her mind wandered as she propped herself on her elbows and gazed down at the man she loved. Normally, she’d feel self-conscious at being so exposed before someone, especially with how close his face was to her most private area, but she didn’t. She felt completely comfortable and at ease with him as though they had been lovers for years. His love and need for her ran so deep that all traces of self-doubt had disappeared. He made her feel beautiful and wanted.

However, she was still new to shielding her mind so Kish was reading her thoughts and feelings like an open book. He knew she was upset when he closed her off from his mind, but it was for her own protection as well as his. Being constantly bombarded by someone else’s thoughts could become painful causing headaches. And when it came to her, his thoughts could run a little dark and erotic. ‘Best to ease her into those ideas,’ he thought to himself. Turning his attention back to her, he wanted to distract her from the loss of his thoughts. Easing her left leg up, bending it at the knee, he placed light butterfly kisses across her sensitive skin.

She watched as his lips traced along her thigh, mere inches from the apex of her legs. Her mind was still wandering, and a thought struck her, ‘I wonder if he had been this gentle and romantic then, maybe we wouldn’t have had to wait years to be together.’

Kish shook his head, softly brushing his lips and nose against her skin, “No, Kitten. Even if I hadn’t of been so aggressive with you, do you really think you would have listened and given me a chance?”

She thought about it. “I suppose you’re right,” she replied. Though she was surprised he didn’t sound more hurt at his own question.

He nipped her thigh, “Because I have you now. It may have taken longer then I’d of liked, but I have you in my arms now, and what’s more, in bed with me.” He smirked at that last bit. “No more deep thoughts, love. Focus on just us. You and me in the here and now. Let me keep my promise and show you paradise.” Lowering his head, he kissed his way up her thigh and licked along the crease where her leg met her pelvis.

Ichigo fell back against the pillows as Kish reignited her waning arousal with full force. Her body shuddering under his touch and her mind empty but for what he was doing to her.

Kish hovered his nose just over her damp seam and inhaled the intoxicating scent of her arousal straight from the source. It made his mouth water and the desire to taste her overrode all his senses. His hands gripped her thighs firmly, holding her still as he let his tongue drag up the length of her soft folds. He groaned in pleasure. She tasted like a deep mulled strawberry wine. Slightly bitter but sweet and heavy on the tongue. He knew he’d crave that taste for the rest of his life.

Her hips bucked at his touch, but he held her firmly. Shifting his hands closer to her pelvis, he used his thumbs to spread her lower lips to his hungry gaze and eagerly awaiting tongue. Wasting no time, he delved his tongue between her parted lips and savored her flavor. Keeping his tongue flat, he dragged it up towards her swollen bud, giving it a hard lick. Her hips bucked harder, and his name fell from her mouth in a breathless moan. It was music to his ears. Using the tip of his tongue, he swirled it around that little bundle of nerves, teasing her.

Hands buried themselves in Kish’s deep green hair as her body writhed in pleasure. She could feel that spring deep in her core beginning to wind tighter. More. She wanted more, but he was still teasing, circling.

Kish felt her shudder as she whispered, “Please.” His tongue continued to circle her swollen bud as he moved his hand to her entrance, a finger circling, teasing at her damp channel. “Please what?” he thought huskily.

“Please Kish. More. I need more,” she panted with eyes clenched shut. Her hands tugged at his hair trying to pull his mouth harder to her body. A hard flick with his tongue was his response. Ichigo drew in a sharp breath as a bolt of pleasure shot through her system. When he did it again, Ichigo hissed his name.

Loving her reactions, Kish sealed his lips around her sensitive nub. Rapidly he flicked his tongue back and forth and at the same time, slowly slid his middle finger into her wet entrance. Immediately, Ichigo began to buck and writhe in ecstasy against Kish. He slung his free arm across her hips to keep her still, but never let up in his assault.

Her pants and moans were becoming desperate. “Oh! Kish! Don’t stop!” she whined and pleaded. That coil was winding tighter, and it felt like her insides were on fire. But God did he feel good. Every movement, swipe of his tongue, or press of his fingers was sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She’d touched herself before, but it was nothing like this. He was playing her like a fiddle. Pulling moans and whimpers from her continuously. When he carefully slid a second finger within her, she nearly came from the sensation. As if aware of how close she was, he slowed the rapid movements of his tongue. Slowing down the quick ascent of her orgasm to a slow burning crawl. She almost whimpered when her orgasm had to rebuild.

A smirk crossed Kish’s face as he looked up at the love of his life. He knew she was frustrated with him. He had felt the rapid approach of her orgasm but wanted tonight to last as long as possible. To push her to the highest peak of ecstasy he could. To see her burning with need, begging for his touch, and writhing in the pleasure he gave.

Pulling his mouth away, he moved his thumb to circle and brush her clit while he continued to pump his fingers slow but deeply into her tight depths. He would never tire of gazing at her beautiful body, especially in the throws of passion. Skin shimmered in the moonlight from the light layer of sweat that coated her body as her muscles continued to tense and contract with each wave of pleasure that washed through her. Deep red hair that looked almost black in the dark of night fanned around her head like a halo. Dark lashes brushed her cheeks as her eyes clenched shut. Pale pink lips parted, her breathing labored as she climbed that peak. Moans, curses, and his name slipping past those kiss swollen lips. Cheeks flushed dark pink. Perfectly rounded breasts rose and fell with each pant and labored breath. She was a goddess, and she was his.

“Please, Kish,” her whimpered plea caught his ears. Hearing her say his name like that did interesting things to him. His heart fluttered and something deep in his abdomen clenched. This woman had him completely wrapped around her little claw, though he’d never outright admit that to her.

Obeying the naked beauty, Kish brought his mouth back to that little bundle of nerves. He pressed his tongue down hard at the same time he quickened the pace of his fingers, thrusting them faster within her tight channel. Spreading his fingers wide, he gently worked to stretch her even more. She was so tight he was afraid how badly he might hurt her when he finally took her. So, he wanted her as ready as possible.

Ichigo’s hands released his hair in favor of twisting in the sheets at her sides. “Don’t… Don’t stop. Please don’t stop,” she stuttered and begged in a heavy moan. Her head thrashed back and forth. She was rapidly approaching that cliff. Suddenly, his fingers twisted and curled within her, pressing against that button that made stars flash behind her eyelids. “Fuck! Right there Kish. Nya!”

‘Kitten’s sweet spot. Hmm..” he thought to himself with a wicked and satisfied grin. Every time he thrusted his fingers in deep, he made sure to curl his fingers and press hard against that hidden button.

Ichigo was writhing, shaking, trembling. Each time his fingers found that spot inside her, it was like a bolt of liquid lightning shot through her. “So close,” she panted through dry lips.

Kish could feel her abdominal muscles clenching under his hand as he kept her pressed to the bed. Just one more push was all she needed. Pressing his fingers as deeply into her tight channel as he could, he rubbed the rough pad of his fingertips against her sweet spot hard and held them there. At the same time, he dragged the point of a fang across that little swollen bud that held so much power.

White hot fire burned through her system as that spring finally snapped. Every muscle tensed then simultaneously relaxed. Ichigo screamed Kish’s name, finally falling off that cliff. Her body shook as waves of soothing pleasure chased away the burning flames.

Kish gently slid his fingers from her depths and lowered his lips to her dripping entrance. He lapped at her nectar like a cat with cream. Savoring both her flavor and the way her body trembled in the aftershocks of her orgasm. Kish helped her come down slowly from the intense pleasure high. Placing a final kiss to her inner thigh, Kish crawled up her body and gazed lovingly down at the woman of his dreams.

Eyes fluttering open, Ichigo found herself lost in the soft molten gold orbs. “Kish?” she softly whispered; her lungs still breathless.

“You have no idea how many nights I’ve spent dreaming of this moment. I never allowed myself to believe it could happen. But deep in my heart I never gave up hope. Please say it, Kitten.”

Ichigo searched his eyes. Love was abundant, but she could see the deep desperation of his past self hidden in the depths. Masking it all was the familiar glint of mischievousness. A look she’d come to know so well. Most would think he was looking for a declaration of ‘I love you,’ but she knew him better than that.

She smirked and rolled her eyes as she twirled a forelock around her fingers. Laughter and love danced in her strawberry chocolate eyes. “Some things never change. And that’s exactly what I want. Kish, I’m yours.”

Laughter lit up his own eyes as the largest and most genuine smile she’d ever seen spread across his lips. “Gods, Kitten. You are absolutely purr-fect,” he couldn’t help but tease.

That burning spark of familiarity ignited within her. This. This is what she was used to with him. The teasing, the playful banter. Oh, how she’d missed this. The push and pull. Give and take. It stirred her blood, roused her confidence. She could just be with him. That uncanny ability of his to let her be herself. No reason to hide or hold back. That strange glint in his eye that used to keep her guessing. Now it was like every piece had finally fallen into place. Well, all but one.

Her own eyes twinkling with some of her old fire, she caught his eyes again. Lazily, she dragged a sharp nail along the lines of his abdominal muscles. “I never thought these words would ever leave my mouth. But… Kish, if you don’t take the rest of those goddamn clothes off, I just may be forced to shred them.” She punctuated her statement by flattening her hand against his abdomen and letting the tips of her nails scrape over the cool skin just above the waist of his pants.

Kish bit his lip. An intense shudder wracked his body. “Still so feisty and impatient,” he purred, placing a hand atop hers at his waist. “And it has been an awfully long time since I’ve felt my kitty-cat’s claws. I’ve waited over four years for this and had planned on taking my time and savoring every moment. But, if you really want me that bad, then show me, Kitten.” And with that, he grasped the hand at his waist and slid it down.

A squeak left Ichigo’s lips. Her hand was now cupping his thick member through the heavy fabric of his pants. Even with heat blooming across her chest and cheeks, Ichigo refused to back down to his challenge. Tentative fingertips explored his length even after his hand left hers.

Snapping his fingers, Kish’s boots and leg wrappings disappeared. Leaning back on his knees, he was pleasantly surprised when her hand followed him. And it felt incredible. Her delicate touch was driving him wild. He wasn’t going to be able to resist taking her much longer.

Watching her, he saw those beautiful strawberry chocolate eyes dance between his face, chest, and her hand. ‘Gods she’s so adorable, stained pink with her blush,’ he thought. Keeping his eyes trained on hers, Kish began to slowly unwind his arm wraps. Just as he dropped the wraps to the side, he felt her fingers slip under the top of his pants and brush against him. His hips jolted forwards at her touch and he growled, “Kitten.”

‘So big,’ she thought in both embarrassment and wonder. She was surprised when he had pressed her hand against him. But then again, this was Kish. He wasn’t exactly shy or subtle. As she traced him through his pants, she grew bolder and more curious. Feeling him like this wasn’t enough. She wanted to hold him in her bare hand. While he was distracted with his arm wraps, she slid her hand into his pants. Though his body always felt cool to her touch, here he felt deliciously warm. Gently, she brushed her fingertips over his round head. He bucked against her hand, and when she heard her name in the form of a growl, she fully wrapped her hand around his thick length.

Kish was torn. Torn between wanting to take his time, to let her have her fun, or from claiming her right then and there. Her hand was currently driving him insane. It felt so good that he half expected to wake from this dream at any moment. To find himself back aboard his ship, having never made it to Earth yet. He’d dreamed and imagined this for so long. He wanted to tease, to take it slow. To remove his clothes inch by inch to her hungry gaze. But when her hand squeezed around him and pushed down to the base, he lost it. She made up his mind for him. His sharp fang pressed into his bottom lip as he forced himself to stay in control. With a snap of his fingers, he removed the last barrier between them.

When his pants disappeared, she expected to find herself nervous or scared. But instead, she was in awe. Though his size did give her a momentary pause. He was downright gorgeous. The tip of her tongue snuck out to moisten her lips as she drank in the sight of him.

Lean but well-muscled arms led up to strong shoulders. Deep silky green hair contrasted against his milky complexion. Bright golden eyes that always held a spark of danger or mischievousness, but also seemed to show something deeper. Like he knew much more than he ever let on. Chiseled chest and abdominals looked as though he were carved from marble. The deep ‘V’ cut at his waist forced her eyes to travel down. She let her eyes skim over that part for now and continued onwards. Strong thighs tensed between her legs when she flexed her grip. He captivated her.

She momentarily wondered if he had always been this attractive. A small part of her brain said yes. That she’d always held an attraction to him. But seeing him like this, fully revealed to her and completely vulnerable, enthralled her. Bringing her eyes back to her hand, she shifted her grip so she could finally sate her curiosity. Before she let her thoughts run away, she made sure her mind was safely behind that locked door.

He was big. ‘Much larger than…,’ she stopped that thought immediately. He may be her only basis of comparison, but she didn’t want to taint tonight with any more thoughts of him.

Kish was warm and heavy in her hand. Cupping him gently, she slid her eyes over him from base to tip. It twitched under her gaze. Skin a bit paler than the rest of him wrapped around it, coming to a slightly pinked crown. Tentatively, she slid her hand up and pressed her thumb along the cleft on the underside of the crown. She heard him suck in a deep breath above her. Feeling emboldened, she drew her thumb up, rubbing the small bead of glistening precum around in a circle over the sensitive head. A cross between a moan and a growl reverberated from deep within his chest. Long pale fingers wrapped firmly around her wrist and tugged her hand away.

A fang pressed deeply into his lip was the only thing keeping him sane. Was the only thing holding him back so she could explore. To touch to her heart’s content. He knelt frozen as her hand held him firmly and her eyes roamed his body. When she licked her lips at what she saw, it took all his willpower not to lean down and capture that pretty pink muscle between his own lips. Heart pounding in his chest, he watched her eyes.

She looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time. Which, he supposed, she was in a way. The love and awe that shone in her eyes took his breath away. When he felt her thumb caress him he sucked in a deep breath. Digging his fang deeper into his bottom lip, he felt a small bead of blood well up. He licked at it. Then her thumb slid over his tip and he couldn’t take it anymore. His heart thudded against his ribcage as he pulled her hand away and brought it to his mouth.

Soft lips caressed her knuckles as he placed a light kiss to her warm skin. “Sorry, Kitten,” he whispered huskily. “I promise to let you touch to your heart’s desire later. But I can’t take much more.” His voice was heavy with need.

Ichigo drew him down on top of her, spreading her legs just slightly to accommodate him. She smiled as she caught his eyes, “Then make me yours in more then just words, Kish.” Her words were a soft whisper that even his sensitive ears strained to pick up.

That mischievous smirk slid across his features as he settled his hips between her warm thighs. A shudder raked through him when he rested his heavy member, swollen with need, against her scorching heat. Bracing himself on an elbow at her side, he covered her with his body. Drawing his hips back, he slid his length across her folds, coating it with her slickness. A hand skimmed down along her side and cupped the back of her thigh, pulling her leg up against his hip. Finding her entrance, Kish slowly pushed his way in.

‘Tight. She’s so fucking hot and tight,’ he thought as he pressed deeper. Beads of sweat gathered on his back and brow as he restrained himself. He was determined to go slow, to keep any pain to a minimum and allow her to adjust. She was so wet and ready for him that before he knew it, he had bottomed out. He was finally sheathed deep within his Kitten. And it was unbelievable. His eyes flicked down to where they were joined before recapturing her eyes. Other than being incredibly tight, he hadn’t encountered a barrier.

Ichigo forced herself to keep her eyes open. She wanted to see every detail as they finally became one. And she was glad she did. She held her body still as she grew accustomed to his length within her. It hurt, but the pain was subsiding slowly. When his eyes flicked down between them, she saw the momentary flash of hurt and disappointment. But he had quickly covered it up. If she hadn’t been watching him so intently, she would have missed it.

A lightbulb went off. And as if reading his most hidden thoughts, she spoke within his mind. “I lost my barrier a long time ago while fighting. You’re my first.”

Kish’s eyes widened as they darted between hers.

“Probably one of the times you kicked or threw me, so it was still technically you who broke it,” she teased.

A grin lit up his face as he rocked his hips gently causing her to mew in pleasure. “Well, how about that. Not only did I steal your kisses, but I guess I stole your virginity on a technicality.” His grin turned into his trademark smirk as she halfheartedly slapped his shoulder.

“You know, you stole my first kiss as well,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He began moving his hips at a slow steady pace. Pulling almost entirely out before sliding back deep within her depths. “As much as I enjoyed taking from you. I much prefer that you gave this to me. That I’m your first and last.” He said it with such finality that her heart melted.

She brought her legs up to wrap around his waist, drawing him deeper as she moved her hips with his. A heavy moan escaped her lips.

“Gods you’re beautiful,” he whispered to her mind.

She smiled and pulled him down, her lips claiming his in a powerful kiss.

Deepening the kiss, he darted his tongue past her lips, mimicking what he was doing between her thighs.

A deep moan rumbled in the back of her throat. She was in heaven. He felt absolutely incredible. Deep green hair created a silky curtain around them, held back by his long slender ears. Reaching up, she delicately brushed her fingertips along the back and bottom edge.

His speed intensified. He nipped her bottom lip. Pulling back, his eyes flashed dangerously in the dark. “Careful, Kitten,” he growled low.

She whimpered at the sudden increase in speed. “Feels so good,” she panted. Her hands were now gripping his shoulders tightly, nails biting into his skin. The new speed was winding that coil. That rolling fire was starting to burn through her again.

Shifting his weight to his hand, he held himself above her. Moving his other arm, he hooked his elbow under her knee and brought her leg up before placing his hand down beside her. This new position made her feel impossibly tight as he pushed even deeper. The tip of his head bumping the back of her cervix.

Ichigo saw stars flash across her eyes. Several loud moans escaped her lips followed by his name. Her body trembling with pleasure. The moonlight glinted off their sweat slickened bodies. Neither were going to last much longer.

Kish grunted and panted as he drove into her over and over. He was getting close, and he knew she was too. Bringing his other hand down, he hooked it under her knee and brought that leg up as well. She was now spread wide as he leaned over her, nearly doubling her in half. Shifting his angle, he pounded against that hidden sweet spot.

Ichigo bit her lip, her tiny yet sharp fangs drawing blood. “Kish!” she howled. Her body was burning. That coil was so close to snapping. All of her muscles were starting to constrict almost painfully.

His own abdominal muscles were beginning to clench as he neared his limit. Leaning down he trailed his tongue down her neck, licking his way to the junction of her neck and shoulder. Setting his fangs against her skin, he dragged them across the flesh to just above her collar bone.

The feel of his fangs drove her over the edge. Just before she came, he buried his fangs deep into her flesh, her warm blood filling his mouth. She screamed his name in ecstasy as a white hot heat burned through her body. Her essence poured over him. With one final deep push, he released his seed deep into her womb.

Through the searing pleasure, something deep inside her pushed her to copy his actions. Before that wave fully crested, she sunk her own fangs into his shoulder. His warm blood sizzling on her tongue. Suddenly her orgasm was pushed even higher. Another intense wave of liquified heat crashed over her as she clung to him.

She had no idea how long they stayed locked together like that. Both their fangs buried in each other’s flesh, his hips pressed almost painfully hard to hers, his throbbing member so deep inside her, he was pressed against her cervix, her nails biting into his shoulders as she clawed for purchase, and their bodies trembling from the intensity of what they just shared.

Gently, he removed his fangs from her flesh and licked over the wound, sealing the mark near her neck. Following suit, she did the same. Her tongue lapping at the few drops of blood on his shoulder. He shuddered. Realization struck him as what she had done sunk in. She had marked him as well, and even without him having to explain it to her. He was hers just as much as she was his. His heart soared. This woman would never cease to amaze him, he swore it.

Slowly, he let her legs fall back around his hips. He was loathe to pull away just yet. Enjoying the trembles coursing through them from the aftershocks of their shared orgasm. Their hearts were now in synch. He braced himself above her as he worked to sort through the tangle of emotions he was feeling from his mate.

Quite frankly, she was overwhelmed. Her legs ached and quivered as she rested them around his waist. The soft warmth of the wave following her release coursed through her. Soothing the fire that had been burning in her core. Love washed through her very soul. She was beyond sated and happy. Not only had she just had the most intense orgasm of her life, but she had just given away her virginity. And to Kish no less! There was still a tiny part of her that wanted to rail against that idea. ‘Old habits die hard I guess,’ she thought to herself. But at the same time, Kish had buried himself so deep within her heart, she couldn’t help but be over the moon happy. He had always looked at her like she held the moon and stars within her. And now he held her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

He chuckled above her, “That’s because you are, Kitten.”

Her eyes fluttered open and locked with his smoldering golden gaze. Dammit. She really needed to practice shielding her thoughts.

He smirked, “Even if you hide your thoughts I’ll always be able to read you. I always have.”

She gave him a questioning look.

“Did you never wonder why I was so persistent? Why I never backed down, despite your constant rejections and insults?” he asked calmly.

“Up until just before the final battle, I just figured you were obsessed, a little bit crazy, and possibly a bit of a masochist.”

His deep rumble of laughter did interesting things to both of them where they were still connected. Gently, he slid himself from her, but remained braced above. His smirk returned when she whimpered at the loss.

She glared at him and crossed her arms, “You know, there was a time I enjoyed kicking your ass just so I could wipe that infuriating smirk off your face.”

“And now?” he chuckled.

“I’ll tell you after you tell me why you never gave up,” she snipped.

Looking deep in her eyes, “Because you didn’t want me to.”

The way he stated it so matter of factly had her eyes growing wide in shock. “What?! That’s ridiculous! I did nothing but tell you to back off and leave me alone,” she all but shouted.

“Always so easy to rile you up. And so sexy looking when you are. But it’s the truth my feisty kitten.”

She just gawked at him, waiting for him to explain.

“While it may be true that I was obsessed with you and a bit crazy in the beginning, those feelings did grow to true love. But what kept me from giving up was you. Every time I came near, I saw your eyes widen, your pupils dilate just a fraction, and a blush bloom across your cheeks when we locked eyes. Whenever I wrapped my arms around you, just for a moment you would freeze and I could hear your heart race. Every time we touched, I felt you shudder and when I pulled away, just for a split second, you had a look of disappointment. And each time I stole a kiss, you’d place your hand to your lips or cheek as though holding on to the feeling of my lips for a bit longer. You even licked your lips after I stole a kiss. The more often we fought the slower your reaction became to pushing me away. Though, I admit, it became much harder to catch you. You got particularly good at reading me and predicting my actions.” While he had been speaking, he was leisurely dragging a hand up and down her side, but now he cupped her cheek and brushed her lower lip with his thumb.

“But… That’s… I mean,” she stuttered at a loss for words.

“Cat got your tongue now?” he teased.

“But that can’t be true. I was in love with…” she trailed off as his eyes darkened slightly.

“That may have been true. But even you can’t deny we’ve always had a connection. Your body and soul just recognized it before your heart and mind caught up.”

“You might be right about the connection thing. Even he noticed it. God you used to piss him off. It was the only time I ever saw him get mad. When he learned he was the Blue Knight and heard you claiming I was yours. We even had a fight or two because of you.”

His eyes sparkled, “Oh really? Do tell.”

“He was upset that I defended you. That I wouldn’t let him kill you. But it was at that point that I began to wonder if you truly did care about me. You had stepped between your friends and protected me. I just couldn’t let the Blue Knight kill you after that. But it wasn’t until after we broke up that he revealed just how much he disliked you. And he thought I’d always held feelings for you.” She sighed and looked away from his eyes, but her vision caught something she had yet to notice, and it made her gasp in surprise.

Her sudden reaction had his response quickly disappearing from his tongue. Especially when he noticed where her eyes were currently fixated.

“What… What’s that?” she squeaked.

Sighing, he rolled to her side and flopped to his back, bringing her with him atop his chest. As much as he enjoyed having her beneath him, his arm was growing shaky, and this was probably going to be a long discussion.

She ‘eeped’ as she found herself sprawled atop him. Sitting up at his side partially, she traced her fingers of what looked to be a tattoo between her fang punctures where she had bit him.

“What does it look like?” he asked softly. He had a fairly good idea, but mate marks were personal. They were influenced by both the couple and the individual person.

“Like you have a tattoo where I bit you. It’s a thin gold chain that loops between my fang marks. And hanging from it is a small golden key, but the teeth of the key look like rubies. It’s beautiful and looks so real. Like I could slip my fingers under the chain and hold the key. But where did it come from?” She stared at the beautiful tattoo. The chain was so fine and delicate, but the detail was incredible. It truly looked real, and she had to touch it again to make sure it was really on his skin and not resting above it.

He smiled wide, the fact that it was gold made his heart swell. He knew it would be a chain, but the token that fell from it was personal to them, and he had a pretty good idea why it was a key. For the chain tattoo on her shoulder carried a lock. “It’s called a mate mark. The final step in becoming mates.

“Wait, you said that was even more intimate than marriage. Did you… Did you just make me your bride?”

Kish saw the panic flash across her eyes and wrapped his arms around her trembling form. “Shh. Calm down, Kitten. Yes, in my people’s culture we’re married in a sense. But the fact that it’s gold means there are no doubts in your heart. That I’m, that this, is what you want. A gold chain means you give your heart willingly and completely to me and the mating. If it had been silver, it would have meant that while you loved me dearly, there was still uncertainty. Happens with young couples or those of political matches. When the love was still growing. But a gold chain right away shows just how deeply you love me.”

Ichigo searched his eyes for any hint of a lie or falsehood, but all she saw was love shining in their golden depths. “Don’t you think this is a little fast? I mean you only came back into my life several hours ago and now we’re married. I mean don’t I get a say in this? You didn’t even ask,” she pouted.

Kish rolled his eyes, “You were the one that bit me, remember? And the one that accepted the mate bond. So, you had your say.” He winked at her.

She playfully slapped his chest. “I only bit you because you bit me. It was an instinct to copy you.” Her eyes grew wide, “Don’t tell me I’ve got a tattoo too?” she squeaked.

“And it’s beautiful,” he answered softly.

“My parents are going to kill me,” she muttered. “What… What’s it look like?” she asked meekly.

Kish lifted a hand and traced the delicate gold chain that hung between his fang marks. “Like yours, it’s a thin gold chain, but with a small golden lock hanging from it. The keyhole is an emerald cut in the shape of a heart.”

“Why a lock and key? Or is that normal?” she asked curiously.

“The tokens are always personal to the couple. I believe ours are a lock and key because that’s what we are to each other. You’ve always been the lock around my heart. The walls I kept up to protect how much I love you. Ever since we were fighting, I had to keep my true love locked away. To keep us both protected. And I’m the key that finally set your heart free. You thought it yourself earlier. You’ve always been able to be yourself around me. So, I set you free in a way. The key to your cage. At least that’s how I interpret the tokens anyway.”

“Since when have you been such a romantic and deep thinker?” she teased.

“I always have been. You just couldn’t stop trying to kick my ass long enough to have a real conversation with me,” he winked.

“Well, you were always so damn annoying. And we were at war! Not to mention the whole trying to kill me thing,” she grumbled.

“Fair point,” he said before stealing a quick kiss. All her panic and worries disappeared the moment his lips met hers.

Snuggling back against his chest, her head resting over his heart, she let herself enjoy the peaceful moment. One of his hands was lazily tracing up and down her spine while the other was shifting through her hair. Her mind started to wander again. ‘What were they going to do now?’ she thought to herself.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Would you stop reading my thoughts already,” she grumbled.

“Sorry, Kitten. I can’t help it when you’re not shielding them.” Though her mind was still very active, he could tell her body was flagging, exhausted after the physical activities and the lack of sleep she’d been suffering from. He tapped a finger to her forehead, “May I?”

She closed her eyes before answering, “I suppose.” When she opened her eyes they were back in the café like common room of her mind. “Why are we back here and why the hell are we still naked?!” she squeaked.

Laughing, “Because your body is tired, mate. And this way you can rest, and we can continue to talk. But only for another hour or so before your mind shuts down to rest as well. As for being naked, you mind, your rules. But probably because this is how your mind last saw us.” He took a seat on the couch, sprawling back. Not an ounce of shame or discomfort in his nudity. Ichigo, however, was blushing scarlet. “After everything we just did, and you still blush like that. And it still makes you look absolutely adorable.” He winked coyly at her.

Turning away, “So I can change things cause we’re in my mind?” she asked.

“Yup,” he said popping the ‘p.’

Ichigo snapped her fingers, and she was suddenly back in her pajamas.

Kish looked down, “Really, Kitten? I outranked this uniform years ago.” He was in the same clothes he used to wear when they were fighting.

“It’s what I associate with you the most. But wait, it was a uniform?” she asked surprised.

“Well of course. I was and am in the military. The tails on my pants show that I’m in the active military forces. My arm wraps denote rank depending on color.”

Ichigo was fascinated. There was still so much she didn’t know about this alien that had stolen her heart. “You mean even that childish get up that Tart wore was a uniform?” she asked. At the same time, she snapped her fingers.

Kish rolled his eyes. “Very funny, Ichigo. If you don’t knock it off, I’ll leave.” He shot her a playful glare. She had put him in Tart’s old uniform.

She burst out laughing. “Ok. Ok. I couldn’t resist. Sorry.” Another snap of her fingers and Kish was dressed in a pair of deep green pajama pants and nothing else. He tugged at the soft fabric and gave her an incredulous look. “What? I think you look sexy like that.”

“Well if my Kitten thinks I look sexy then I guess it’s fine,” he winked. “Now come here.”

She slowly obeyed. As soon as she was within his reach, he grabbed her hands and pulled her into his lap. She found herself straddling his legs and his hands at the curve of her waist. “Still as handsy as ever,” she said rolling her eyes.

“And for once you’re not running away or trying to attack me. As much as I loved our little fights, I’m enjoying this much more. Besides, you’re my mate now, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.” His fanged smirk slid across his lips. “And in answer to your earlier question, yes, that ridiculous outfit was the uniform of the youngest in our military. Though his pants should have looked more like what I wore under my tunic, he insisted on cutting them short. Used to get teased for it a lot too.”

Idle hands ran over Kish’s chest while she thought and listened. There were so many questions racing through her mind. She felt like she barely scratched the surface on who Kish really was. As her fingers slid along a large scar that bisected his abdomen, Kish pulled her hand away,

“What’s going through that pretty little head of yours?” He chuckled to himself in irony since they were currently sitting in her mind.

Ichigo sighed and twined her fingers with his. “There’s still so much I don’t know about you or the others. I mean, I feel like I probably know you better than most, and yet I know next to nothing about you.”

Kish cocked his head in thought, “I’d say that’s pretty accurate. You’re one of the few people who’s ever gotten me to let my guard down. You can read me better than most. So, ask anything you want and I shall endeavor to answer to the best of my abilities” He used his other hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Take that for starters. I don’t remember you ever speaking so eloquently,” she pointed out.

“As I said before, it wasn’t like you ever gave me a chance to have a full conversation with you. But I understand a lot of that was my fault. Which I am sorry for. It’s also been four years. And being in the higher echelons of the military and being forced to rub elbows with the higher aristocracy of my people, I had to dust off my manners and teachings my father and schooling drilled into me. In short, I had to grow up.”

She cocked a brow at him.

“Don’t worry. I’m still the same cocky, arrogant, and perverted alien you fell in love with all those years ago. Just able to contain it better when needed,” he winked.

“Well at least you finally admitted it,” she giggled.

“I never actually denied it,” he said lifting his chin in indignation.

She caught a lock of his hair that had fallen over his shoulder. “I love the new look by the way. The long hair suits you.”

“Why thank you, Kitten. But that wasn’t a question,” his eyes twinkled in happiness at the compliment.

Ichigo giggled, “What crossed your mind just now? I could almost feel something pop inside your head.”

Kish looked down and caught her eye. “I think it all just sank in that this really isn’t a dream. That I’m actually sitting here, half naked in my Kitten’s mind with her in my lap. That we’re mates and that you honestly complimented me. And to top it off, outside here, we’re currently naked in bed and curled in each other’s arms. I don’t think I had let myself fully believe until just now. All my dreams over the past five years are finally coming true.”

“Kish! How am I supposed to even think straight when you say something like that?” Ichigo slid her arms around his neck as he used his thumb to wipe a stray tear off her cheek.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t. I’m just happy I could fulfill your dreams. And sorry that you’ve been so alone these past years.” Ichigo’s voice was soft as she tucked her head under his chin and rested her cheek against his cool chest.

“I wasn’t completely alone. I had my cousins and a few friends to help me through the worst. And, honestly, to try and help me forget. Plus there was my work in the military and on the council which kept me busy.” His hands slipped under the back of her shirt, trailing his fingertips over her warm bare skin.

“Your cousins?” she asked.

“Pie and Tart.”

She leaned back so she could look up at him. “I didn’t realize you were related.”

He nodded. “They’re brothers. And our father’s were brothers. When my father was executed, their family took me in. Though I’ve always seen Tart more as an annoying little brother.”

His voice had gotten solemn, and Ichigo was almost afraid to ask her next question.

Sensing her apprehension and curiosity, he beat her to it. “My father was executed when I was seven. He was called a traitor because he openly spoke against Deep Blue and the idea to invade Earth. It was part of the reason Deep Blue chose me to lead the assault. Not only was I one of the best warriors and a bit of a prodigy at creating infusers and predacites, but I had a chip on my shoulder. I was desperate to prove to everyone that I wasn’t like my father. That I wasn’t a traitor.” He chuckled dryly. “Look how well that turned out hm? Fell in love with the enemy and raised my own weapons against our so-called God. Guess I was more like my dad than I realized. Both traitors.”

“You were never a traitor,” she said cupping his cheek. “Yes, you had fallen in love with me, but you turned on Deep Blue when you suspected him of lying. And he had planned to kill not only everyone here, but everyone on your planet as well. Even before you got the Mew Aqua, you were trying to save your people. With the Mew Aqua, that’s exactly what you did. Even if your betrayal started because you fell in love with a stupid little cat-eared girl. Your heart was in the right place.”

“You are many things Ichigo, but stupid is not one of them,” he interrupted.

Her cheeks warmed at the compliment. “And though I may not have liked how everything played out. In the end everything worked out as it should. Your people and mine are safe. From what I can tell, your people are now thriving with the Mew Aqua and we found each other again.”

Kish lost himself in her glistening eyes. “Gods and goddesses, I don’t deserve you. But I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to prove to you that I do. I love you Ichigo, so very much.” He pulled her in for a slow soft kiss.

When they parted, she whispered against his lips, “I love you too, Kish.”

“It’s time to rest, Kitten. I promise we can talk all you want tomorrow. And I’ll answer anything and explain everything I can.” Shifting her to his side, he began to stand.

“Wait! What about my parents? They’ll freak if I’m not there when they get up.” She had completely forgotten that she wasn’t home. And she really didn’t want to return any time soon. She wanted to stay with Kish as long as she could.

He looked down at her, “It’s alright, Kitten. As soon as you fall asleep, I’ll teleport to your place and implant a false memory of you telling them you were going to crash at the café after work. I’ll also grab your cell so you can let everyone know you’re alright tomorrow.”

“You can do that?” she asked, surprise clear in her voice.

“It’s not easy. But Pai’s been working with me over the years in mental training. Originally to help me compartmentalize, well, you, but telepathy among other things can be incredibly handy on the battlefield.”

“Again, I’m sorry Kish.”

“Hush. Enough of that. We’ve got all the time in the world to make up for the past. But I for one am looking forwards to our future.” He winked and gave her a heartfelt smile, before it shifted into his trademark smirk, his fang peeking between his lips. “And I know I’m definitely looking forwards to just how many ways I can get you to moan my name in bed.”

“Kish!” she shouted and went to punch his chest.

He nimbly caught her fist. “Mm. You know I love it when you get feisty.” He pulled on her fist, and she stumbled into his hard chest.

“Perverted damn alien,” she muttered as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Ah, but I’m your perverted alien,” he tsked. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he pulled back. “Now rest, Kitten. Your body is already fast asleep, and I can already feel your mind shutting down.”

“Promise you’ll be there when I wake up?” she pleaded.

“I give you my word. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than at your side. Now that I have you, I’m never letting go. I love you, mate. Sweet dreams.”

“I love you too. Good night.” When he vanished from her mind she closed her eyes and let sleep take her. It was the most peaceful and dreamless sleep she’d had in months.

Chapter Text

Keeping his word, Kish had quickly teleported to her home and implanted the false memory in her parents. He also gathered her cell phone from her room as well as the still sleeping Masha. Just as quickly as he left, Kish reappeared beside the bed containing his sleeping mate. She looked so peaceful. Snapping his fingers, he created a small nightstand beside the bed. He placed her phone and Masha atop and gathered their strewn clothes and shoved them in the drawer. He’d only taken the time to replace his pants before he left. But now he stripped out of those as well, stuffing them with the rest of their clothes.

Carefully, he slid into the bed next to his mate taking care not to wake her. He gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Curling his body around her sleeping form protectively, he closed his eyes. The soft sweet scent of rain washed strawberries filled his nose and he inhaled deeply. Just barely noticeable, he caught his scent mixed with hers. He sighed in contentment. There was no mistaking that she was truly his. From the mark near her throat, to their bond, the lingering traces of their love making, to his scent being forever twined with hers, just as strawberries would forever be mixed under his own scent. They were bound as mates for the rest of their lives. With a soft sigh and a happy smile, Kish joined his mate in slumber.

They slept well past morning. The bright warm sun finally roused Ichigo from her sleep as the heat became unbearable under the blankets. Blinking her eyes, it took a moment for her to get her bearings. An arm tightened around her waist as she shifted. Last night’s events rolled through her mind as she glanced lovingly over her shoulder at the sleeping alien. He looked so peaceful and content curled protectively behind her. He had kept his promise. He was still here when she woke up. A smile graced her lips.

Something caught her eye behind him. Her phone and Masha sat on a small nightstand next to his side of the bed. He’d returned it just like he said he would. Which probably explained their new positions because she was sure she had fallen asleep on his chest.

Worming her way out of his arms slowly so as not to disturb him, she finally slipped out of the bed. Tiptoeing to his side, she glanced at her phone. She had to slap her hand over her mouth to stifle her shriek. It was almost eleven and she was supposed to be at work by nine. Unlocking the screen, she saw several missed calls from Ryou and a text from him that simply read, “Call Me.” Ichigo groaned. Ryou was going to be pissed and she had had such a fantastic night too. Pouting, she opened the nightstand drawer, hoping her missing clothes were inside.

She was in luck. Quickly she pulled on her underwear and shirt. Walking several yards down the beach, she finally hit Ryou’s name on her phone. It only took two rings before he answered, “Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here almost two hours ago.” He paused. “I take it things went well with Kish?” Ichigo was stunned. How did he know?

Ryou may be an ass at times, but even he had noticed a shift in Ichigo over the last few months. After a lot of prying, he had finally gotten Lettuce to confess. She had told Ryou about Ichigo’s recurring nightmares and how she had been desperately missing Kish. While he couldn’t say he was thrilled at her new found feelings for the alien, even he had to admit that he’d noticed their connection. Especially, in the fights leading up to that final battle.

“Tart came by earlier with Pudding. He explained a little bit but said it would be better to wait and hear from you and Kish.”

Finally finding her voice, Ichigo stuttered a reply, “Yes, I’m with Kish. And yeah… Um… Things went well. Um. Is it okay if I have the rest of today off?”

“That’s fine Ichigo, but I want to see both you and Kish here after closing, you got that?” His voice held no room for an argument.

“Yeah. I got it. And thank you.”

“Oh, and Ichigo?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time you need an alibi for staying out all night with Kish, don’t use me.” Ichigo heard a click as he hung up.

She was mortified. Ryou knew she had been with Kish. Her parents had probably called to make sure she was alright and knowing Ryou he had covered for her. It wasn’t the first time, but that usually had to do with Mew Mew business. And once Tart had shown up she was sure the pieces had clicked into place for him. Sighing, she plopped down in the sand, her phone clenched in one hand. She stretched her feet out, letting the cool ocean water ebb over her toes. She screamed and jabbed her elbow back when two arms wrapped around her from behind.

A groan came from behind her and when she looked over her shoulder she saw Kish laying back on the sand, a hand on his stomach. “I’m so sorry, Kish. Old habits,” she apologized quickly.

Sitting up, Kish rubbed his bruised side. “Damn, Kitten. Haven’t lost your touch I see. And still as quick as ever,” he muttered.

“I said I was sorry,” she pouted, crossing her arms.

“It’s fine. Not like I haven’t felt that before from you. Or worse for that matter, got the scars to prove it,” he joked. Scooting forwards, he stretched his legs out on either side of her before slowly wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her back against him. She relaxed in his embrace. “Everything alright? That blonde bastard didn’t sound too happy.”

“How did you know it was Ryou?” she asked.

He only pointed to his ears in response.

“Right. Yeah he wasn’t thrilled that I didn’t show up for work, and wants us to stop by after closing. And he, uh.. He knows I was with you all night.” Her cheeks flushed just thinking about it.

“Oh? I guess Tart clued him in that we were here?”

“Yeah. Said he dropped by with Pudding. Said he explained a little, but that it would be better to hear everything from us. What’s he mean by that?”

Kish rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s because of the reason we’re here. It’s not exactly his story to tell and I’m sure he wanted to wait until he heard from me before saying anything.”

“So other than seeing me why did you come back?” she asked as she gazed out over the water.

His grip on her tightened. “You are the reason we came back.”

“What?” She was confused.

Sighing, “Remember when I told you that the ones who initiate mate bonds can feel strong emotions from their chosen?”

“Yeah. You said it could drive them insane if they were stuck in a frozen bond,” she answered.

“Exactly! Well, for the past few weeks I’ve felt you Ichigo. Every time you woke up from a nightmare my heart would clench in excruciating pain. I could feel your fear, pain, and anguish. And the first time I could even hear you call out my name. It was so strong, in fact, that Pai had heard you through me. I got Pai to finish repairing our ship so I could return to you immediately. I had to make sure you were alright. If you were able to reach so far I knew something had to be terribly wrong. And I couldn’t understand why you were calling out to me of all people. Tart came with me because he wanted to see Pudding and because he was worried about me. If you rejected me again, he didn’t know how I would react.” He turned away from her towards the sea before he finished. “He and Pai would have been the ones to help me cross to the Abyss if the bond remained frozen and I started to lose myself.”

Ichigo spun around and threw herself against him, knocking them both backwards onto the sand. “You mean to help you commit suicide if you started to go insane because I would have rejected you!? Kish! I still can’t believe what you could have lost. And because of me. Never again. Do you hear me? I’m yours so you’ll never go through that pain again. I won’t lose you again. In any way. My heart couldn’t bear it. I already watched you die in my arms once, then you left without saying a word. Twice. Twice, I lost you. So never again!” Tears were glittering in her eyes, threatening to fall, as she clung to him.

His arms wrapped her tightly in his embrace and held her close. His heart ached for the pain and fear he felt rolling off his mate. A pain he had caused. “Shh. It’s alright, Kitten. Even if we parted, with the mating completed, I won’t lose my mind. But I’m still never going to leave you again. I told you last night. Now that I have you, I’m never letting you go. I love you, and you mean everything to me. So, no more tears, mate. They’re breaking my heart,” Kish whispered the final words in her furry cat ears. The sudden fear and anxiety having caused them and her tail to appear.

Ichigo curled even tighter into his lap. “You promise?” she whimpered through her sniffles.

“I promise, Kitten. I’ll never leave you. But that does bring up some other things that we need to discuss.”

Wiping her eyes, Ichigo looked up at him. His eyes were serious and lacked their usual spark of mischief. She sucked in a breath, “I swear to God Kish, if you say I’m pregnant or something, I will kick your ass. And you’ll get to feel your precious kitty-cat’s claws.”

Kish blinked. Then fell back onto the sand as a howl of laughter erupted from his mouth. He laughed so hard his sides hurt and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

“I’m guessing that’s a no then,” she squeaked in embarrassment.

That only made him laugh harder.

“I’m so glad my concerns amuse you so much,” she growled as she stood and stomped away.

Finally catching his breath, Kish wiped his eyes and floated quickly after her. “Wait… Wait! I’m sorry. That just caught me off guard. It was one of the last things I thought you’d bring up. Especially out of the blue like that. But now that you have brought it up. I can put your mind at ease. The males of my race can control our fertility.”

Ichigo slowed her pace so she could listen more intently.

Dropping to his feet, Kish walked along beside her as he continued. “It lets us choose when it’s best to try and reproduce. Though I found my release last night, it wasn’t fertile. I figured the shock of being basically married would be enough without the weight of a possible pregnancy on top of that. I’ve told you how bad the conditions used to be on my planet. Well, we developed a way to control our fertility because of that. Unplanned children could at the best of times suffer from malnutrition and at the worst be fatal to both mother and child.”

Ichigo stopped and turned to him. His cheeks were lightly tinged pink. ‘Good to know even he can get embarrassed sometimes,’ she thought. “So, you’re saying we can …uh… have sex whenever we want without the risk of getting pregnant until we decide?”

“Yup,” he popped the ‘p’ as his smirk slid across his face.

“Pervert. Get your mind out of the gutter. That doesn’t mean we’ll be in bed nonstop. I just wanted to make sure I understood correctly.”

He pouted, “Aww. But Kitten. We are technically married. Humph… You’re no fun.”

“That wasn’t a complete no, either,” she smirked. “But I have a feeling there’s a lot more we need to discuss before we get distracted.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But first, let’s go for a quick swim. I’m hot and covered in sand. Plus I’d like you to enjoy your paradise a bit more before we get back to the serious stuff. I promise I’ll even behave.” “Mostly,” he quickly added.

“Oh, alright. I guess this is kind of like our honeymoon,” she giggled. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around that she was basically Kish’s wife or mate as he called it. “But I don’t have a bathing suit.”

He laughed as he slid off his pants and headed for the crystal blue water. “We’re completely alone. You don’t need one,” he said snapping his fingers.

Ichigo suddenly found herself naked and her clothes folded on the sand next to her. “Why you! You damn perverted alien!” she screeched as she ran into the water after him.

They swam, splashed, and teased one another until they grew tired, and their muscles burned. It felt nice to just cut loose and enjoy herself for a while. It had been a long time since she had laughed so hard. They were lazily treading water above a coral reef when Kish beckoned her closer. She gave him a quizzical look. “I want to show you something.”

“What?” she asked.

“Do you trust me?”

“Always,” she responded quickly.

Beyond pleased with her answer, he smiled wide. “Then dive deep and stay there. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

She nodded her head and sucked in a deep breath before diving below the surface. Keeping her eyes closed, she kept her hands outstretched so she wouldn’t hit anything. She jumped in her skin when she felt Kish’s hand take hers and draw her further down. After a moment, he released her and she started to get a bit nervous without his touch. Suddenly, she felt the water recede and she could breathe. Opening her eyes, she gasped. She was surrounded by a large bubble and Kish was hovering next to her, grinning. Thanks to his powers he could breathe underwater, but now so could she.

“This is amazing!” she said in awe.

“I thought you’d enjoy it,” he said back telepathically. Kish pushed her bubble deeper until they were amongst the coral reef. Fish of every color and size darted among the various corals and plants like shimmering jewels. The bright rays of the sun glittering down from the surface casting everything in a sparkling glow. A huge moray eel slithered from a crevice inches from her bubble and Ichigo gasped in fear. Kish gave it a look and it quickly slithered away, well aware of who the greater predator was. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” he smiled reassuringly.

A tiny seahorse drifted near the bubble, and she tentatively reached a hand towards it. “Can I?” she asked.

“Go ahead,” he affirmed.

Nervously, she pressed her hand through the thin wall of the bubble and felt the cool ocean water around her hand. Reaching towards the seahorse, she giggled when it wrapped it’s tiny tail around her finger.

Smiling, Kish relaxed back in the water while his mate enjoyed herself. Her calm giggles and bright eyes full of wonder warmed his heart. This was what he’d been looking for before he even found her. He always knew he’d recognize the one he was meant to be with the moment he saw her. And that person was Ichigo. His Kitten. Who knew it would take coming to another planet to find the woman of his dreams. He thanked the All Bright for putting him on his path to finding her. He’d never felt happiness like this before.

He watched as a myriad of rainbow fish danced around her bubble, drawn to her gentle and pure soul. His sharp eyes caught movement out in the deeper water as a large shape began to take form. Subtly shifting so he blocked her view of the stalking creature, he turned eyes slightly threaded with red towards its direction. Sensing the presence of a greater threat, the large shark swam back into the dark depths. ‘Nothing threatens my mate,’ he thought to himself. ‘Nor her happiness.’ Blinking, he calmed himself down and turned back to his mate who was none the wiser of the passing threat.

The sight before him made him laugh. Her cat genes had kicked in and she was swatting at the passing fish with a curled paw-like hand. Her eyes darting all around, not sure where to focus, and she was licking her tiny cat fangs. Her tail and ears constantly flicking back and forth. He shook his head. She could be just too adorable for words at times. “Hey Kitten, you ready to head back up? We still have a lot to discuss before we head to the café.”

“Nya…. Ugh. Yeah, but think we could catch some fish? I’m starving.”

Kish grinned, “Only if I get a kiss.”

“Make something tasty and you might get more than just a kiss.”

Kish’s eyes widened. “Yes Ma’am.”

Ichigo giggled as he quickly pushed the bubble up towards the shore. When they reached the shallow water, the bubble popped just as her head broke the surface. Walking onto the shore, Ichigo hollered over her shoulder, “Hey Kish?”

Already guessing what she wanted, Kish snapped his fingers. A large towel spread out over the sand, and another sat folded atop. “Thanks, love. You’re the best,” she said wrapping herself in the fluffy towel.

“Anything for my Kitten. Now, I’ll be right back with lunch,” he grinned as he dove beneath the waves.

Scanning the beach, she saw her clothes and cell phone only a few feet away. Hurrying over, she snatched them up before returning to the sun warmed towel. Sprawling out to let the sun dry her damp skin, Ichigo tapped the screen. She saw it was already a little past one. She gasped. They’d been swimming for almost two hours. No wonder she was tired and hungry.

By the time Kish returned with several large gutted and cleaned fish and a crab, Ichigo had set up a small fire pit and a bundle of dry twigs she’d found in the brush. With a snap of his fingers, a small fire burst to life and he carefully staked the fish out to cook. Another snap and a small pot appeared in his hands. Filling it with water, he sat it over the flames to boil.

“Never knew you could cook or be the outdoorsy type,” she teased.

“You learn to adapt when you’re not sure where your next meal may come from. Plus, I was a bit of a loner and troublemaker as a kid. Spent a lot of time exploring the wilds on my own.”

“Will you tell me more about your planet? Both before and after the Mew Aqua?” she asked softly.

Moving the fish a little further from the flames so they wouldn’t cook too quickly and burn, he glanced over at her, “Sure.” Seeing her blushing and averting her eyes, he shook his head and snapped his fingers. His pants reappeared and he made himself comfortable by the fire. Sitting so the fish were within easy reach, he called her over, “Come here Kitten.”

Seeing that he was covered again, she made her way to him.

Tugging her down, he settled her between his legs as he leaned against a large piece of driftwood he had dragged over earlier. “Still so skittish,” he teased.

“Sorry. I went to bed last night in my home a virgin and woke up on a deserted island, married to an alien who used to try to kill me on a regular basis. Forgive me for feeling a tad skittish.”

Kish gave her a sideways look over her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I get grouchy when I’m hungry. Thank you for earlier, by the way. That was truly incredible. I don’t think I’ve had that much fun in months.”

Bringing a knee up, he coaxed her to turn and lean back against his leg so he could better see her face while they spoke. This way she was also still circled in the protection of his body. “It’s alright. And like I said, anything for my Kitten. Besides, seeing you happy makes me happy, so win win. And I get it. A lot has happened in a very short amount of time. It was never my intention to rush or push you into anything. In fact, when I went to your home, it was my original intention not to even touch you. Which is why I had asked you to stay away when you tried to get to me after realizing I was there. I didn’t know what was going on yet and I didn’t think I could handle it well if I felt you and then you rejected me again.”

“And I practically threw myself at you…,” she giggled awkwardly.

“Hey, I’m not complaining because it led to the best night of my life. I only meant that I never intended for things to move so fast. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and to talk. So, I’m sorry.” He shifted his gaze to the fire, hiding his eyes behind his bangs.

Ichigo leaned over and tugged on a forelock. “Hey, we’re both to blame. You didn’t do anything I didn’t want or agree to. And looking back, I don’t think I would change a damn thing. Not even being married or mated to you.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, “You really mean that?”

“Yes. I really do. Though maybe I would of liked to have actually been proposed to, but you’ve never been one to go the normal route. Especially when it comes to us.”

Cocking his head, he caught her eye, “What is ‘proposed to’?”

She giggled, “Of course you don’t know what it means. Asking for permission isn’t exactly your strong suit. It’s when someone asks for someone to marry them. Usually, a man gets down on one knee and presents the girl with an engagement ring. The ring is to symbolize that she’s promised to someone if she says yes. It’s usually done in some kind of romantic or special setting. If the girl does say yes, then they become engaged and start planning their wedding. Sometimes they can be engaged for weeks or years. Depends on the couple and the circumstances. A wedding is the ceremony that binds the couple in front of family and friends. But I think I remember you saying something about marriage before, so I’m guessing you know what it is?”

He nodded as he reached for the fish. They were cooked perfectly, and he handed one to Ichigo. Before biting into his, he tossed the crab into the boiling pot.

Her mouth watered as she tore into the hot fish. “Ow! Hot!” she squeaked, fanning her mouth. “But so good!”

He chuckled at her antics as he carefully bit into his own. He had to give himself credit, they turned out pretty damn good. “So, a proposal is like the promise to get married?” he asked.

She nodded, “Yeah. Something like that.”

“Guess I missed a few steps. Sorry Ichigo.” His voice was distant like he was lost in thought.

Finishing off her fish, she reached for another one. “Kish…” she trailed off trying to think of the right thing to say. But this was Kish, so she just stayed true to herself and said what was on her mind, “While it’s true most girls dream of the day they get proposed to, me included. I wouldn’t change what we have for anything. You waited over four years for even a chance with me. And I may have only realized my true feelings barely a year ago. But that doesn’t change the fact that we both waited for a chance with the other, a chance that may never have come. Besides, you did technically propose all those years ago. You did ask me to be your bride, remember? So, we skipped a few steps. Big deal. Another reason for an engagement is for the couple to be sure that they want to spend their lives together before getting married. I think we’ve spent more than enough time thinking about that. We both have gold chains, so obviously this is what we both want.” She tossed him a warm smile before tucking into her second fish.

He stared at her in awe. Again, she amazed and surprised him. He knew she spoke true and from the heart. He could scent most lies. And come to think of it, that was one thing she’d never done to him. She’d never downright lied to him. Even when she claimed to hate him in the past, it may not have been the full truth but it hadn’t been a lie either. Something said in the moment, how she felt just then. Which was why it had always hurt so badly. He could smell the truth. She never truly hated him, just how he was acting or what he was trying to do. It was that bit of hope he had always clung to. And here she was, putting his fears that he had really messed up to rest. She had given up one dream when an even bigger dream had come true. And he was that dream. A possibility even she had been unsure about, but had clung to hope just as he had. They really were two sides of the same coin. So different and yet the same in many ways.

“Marry me, Kitten,” he suddenly blurted out.

She snapped her face to his, “What?”

“Marry me. Let’s have a traditional human wedding. You can even invite the Mew Mews and your parents if you want.”

“But we’re already married in your eyes.”

“Please? You’ve already given me my dream and become my mate. Let me give you yours by giving you a wedding and becoming your husband in your eyes.”

She was stunned. She nearly dropped the rest of her precious fish, she was so stunned. “Are… Are you sure about this? I’m perfectly happy with the way things are. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“I want to do this for you. Please let me do this. Besides, didn’t you say that proposals usually happen somewhere romantic or special? Well, I can’t think of anywhere more romantic or special than this beach. It’s where we became mates. Where I made you mine and you made me yours. So, please say you’ll marry me?”

She didn’t even have to think twice when she looked into those glittering golden eyes full of love and hope. Besides, they were married in the eyes of his people, why not marry in the eyes of hers? “Yes. I’d be honored to marry you Kish.”

He tossed the skewer and last of his fish into the fire and threw his arms around the cat-girl. Peppering her face with a kiss between each word as he spoke, “Thank you, Kitten. And you’ll see. It will be perfect. And I promise by tomorrow, I’ll have the most perfect ring for you.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but giggle as she finally managed to push him away. “Okay. Okay. Enough. There’s going to be a lot of things we need to get done. And I have no idea what I’m going to tell my parents. When did you want to have the wedding?”

“In one month,” he answered.

“Gah, so fast!”

“Well, that actually moves us into one of the things we need to discuss.”

“Which is?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Well, Tart and I have to return in about a month and a half. We swore we’d be back in two months and it’s about a seven to eight day trip each way so that leaves us with just over a month to spend here. If things were going well with us, I was going to ask…”

“I’m coming,” she cut him off abruptly.

“Wait, are you sure? It could be several months before I might be able to bring you back,” he said worried.

“I don’t care. I’m coming with you. Besides, you promised you’d never leave me.” She was resolute in her decision. She wasn’t going to be left behind again.

“And I meant it. I will never leave you willingly, but I understand that you have a life here.”

She cut him off again, “My life is with you. Wherever that may be or however we make it work. But I am going with you. So, we’ll just have to get this wedding figured out in a month. Because then I’m leaving with you.”

It was Kish’s turn to be stunned. “I don’t think you’ll ever stop amazing me, Kitten. You’re beyond too good for me.”

“I know,” she teased. “But I don’t care because I love you, Kish.”

“I love you too, Ichigo.” Once he had carefully moved the boiling pot out of the fire and sat the last fish on top, Kish pulled Ichigo to the center of the sun warmed towel beneath them. He pressed his lips to hers and slowly pushed her back until she found herself on her back beneath him. “So was lunch tasty enough for more than just a kiss?” he smirked.

“Depends. What do you have in mind?” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Kish slid a hand under her shirt and softly palmed her breast. “Let me show you,” he purred. Kish made love to his mate and now fiancé. Their moans and soft whispers the only sounds on the tiny island.

A little while later, Kish had removed everything that he had brought to the island. He and Ichigo sat by the dwindling fire. Both redressed and continuing their conversations from earlier. Ichigo was finishing off the last of the fish and Kish was nibbling at the slightly over cooked crab, trying to stock his energy reserves for the long two person teleport back to her home.

“So, if your planet was as cold and barren as you say, where did you live and what did you eat?” she asked.

“My people built cities underground and in the cliff faces. They were the best places to survive the unpredictable and harsh weather of the surface. It was mostly blizzards that swept through, but there could also be severe thunderstorms, intense heat and drought, or, on very rare occasions, there could be a beautiful calm day. Because of the uncertain and extreme weather, living underground was the best solution. Food was a challenge. It was nearly impossible to grow crops. They were regularly destroyed above ground. And only a few types could survive in the caverns without sunlight. Thankfully, with our technology we were able to cultivate several crops, however these were sorely lacking in true nutrition. This is where some of our military branches came into play. While most were used to keep the peace and to help during natural disasters, others had more specific missions. Our small air force was used to scout the land or nearby planets for food or habitable lands. While the science and development branch worked to better update our crop problems as well as the use of chimeras. The predacites were originally designed as biological weapons. However, over time, we were able to breed and domesticate some species for pack animals and farming. The meat wasn’t the tastiest, but it at least had nutritional value. But the problem still remained, too much demand and not enough supply. Predacites are incredibly difficult to breed. Hardy and long lived, but slow to reproduce. And infusers only work on an already existing creature.”

He paused to take another bite, “I suppose that’s how I became noticed, at least for my skills with predacites. I started gene splicing on an infuser and used it on a predacite. Which had never been done before. So, now that predacite had even more desirable traits. They would now breed faster, but it still only scratched the surface of our food issues. So a smaller corps of the armed forces branch of the military would go foraging and hunting when there was a lull in the weather. And that brings me around to how I ended up in the military at such a young age. Most children don’t join until age ten at the youngest. I was eight and it hadn’t even been a year since my father had been executed. I used to run off on my own a lot. I had developed a bit of a temper after losing my father. So, I used to escape the tunnels every chance I got. I learned several places to hide if I got caught in storms, and even a few places where wild food grew that I only shared with Pai and Tart. I was more comfortable in the Wilds then around people. On one of my excursions, a hunting party came across me. They were apparently hunting the same thing that had been stalking me. It was an Ursigrit. Imagine something slightly larger than one of your grizzly bears with its hulking strength and body, but with the head and legs of a tiger, giving it agility as well as brute strength. Well, the hunting party kind of saw me take it down by myself with just a small hunting dagger. Needless to say, they were impressed. It usually took a group of trained fighters to take down one of those creatures and I did it alone at eight.”

“Damn, a bear-like creature at only eight? You really did hold back a lot when we fought, didn’t you?”

Walking to the water, Kish dumped the crab shells into the ocean and snapped his fingers, making the pot disappear. Returning to the campfire, he stretched out, folding his arms behind his head. “In the beginning I did to test how strong you were without giving too much away about myself. Then I became infatuated with you. And it became a bit of a game to me. How fast could I rile you up, how long it took for you to land a hit on me, or if I could steal another kiss. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of times you legit handed me my ass fair and square. I couldn’t hide or hold back as much as I wanted when Pai and Tart showed up because they’d notice. And being severely loyal to Deep Blue, I couldn’t risk it. But at the end, I definitely was because I didn’t care anymore about Deep Blue or the war. I only cared about you and trying to find a way to ‘have my cake and eat it too’ as the human saying goes. Or, save my people and protect you. But like I said, absolutely don’t sell yourself short. I guarantee you could at the very least still hold your own against me. You’re that good. And that’s with my years of training.”

Ichigo blushed. She lay on her side facing him, propped up on an elbow. “You know, I’d love to spar with you some time. I kinda miss our fights. The predacites I’ve fought since you left don’t hold the same challenge. And to see just how I measure up to you now since I know you’ve continued your training.”

“That actually sounds like fun. Been a while since I’ve had a real challenge. Could probably learn a lot from each other as well. Like how the hell you got so good at predicting where and when I would teleport,” he cocked his head towards her.

“That, my dear, is a trade secret. Only hint I’ll give is that I could narrow down the area because you’d always appear near me,” she winked.

“Clever Kitten,” he smirked, eyeing her from the corner of his eye.

Rolling a hand over in the air above him, “So anyways, I got drafted into the military at eight. Which in and of itself wasn’t a huge shock. See, my father was next in line to be Commander General, which is the highest rank one can achieve. They are above everyone and control every branch of the military. Nothing is done without their input. And he had been training me in secret pretty much since I could walk to follow in his shoes. Only ones that knew were my family.”

“Sounds like an incredibly important position but also tiring. Having to be in charge of so much. To be responsible for so many decisions. Sounds like it would be a lot to handle, especially for one person,” she mused.

“Oh, it is. And then there’s the balls, banquets, listening to aristocrats kiss your ass because they want some kind of preferential treatment. It can be a political nightmare. More headaches than it’s worth half the time.” He stopped when he felt her eyes staring into him. Glancing over at her, “What?”

“You speak as though you know. Wait, don’t tell me…,” her eyes grew round.

“Guess I forgot to mention that. Yup. You just so happen to be marrying the Commander General of an entire planet,” he grinned.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Who in their right mind would give a lose canon like you that sort of power? No offense.” Ichigo was shocked. Who ever thought that the arrogant, egotistical, perverted kid she fought so long ago would have control over an entire planet’s military?

“None taken, honey. Besides, Pai said pretty much the same thing. But I had too many things going for me. My dad had been in line for the position, I was at the top if not the best melee fighter on the planet, my uncanny abilities with infusers and predacites, my tactical knowledge and mental acuity, being hand chosen by Deep Blue, and then coming back a literal hero that saved the entire planet. Way too much stacked against me to not be handed the title and responsibility.”

Rolling towards him, Ichigo threw a leg over his waist and climbed atop him. He cocked a brow. “Don’t get any ideas. You’re more comfortable than the ground and my arm was starting to fall asleep. This way I’m warmer, comfy, and can see you easily while we talk.” She tapped his leg behind her.

Getting the hint, Kish brought his knees up, planting his feet flat behind her to give her something to lean back on.

“Thanks, and besides, how many can say they get to use the Great Commander General as a comfy seat?”

Kish rolled his eyes and flopped his head back on his arms, “Glad I could be of service, My Lady.”

His tone was snarky, and Ichigo was having none of it as she pouted, “Oh, just let me have my moment. Besides, maybe I just like being able to touch you.” She watched his features closely and saw a small smile slide across his lips. “That’s better,” she teased.

“Manipulative Kitten,” he mumbled.

“I heard that,” she sing-songed. He stuck his tongue out at her. ‘Mmm… The things that tongue can do,’ she thought as memories of last night drifted through her mind.

Kish’s fangs glinted in the sunlight as he smiled wide. “And I heard that,” he purred, sitting up on his elbows. “I’ll be more than happy to pleasure you with my tongue whenever you wish, Kitten. You taste divine. Bitter, yet oh so sweet.”

Blushing scarlet, Ichigo pushed him back onto the ground. “Down boy. We only have…,” she trailed off as she reached for her phone. “Like thirty minutes before we need to head back.”

“Plenty of time to have you moaning my name,” he smirked as he licked his lips.

“Shut it, pervert. Besides, there’s something I really should show you before we leave. Something I think you need to see.”

He cocked a brow, “What’s that?”

She tapped her forehead.

Understanding, Kish slipped into her mind. Finding himself in the café like area, “What is it Kitten?”

Ichigo walked to the large red and golden door. “There’s a memory I think you should see. A nightmare actually,” she said as she opened the door.

Kish was shocked. She was going to allow him access to her innermost mind. ‘She really does trust me completely,’ he thought. Stepping through the door, he was in awe. It looked as though he had stepped into the grandest and most beautiful library he had ever seen. Walls arching high with shelves upon shelves of beautifully crafted books. And each of those books contained one of her memories. ‘So this is how she imagines her mind,’ he thought in wonder. Looking towards her, “Your mind is stunningly beautiful, Kitten. But why would I need to see a nightmare?”

“Because of something you said earlier. You said you came here because you suddenly felt me in pain. I told you I was having nightmares, but I think I know which one actually triggered your reaction. They were always of your death, but a couple of weeks ago, they changed. When you said you heard me call out to you, I remembered after that first different nightmare, I could of sworn I heard you asking, “Kitten?””

“You mean you actually heard me?” Surprise swept through him. He hadn’t really believed he’d gotten through to her. The distance was so great, and their bonding was incomplete. But she had. Even incomplete, their bond had been exceptionally strong.

“I’m positive I did. At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But when you said that you heard me calling for you, I began to wonder.” Looking around, “I’ve never done this before, how do I find the memory I want?”

Kish glanced around and saw an elegant pedestal with an open book and a large, feathered quill that was filling its blank pages. It was her mind recording the here and now as a new memory. He walked over to it. “Place your hand on the pedestal, but don’t touch the open book or quill. I’m assuming I’m at the center of this memory, so think of me.”

She did as she was told and as she thought of him, the library began to rearrange. Books sliding through one another like water until a large alcove filled with hundreds of books stood before her, slightly separated from the rest of the shelves.

“Wow, Kitten. So many memories of just me?” Awe once again filled his voice.

“We did spend an entire year fighting each other constantly. And even when we weren’t fighting, you still managed to occupy a lot of my time with that whole stalking thing. And I’m sure some of these are repeats over the last few years of me going back over the original memories when I was trying to sort through things.” She noticed most of the books held a color scheme, either being shades of green, black, or white, with a few being red. “Do the colors mean anything?” she asked curiously.

“Actually, yeah. It’s kind of a universal instinctual thing. Don’t ask me how or why, but almost everyone’s memories follow the same color pattern. Black usually denotes a terrible memory while white is a deeply treasured one. The rest are hued by the color you most associate with the object of the memory. The lighter in color, the less significant the subject is in a memory. The darker the hue, the more prominent. And seeing as how these are all about me, I’m guessing green is what you associate with me.” He tugged his hair, “Not a big leap to guess why.”

She giggled, “I suppose not. But what about the red ones?”

His eyes grew wide as they darted over the shelves. He spotted at least several dozen scattered throughout the last shelves. He grinned wickedly, “Those are usually filled with passionate or erotic memories. Guess I’m not the only pervert seeing as how there are many more than just the two for when we made love. Just what have you been thinking about me?”

Ichigo’s chest and cheeks flamed scarlet. “A girl’s allowed to have her fantasies,” she stammered. “Anyways, how do I find the one I’m looking for?” she quickly asked.

Kish eyed her up and down. Sliding his eyes from her and back to the books, “They’re in chronological order. See that large one near the end that looks like it’s made of ivory and rubies?”

Following along his line of sight, she nodded when she found it.

“Gonna take a guess here, but judging by the colors and how important it looks, I’m going to say that’s when we became mates. So, if you travel back from there you should be able to find it.”

Ichigo’s eyes lingered over the book. It was stunning. The cover and spine looked to be made of glistening white ivory with a myriad of shimmering red rubies of all sizes embedded all over the cover. It was also much larger than most of the other books. Walking over to the shelves, she traced her way back in time. Finally, she found one that was almost solid black with just a few whisps of dark green threaded through it. She was certain it was the correct one. “Ok, now what?” she asked over her shoulder.

Kish came up beside her and took her hand. “Touch it. I’ll live through the memory just as you had.”

“Okay. But just a warning, it’s intense,” she warned him. Her voice was a bit shaky. She wanted him to see so maybe he would understand, but she wasn’t looking forwards to reliving that night again.

“I’ll be alright. If you want to come out before the end of the memory, just take your hand off the book.”

‘Here goes nothing,’ she thought and placed her hand on the cover.

Kish was instantly transported to one of, if not the, worst days of his life. The day he died. But now he was watching through Ichigo’s eyes. Seeing everything from her perspective, feeling all she felt, and hearing what she had heard. He cringed when he saw Deep Blue’s sword run him through, the scar on his abdomen twinging. But what really grabbed his attention was the pain that Ichigo felt. He felt her heart shatter. But this time, things played out differently. He felt hope bloom in her chest when he teleported to her and took her hand. Hope that he would survive. Desperation laced her voice and heart as she begged him why. Then a warmth spread through her as he told her that he loved her. But all that hope and warmth quickly disappeared in a wash of heartbreaking pain and anguish when he thanked her for letting him hear her say she was his at least once and the realization that this was the end hit her. His vision became blurry with her tears as she watched his body fall to the floor. Her heart, body, and soul crying out to him. A soul shattering scream in the form of his name tore from her lips as she awoke. The last thing he heard as the memory faded away was his own voice reaching out across to her through space.

Ichigo stumbled back as she released the book. Tears were streaming down her face. That nightmare felt so real. It had shattered her heart all over again. Strong arms encircled her, pulling her against a firm chest. She sobbed within his embrace, her legs giving out. They both collapsed to the floor and he tucked her into the comfort of his lap, holding her close. Her body shook with the force of her sobs.

His chest and heart were heavy with the weight of what he had just witnessed. Her longing for him had twisted the memory. Making it sweeter, more romantic, but so, so much more painful. He never realized just how much his death had affected her, especially since he had been resurrected. But he saw it now, felt the pain as surely as if it had been his own. A hand buried in her hair, “I’m sorry. So sorry.” He repeated the words like a mantra. His own tears falling down his face to land atop her crimson crown.

“That was the first time that memory, that nightmare, changed. I had watched that nightmare of a memory of your death play out for years. But when it changed, something inside me broke. It showed me what I wanted. What I had given up. Had lost. I had given you up, so I lost you. In death, then when you left. There were more nightmares that followed, all similar, but none that hurt like that one.”

Her muffled words reached his ears, interrupted by her quaking sobs. He could only bury his face deeper into her hair. A steady stream of ‘sorrys’ whispered through her soft tresses. This was his fault. The pain he had caused her was unimaginable. He held her closer, tighter, and rocked her gently. His precious Kitten had been in absolute agony and he had been the root of it.

Small fists pounded weakly against his chest. “Understand now? I won’t go through that again. I lost you twice and countless more times in my nightmares. I don’t care what it takes, but I’m not losing you again. I can’t Kish. Don’t ever leave me like that again.”

Her sobs had become hiccups as she curled up impossibly small within the protection of his body. His pure hearted Kitten looked so weak and fragile. Something he’d never thought to associate with her. She was fire, defiance, strength, and confidence personified to him.

Wrapping a hand around her fist, he held it to his heart. “Never again. Whatever it takes. I promise I won’t leave you again. Even if I have to give up everything, I’ll do it. My life means nothing without you in it, Kitten. I left my heart here when I left before because it’s always been in your hands. I had tried to move on, to forget. But I couldn’t. Everywhere I looked, I saw you. The deep red of your hair at sunset, the pink of your lips in the fresh flowers, those strawberry chocolate eyes every time I closed mine, the sound of your laughter mixed with children playing, and your scent every time it rained. I promise, I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work. I will never put you through that again. You’re my mate, soon to be wife, and at my side is where you will always be.” He placed a soft kiss to her temple.

Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, she looked up at him, “I love you, Kish. I think I have for far longer than even I knew.”

“And I love you Ichigo. Always have and always will.” Their lips met in a short chaste kiss, but the strength of their love behind that kiss could have moved mountains.

“Come on, Kitten. It’s probably time to head back but promise me something?” he asked as he tugged her to her feet.

“What?”

“That you’ll allow me to come back. To share more of your memories.”

She smiled, “Of course, but on one condition.”

“And that would be?” he asked curiously.

“That you’ll allow me in your mind and share your memories with me.”

He smiled and kissed her forehead, “I promise.”

Finding herself back on the beach and above Kish, she unlocked her phone. It was just after four. They had to meet Ryou at seven at the cafe, but she still needed to shower, change, and pack. She clicked on her mom’s name and held a finger to her lips, indicating to Kish to keep quiet. “Hey, honey,” her mom answered.

“Hey mom. I’m just letting you know we got a new employee at the café so we’re having some late night team building exercises to welcome and train him. So I’ll be staying at the cafe for the next few nights so I don’t have to walk home so late. I was gonna stop by in a few to pack a bag and grab a quick shower.”

“Oh, that’s fine dear. Your father is still at work and I’m out shopping for dinner. Probably won’t be home for at least another hour or so. So, if I miss you, just be safe and keep me up to date.”

“Will do mom. Love you.”

“Love you too honey. Bye.”

“Bye Mom.” Ichigo hung up and smiled down at Kish.

“Looks like we’re in the free and clear to head home. And since my parents are both out, maybe I could entice a certain perverted alien to join me in the shower. We could play out one of those red books,” she winked coyly.

Kish shot up, eyes wide. “You don’t even have to ask.”

“Always so eager,” she teased as she got up.

Kish stood up as well and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Placing his lips near her ear, he whispered, “Only for you, Kitten.”

They stood for a few moments longer gazing out over the ocean. The sun starting its descent on the horizon. “Promise me we’ll come back here someday. It’s beautiful and I’ll always treasure the memories we made here.” Her voice was soft in reverence. This tiny island would forever hold a special place in her heart.

“Anything for you, Kitten. It’s special to me as well. So, I promise.” With a snap of his fingers, Kish removed the fire. Clearing the last traces of them from the island before teleporting to her bedroom. The only sign that the couple had ever been there were their footprints in the sand.

As soon as Ichigo felt her toes touch carpet, she opened her eyes. But she forgot about the merry-go-round after affects of teleporting and stumbled as her vision swam.

Kish quickly caught her and swept her off her feet, “Easy, Kitten.”

“Urgh, will I ever get used to this feeling?” she groaned.

“You’re already doing better. You managed to keep your eyes open this time,” he praised.

“How do you do that anyways?”

“What, teleport?” he asked setting her on the edge of her bed.

“Yeah, I mean is it science or magic?”

Kish folded his arms behind his head as he stood there and thought about it. “I suppose a bit of both really. It’s an ability we’re born with, though it doesn’t manifest until between the ages of five and seven. Same with flying. But the easiest way to explain it is subspace. My race can access and manipulate alternate dimensions that exist in subspace. Think of it like another plane of existence just slightly out of sync with this one. I can step into that plane then picture where I want the door to appear in this reality and step out there.”

He summoned his dragon sais and saw a flash of fear cross Ichigo’s eyes. “You know I’ll never hurt you right?”

“Sorry. Just been a while since I’ve seen those in person. The last time was when, well you know. And no, I’m not afraid of you, and I know you won’t hurt me. Just bad memories is all.”

“Ah, yeah. Sorry didn’t think of that. Here,” he twisted a sai nimbly through his fingers and held the hilt out to Ichigo. “Time to make new memories.”

Tentatively, she took the weapon. It was much heavier than she expected, despite its delicate appearance.

“I was going to use them as an example. There are several types of subspaces that my race can use. First, are the small personal pocket spaces that are only accessible to an individual. It’s where I keep my sais and a few other personal items. You can actually use that ability too.”

She looked up from the sai in confusion, “Huh?”

“When you’re in your Mew Mew form. It’s where you keep your bell and wand. Not to mention your uniform before you call upon it.” His eyes shown with cockiness at knowing something about her powers that even she didn’t know.

“I never made that connection. Guess we’ve got more in common then I thought.”

Kish chuckled, “That’s a given, considering it was my race’s abilities and technology that sparked the Mew Mew project in the first place. At least that’s what Pai and I believe. Something I’m rather looking forwards to discussing with that blonde bastard of yours.”

“He has a name you know,” she pointed out.

“Does he? Don’t care. Never could stand him. He never seemed to take his eyes off you, and it used to piss me off.” He watched Ichigo twirl his sai in a similar way to him. “Careful. That’s sharper than it looks.”

She glared at the reprimand, “I’m well aware. Had these at my neck more then once.”

“Yeah… I suppose you would know better than most.”

She could hear the sadness and apology in his voice. Waving her hand, “It’s fine, Kish. It’s in the past. We’ve said our apologies. Time to move past it. I already have.”

He looked down at his other sai and rotated it several times through his fingers in thought. “You’re right.”

“Anyways, that’s a personal subspace. Then there’s the general subspace which is what we move through when we teleport. Though that’s not really a realm, more just unphasing with this reality for a few moments. The other is a sustained realm. Like the rooms on board my ship. Either by people or machine, those subspaces are permanently or semi permanently maintained and anyone can access. Even if you don’t have the ability to use subspaces. And finally, there are common realms. These are sustained subspaces that can be entered only by those with our abilities and must be granted access to. Making them semiprivate. Pai, Tart, and I used one while we were here for our meetings and to communicate with Deep Blue. I was so pissed when they showed up there. Meant Deep Blue was losing faith in me as well as a loss to our one-on-one time.” He trailed off as he watched his spinning sai.

“Believe me, I wasn’t thrilled when they showed up either. You were hard enough to handle. And now there were two more! And quite frankly, Pai gave me the creeps. He always looked so cold and calculating. You two couldn’t of been more opposite. Anyways, some of what you said went over my head, but I think I actually understood most of it. In a very simplified way anyways,” she smiled.

Kish chuckled, “That’s just how Pai is. More brains than feelings, but he’s not bad when you get to know him. Fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret that may change your view about him.”

“Oh? What’s that?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“Just mention that fish girl to him. Guarantee you he’ll blush,” he winked.

“What!? Are you telling me he likes Lettuce?”

“She’s the main reason he saved the rest of the Mews at the end. Her actions with him in previous fights had made him begin to question everything. She melted that icy heart of his. He’ll never admit any of this. I’m the only one who knows, though Tart probably suspects. He broke down one night and straight asked me how I could so easily turn on Deep Blue for you. Said it was simple, I loved you. He wanted to know how I knew. Told him that when seeing you hurt began to hurt me, I knew I couldn’t let it happen anymore. He said that was how he felt about the fish girl. Said seeing her suffering was hurting him. Granted, he only told me this cause I got him drunk one night when we had skipped out of a banquet back home,” he smirked.

“Wow. You know, as surprising as it is, it doesn’t actually surprise me. I saw the way he looked at her occasionally. Like he was in awe, and she was a mystery he just couldn’t figure out.” Ichigo handed back his sai, twirling it just like he had done, so she held out the hilt.

Taking it, “You’re pretty deft at handling this. If you’re serious about sparring, maybe I can teach you how to use them.” Pride in her filled his voice.

“That sounds awesome. I’ve never really handled weapons besides my bell and wand. I look forwards to it,” she said excitedly. “Now come on. I need a shower and still have to pack. Then we have to go see Ryou. You still sure it’s alright I crash on your ship with you for a while?”

“Absolutely, Kitten,” he grinned wide as he dismissed his sais.

While Ichigo waited for the water to get warm, Kish stripped out of his clothes behind her. She was already naked, and he couldn’t help but think how surreal it all was. He had no idea how many times he had sat outside in her tree and fantasized about joining her while she bathed. Then he remembered her mentioning something about fulfilling her own fantasy. ‘Two sides, same coin,’ he thought again, shaking his head.

Ichigo’s voice broke through his thoughts, “You coming?” She was holding the shower curtain aside and looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry, got lost in thought for a moment,” he said stepping in to join her.

She slid under the water and turned to face him. “Must have been pretty deep to keep you distracted from me naked in the shower,” she teased.

He rolled his eyes and rested his hands on her hips. “Technically it was about you naked in the shower.”

Slowly, she slid her hands up his chest and rested her arms atop his shoulders, her hands hanging behind him. “Oh really? Do tell.” Her voice was playful as she caught his eyes.

A hand traveled up her side before cupping her breast, her nipple stiffening under his touch. “Was just thinking how many times I fantasized about this. Getting to join you as you bathed. And wondering how our fantasies might line up.” He drew closer, slipping the hand at her waist to her lower back. Bowing his head, he nipped at the sensitive skin just below her ear. Warm water cascaded down their bodies, wetting down their hair and slickening their skin.

A soft gasp left her lips when he rolled her pebbled nipple between his rough fingers. One hand gripped the back of his neck for support while her right hand danced down his side. “And what did you envision once you joined me?” she whispered.

He shook his head, fangs scraping over her delicate flesh, “Uh-uh, Ichigo. Show me yours first and I’ll tell you if they match. If not, well then this won’t be the last shower we share,” he whispered into her ear making her breath hitch.

“I can’t tell if that sounded more like a threat or a promise, either way I like. You’ll let me do whatever I want to fulfill my fantasy?” she asked hesitantly. Her hand slipped lower and slid between them, her delicate fingers wrapping around his rapidly hardening member.

“Anything,” he moaned softly in her ear.

She grew bold as heat pooled low in her belly at his answer. Her hand slid to his base before dragging his entire length and letting him slip from her grasp, “Then switch me places.”

Nimbly, he slid around her as she moved to the other side of the shower. He felt the warm water pound against his back. Waiting with bated breath, he watched her. Wanting to see what she would do.

Stepping towards him, Ichigo replaced her hand around his length, her grip firm. She worked him from base to tip. Drawing him to his full size. Once he was fully hard, Ichigo began placing soft kisses across his chest. Never stopping her hand, she pumped him firmly back and forth. Her thumb occasionally rubbing just under his crown. Slowly, she began to kiss her way down his body.

Heart racing and mind in shambles, Kish watched the red head work her way down. His hips began to move against her hand. She felt unbelievable. “Harder,” he groaned. He couldn’t help the shudder that coursed through him when she complied. Her grip tightened, squeezing him almost roughly and tugging harder at him. Clenching his eyes shut, he let his wonderous mate please him. But when she kissed just below his navel, his eyes shot open. ‘She wouldn’t…’ he thought. Looking down his body, his eyes caught hers as she glanced up.

The tip of her tongue flicked over his sensitive head. Keeping her gaze locked on his, she slid her perfect lips and hot mouth over his tip and down his throbbing shaft. One hand still wrapped tightly around his base and the other gripping his hip for support.

Kish couldn’t help but stare transfixed at the woman knelt before him. Just the fact that his precious, naive, little kitten was pleasing him this way was a shock to his system. But that this was her fantasy, straight up left him dumbfounded. ‘When in the Abyss did she get so fucking sexy?’ he thought in awe. Her hand and mouth were like magic. But when her eyes flicked up to his again as she pushed her mouth as far as she could and he felt himself brush against the back of her throat, his heart nearly stopped.

Slapping his left hand against the cool tile of the shower wall to brace himself, he moaned deeply. “Fuck, Ichigo,” he panted.

Her grip tightened as her hand matched her mouth’s movements. Keeping a steady pace, she bobbed up and down his length. Her tongue swirling around his head on the upstrokes and undulating along the bottom of his length on the downstrokes. Taking him as deep as she could, she hummed her pleasure at him moaning her name. She sealed her lips tightly and swallowed, increasing the pressure within her mouth. Breathing through her nose, Ichigo kept herself calm and forced her gag reflex down. This was something she had always wanted to try. And she was enjoying herself immensely. Kish’s moans and pants above her drove her on. His pleasure furthering her own arousal.

Dragging her hand down from his hip, Ichigo slid her fingers around his sac, cupping it experimentally. His hips jerked, and a heavy moan fell from his lips. Seeing that he seemed to enjoy that, she gently squeezed, rolling the soft tissue in her hand.

Kish bit his lip, hard. ‘This woman!’ he growled to himself. His chest was heaving as he fought to breathe. He worked to hold back his encroaching orgasm. He wanted to savor this for as long as possible and to give her plenty of warning before he found his release. But what she did next about had that idea shattering into the Abyss.

Based on his personality, she figured he might like a little pain and it a bit rough. So, on the next downstroke, she squeezed her hand harder and closed her jaw slightly. Being very careful, for though her fangs were small, they were sharp, she let just the very tip of her fangs drag down his sensitive flesh. Feeling his hips buck, she quickly widened her jaw so he wouldn’t catch himself on a fang. She felt his hand bury in her hair, “Kitten!” The tone of his voice was high with surprise. Carefully timing her movements with his bucking hips, she let her fangs scrape along him again, this time giving his sac a firm squeeze as well.

‘No wonder she likes my fangs so much! Holy fuck,’ his mind ranted. Burying his right hand deep in her damp locks, his hips bucked involuntarily against her mouth’s assault. If he wasn’t experiencing such intense pleasure, he may have been slightly mortified how at high pitched her name had sounded coming from his lips. He wasn’t going to last much longer if she kept that up. When she did it again, he tried to tug her away. “Ichigo! Stop. I’m gonna,” but she cut him off with a slight shake of her head.

Speaking around him, “Anything remember.” Her voice reverberated through his swollen shaft, pushing him that much closer. Sealing her lips again, she lowered her mouth, taking him deep. Lips, tongue, fangs, throat, and hands all worked in perfect tandem as she drove him over the edge.

“Ichi… Ichigo! Gods!” he panted hard and heavy above her. Feeling his member swell and twitch, she relaxed her throat. He tried to pull away, but she held firm and he found his release as an overwhelming orgasm crashed through him. Colors danced behind his eyelids and a white-hot heat pulsed in his abdomen.

Ichigo swallowed what she could before pulling her mouth away and letting the rest coat her chest. His seed didn’t hold the extreme saltiness that she had heard about, but rather a more acrid taste like over steeped tea with a slightly salty aftertaste. It wasn’t the most pleasant, but it wasn’t awful. And she certainly wouldn’t say no to pleasuring him this way again. She loved what she had done to him. The sounds she brought out of him. And that it was her and only her that caused those reactions from him gave her great satisfaction. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Ichigo got to her feet.

Kish let his hand slide from her hair when he felt her start to stand. He was currently trying to relearn how to breathe as he came down from the overly intense orgasm. Calming his racing heart, he finally cracked his eyes open. Ichigo had her arms crossed and sporting a lazy yet cocky smile as she watched him. “Rather pleased with yourself, hmm?” he said once he’d finally been able to form a coherent thought.

“Didn’t know your voice could get so high,” she teased.

Kish closed his eyes and tilted his head back under the streaming water, letting it wash over his flushed face and down his front. “Fuck that was amazing. And I never want to know how you got so damn good at that.” He ran his hand over his face and through his hair.

Ichigo bit her lip as she watched him. He looked like he could have been a model posing for some seductive ad. He looked so damn sexy. Head back, eyes closed, water flowing over his body and through his long hair. “That was my first time,” she stated off handedly.

Kish’s eyes snapped to hers, “You’re fucking kidding me?”

She shook her head, “Nope. Always wanted to try though, hence the fantasy.”

“Well, you’ve got a serious talent, that’s for sure. And I think I get the fang obsession now. Fucking Abyss...” he said with a satisfied smirk.

Noticing his eyes scanning the bottles she handed him her shampoo. “That one’s for your hair, sorry it’s got a floral scent. The red bottle is soap to wash with. And I kinda figured you’d be the type to like things rougher.”

Taking the bottle, he squeezed a bit into his hand and took a sniff. “Eh, it’s not bad. Reminds me of you. Surprised it’s not strawberry scented. Sorry, Kitten. I’m sure you’re getting cold, I’ll hurry.”

She waved her hand at him while he lathered his hair. “That would be the soap that’s strawberry scented. And no rush. I’m enjoying the show.” She leaned her shoulder against the shower wall. “I know I’m gonna regret saying this, but you’ve gotten freakin hot and sexy.”

He laughed as he rinsed his hair. “I’ve always been hot and sexy. You were just too busy making googly eyes at that damn tree hugger to notice.”

“You’re probably right,” she agreed as she soaped up a wash cloth and handed it to him. “Here, now turn around.”

Taking the cloth, he did as she asked as he scrubbed himself clean. He started when he felt her hands in his hair. “Whatcha doing?”

“Conditioning your hair. And indulging another desire of mine. To run my hands through this long hair of yours. Oh, you never said, did my fantasy match yours?”

He shuddered as her nails scratched over his scalp, working in the conditioner and he had to bite back a moan as she rubbed around the base of his ears. “Not even close, but I think this is quickly becoming one. To be able to bathe with you all the time. Even without any fun. This is incredibly nice.”

“I absolutely agree. Hope you got a bathroom with a shower on that ship of yours,” she teased. Snatching the cloth from him, she began to scrub his back.

“Sure do,” he said smiling.

“So, what was your fantasy?” she asked.

“You’ll just have to wait til next time and I’ll happily show you.”

“Tease,” she pouted.

“Only if I don’t follow through, which I most certainly will,” he winked.

As much as Kish whined about wanting to return the favor for both the wash and the pleasure, Ichigo kept batting his hands away. She knew they were pressing their luck on when her parents would be home. Finally getting him to keep his hands mostly to himself, Ichigo washed and rinsed quickly. As she was toweling off, she noticed Kish and broke out into a giggle fit. He kept shaking his head and flicking his ear. “Water stuck in your ear?” she asked when her fit finally subsided.

“Yeah, dammit,” he bemoaned.

“One sec.” Bending down she looked under the sink and found the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Pouring some on the end of a cotton swab, “Crouch down so I can see in your ear.”

Folding his legs, he sat midair and drifted low.

“Cheater,” she teased. “Tilt your ear to me.”

Doing as she asked, he felt the cool tip of the swap rub just inside his ear canal.

“Now tilt your ear down.”

When he did, the water finally slid out. “Hey! That worked. Thanks, Kitten. What is that anyways?” he pointed to the bottle.

“It’s rubbing alcohol, a disinfectant,” she answered putting the bottle away and tossing out the swab. “And you’re welcome. If your ears are even half as sensitive as my cat ones, I know just how painful it is when water gets in them.”

“You’ve got that right,” he agreed.

“Random question, and don’t laugh.”

“I’m all ears,” he chuckled.

She shook her head smiling, “Actually it’s about your ears. How do you sleep on your side or rollover, doesn’t it hurt?” She had been seriously wondering.

He chuckled and reached up to his ear, bending it inwards, almost curling it. “Not much different than your cat or human ears, though closer to your human ears. They’re stiff but bendable cartilage.”

“Makes sense, but for some reason I thought they’d be stiffer, more rigid,” she said as she reached out to touch his ear.

Kish’s hand shot out and wrapped around hers quickly. “Nope, but still very sensitive, especially to my mate’s touch.”

“Sorry, completely forgot.”

He kissed her knuckles and released her hand. “No harm done. Just leave the ears alone unless you want to be totally ravished.”

Ichigo caught her reflection in the mirror. Bringing her hand up, she traced her fingers over the chain and lock that graced her shoulder. “It really is beautiful,” she whispered.

“A beautiful mark for a beautiful mate.” He smiled as he came to stand behind her and slid his arms loosely around her waist.

With him behind her she could easily compare the two marks. Her bite was slightly smaller, making his chain just the tiniest bit shorter, but other than that, the chains were identical. The tokens being the only difference. “Same coin,” she muttered as she gathered her dirty pajamas and headed out the door to her room.

Just as Kish snapped his fingers to dress in a fresh pair of clothes, his ears twitched at her words. Even keeping his shields up, she was echoing his thoughts. He shook his head. ‘Soon,’ he thought. Soon, he’d allow her to see the dark twisting paths of his mind. To glimpse the monster that lurked in the darkest corners. The calculating creature that stalked the shadows that allowed him to outthink, out maneuver, and completely destroy whatever stood in his way. The ruthlessness that let him do what needed to be done. A coldness creeped at the edges of his mind. A coldness that was being beaten back more and more each moment by the bright warmth of his mate.

A gentle voice breezed through his thoughts, “Kish?” She was looking for him.

‘Cold, calculating, and ruthless. Fiery, passionate, and loving. Two sides one coin,’ he thought as he flipped off the bathroom light and teleported to her side.

“What took you?” she asked turning to look right where he appeared.

“Just getting dressed. And one of these days you are going to tell me how you know where I’m going to appear,” he pouted crossing his arms.

She giggled and patted the bed in front of her. “Maybe one day, but for now, I’ll keep that advantage to myself. Plus, added bonus of getting to outwit you for once.”

Sighing, he sat in front of her, when she twirled her fingers, he spun around. Picking up the brush she had hidden in her lap, she gathered his inky green hair and began working the soft bristles through the silky mass.

“Indulging yourself again, Kitten?” he teased. Though he had to admit it was soothing.

“That and wanted to keep my hands on you so you don’t disappear on me,” she said.

“I would never, not anymore.”

She wrapped a handful of hair around her fist, and sucked in a breath, “Kish. I don’t now, nor have I ever thought you were a monster.”

She was right, if she didn’t have a hold of him he just may have bolted. He wasn’t ready to let her see that side of him yet. “But how? And how long have you been listening in on my thoughts?” He sat frozen, barely able to breathe. He prayed it hadn’t been long. Just a glimpse.

“Since you came in the shower.”

This time, he really did try to bolt, but her hand wrapped around his hair kept him put. “Let me go, Ichigo.” His tone was flat as he worked to hide his fear and anger. Anger at her for getting past his defenses and not saying anything, but mostly anger at himself for letting her.

“No,” she stated flatly.

His nostrils flared, “Don’t make me make you.”

“You won’t risk hurting me. So, again, no. You will listen to what I have to say, and you will drop your shields again so I know my words sink into that thick skull of yours.”

His eyes widened and he clenched his hands into fists. “Absolutely not. Now release my hair, Ichigo. You’ve been in my mind. You know I’m more than capable of making you or hurting you.” Words were bordering on cold as anger started to cloud his thoughts.

“I didn’t have to see your mind to know how capable you are of hurting me. Like you, I’ve got the scars to prove it. But I also know you won’t hurt me. Now will you calm down and listen to me? If you want to get pissed at me afterwards, then fine. I know I overstepped, but in my defense, you dropped your shields and let me in. No different than you reading me. You’ve asked me to trust you, and I have. Can you not trust me?”

Her soft words and calm voice cut through his fear and anger like a knife. She was right. She had trusted him. Put not only her trust, but her faith in him. Was he really not willing to do the same for her? Taking a shaky breath, he unclenched his fists and lowered his shields. Ichigo’s grip disappeared immediately. Again, showing her trust in him. He felt ashamed. He had been her enemy and yet she had never wavered in her trust in him. And yet he had. He felt the gentle stroke of the brush through his hair as she resumed her task.

“Listen, I’m not going to lie, there’s a lot to unpack here, but I’m going to try. First, yes, I’ve been in your head since you released. It was while watching you after that I realized you weren’t aware of it. Traveling through your mind is what kept me calmer and more relaxed. My mind was occupied. But don’t get me wrong. I really did enjoy it and I don’t just mean the fun. You really do put me at ease. Like we’ve been lovers for years. Though you can rile me up faster than anyone I know. What I’m trying to say is, I was enjoying myself in the here and now and shifting through your mind. And I have to say, your mind is fascinating. I don’t think I’ll ever fully comprehend how it works, but I look forwards to spending the rest of my life trying.” Getting up on her knees, she slid the brush over his scalp, being very careful around his ears.

Kish sat in silence as he listened carefully. He picked apart her words, dissected their meanings. It was how his mind worked. Analyzing every minute piece of information and filing it away for potential future use. He could feel her watching and reading. Aware of her warm presence just on the edge of his mind now that he was alert and aware once again. But he ignored her presence for the moment. There was no way she had seen as deep as she claimed. No way she would be complimenting his mind if she had seen the darkness that lurked in its depths. He felt Ichigo get up and step away from the bed. He wondered what she was doing as he watched her out the corner of his eye. When she turned towards him, he could see his red hair band clasped in her fingers. He wondered where that had gotten to.

“I forgot I had put it in my pajama short’s pocket,” she said as she climbed back behind him. Ichigo gathered his damp yet silky soft hair and wrapped his tie around the thick mass just behind his shoulders as he had previously worn it. Settling back down, she continued, choosing her words carefully, but staying true to herself. “You forget, love, I’ve seen first hand your eyes filled with the red haze of anger and blood lust. Had them aimed right at me as I stared down the points of your sais. And though you had me dead to rights, you didn’t follow through. You claimed you wanted me dead. That if you couldn’t have me, you’d kill me. And yet, I’m still here. Because you aren’t a monster. You couldn’t bring yourself to truly hurt me. And though I was scared out of my mind, even then, I never saw a monster. Crazy? Sure. Strange? Definitely. Terrifying? Absolutely. But I never thought monster. It wasn’t until years later that I realized you were hurting then too. Masking it with anger and maybe a bit of insanity. And now, after learning more of what you went through before you even came to Earth, I can understand your actions a little bit more. So what if you can be cold and calculating, you’re a leader, it’s what needs to be done sometimes. I’ve done it myself. Had to make hard choices. I don’t hold it against you.”

She slid her legs to either side of him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her cheek against his broad back. “If you were really the monster you claimed, you would have slit my throat first chance you had. But you didn’t. Because you have a heart. A heart that loves, cares, shows compassion, and trusts. And not just for me. Pai and Tart, your planet and people, and even the other Mew Mews to an extent. You’re a brilliant military tactician, going cold and thinking of things no one else would dare is how you’ve survived. How you’ve risen to the top. And to a lesser extent how you got me. For without all that, you would never have been chosen and we wouldn’t have met. And so what if you have a bit of a temper? Have you met me? The hissing, spitting cat who loves to sink her claws into things. Something we can both work on together. Hell, if our tempers get too riled, we can just spar it out of each other. On that note, I’m sorry I pried so deep. But I couldn’t pass up the chance. You keep yourself so guarded, I was beyond curious. And I am part cat. If you’re still angry, I understand. But thank you for listening and for dropping your shields again. It means the world to me. I still love you and am still more than happy to be your mate. And I may even admire you a bit more now. You’re way more intelligent than I ever gave you credit for back when we were younger,” she ended teasingly. Placing a kiss between his shoulder blades, Ichigo pulled herself away from him and stepped from the bed.

Before she could make it very far, a pale hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist. Yanking her back into his arms. Twisting, he pinned her against the bed, and straddled her waist. Deep glowing gold caught and held surprised filled strawberry chocolate. “I really, really don’t deserve you. Such a kind and caring heart. So pure, you could look past even my flaws. And even I can admit when I’ve been bested. There’s no denying your logic and truths,” he nipped and kissed along her jaw. “And I know you see I really am letting it all go. You haven’t left here,” he tapped his temple, “since I let down my shields again. A part of me wants to kick you out. But another part is enjoying the warmth of your presence. And though I won’t keep secrets from you, I do still enjoy surprising you now and then.” He plucked at her towel until it fell open at her sides. “But if my Kitten can keep her claws from digging past my surface thoughts, I’ll let you stay curled within my mind. You seem to enjoy being up there anyways. And seem to have made yourself at home.” He slid a hand up her ribcage and cupped a breast, his thumb brushing softly across her nipple.

Arching into his touch, Ichigo’s heart fluttered. He was going to let her stay! That little piece of her consciousness that now resided in his mind took the form of a kitten and curled up in the corner of his mind she had claimed as hers.

Kish kissed his way down to her unoccupied breast. “Great. As if I didn’t have one Kitten constantly on my mind, now I have another actually running around in my mind. Remember, she sets her claws into anything without permission, you’re taking her back.” He bit down around her pebbled peak, punctuating his warning.

Ichigo ‘eeped’ then moaned as his warm tongue soothed the bite. “This conversation is so weird.”

His chuckle reverberated within her mind and against her skin. “No weirder than a girl who knew literally nothing about telepathy as of yesterday and has now figured out how to splinter a piece of her consciousness to implant in her mate’s mind just because she’s an overly curious cat,” he teased.

She moaned when he sucked her nipple between his teeth and licked it with the tip of his tongue. A bolt of ecstasy shot through her whenever his tongue made contact. “Fuck! That talented tongue of yours, I swear,” she hissed in his mind.

He drummed his long fingers along the side of her ribcage, “Oh, that’s right. I still owe you one,” he smirked. Quickly, he crawled down her body, stopping only to place a soft kiss just below her belly button.

Knowing his intention, “Kish! We don’t have time for this.” Though she didn’t really want him to stop.

“Don’t care. I want to taste my Kitten,” he said defiantly and with finality.

Ichigo shuddered as she felt him gently spread her legs. Just as Kish lowered his mouth to her damp core, they both heard the front door open.

“Ichigo. Are you home?” her mom called out.

“Dammit!” They both said in unison. Ichigo had to stifle a giggle as she looked down at Kish pouting between her legs. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning that had just been told there were no presents.

“I’m here Mom. Just got out of the shower. Still gotta pack my bag then I’m heading out,” she yelled out, much to the annoyance of Kish’s sensitive ears. “Go before she comes in here. I’ll meet you outside in a few minutes.”

Before she could react, Kish dipped his head between her thighs and slid his tongue between her folds. Finding that swollen bud quickly, Kish sucked it between his lips and gave it a hard flick with his tongue. Then, he disappeared.

“Tease!” she pouted as she pulled her towel around her and sat up.

“Sorry, Kitten. I’ll make it up to you later. I just couldn’t resist another taste of that exquisite flavor.”

She blushed and felt his eyes on her. She looked out her balcony door, and sure enough, she could just catch the glint of two golden yellow orbs in the tree just past her balcony. Ichigo clenched her towel when her bedroom door opened. “Mom!” she shouted.

“Sorry honey, I knocked, but didn’t hear an answer. I was just wondering, is this late-night stuff at the café, is it Mew Mew related?”

Ichigo sighed as she dug out her small pink duffle bag. She talked while she packed. “Yes and no. Do you remember when I told you about Kish?”

Ichigo’s mom sat on her bed. “Yes, he’s the alien that was your enemy but that died for you right? The one you usually dream about?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Well he and one of the others came back last night. But don’t worry. They are completely on our side now. And Mom… I… I love him.” She finally managed to blurt out. Ever since she had come clean about being a Mew Mew, she and her mother had become much closer. Ichigo had confided in her on her shifting and confusing feelings concerning the green haired alien almost a year ago. Her mother had taken her hand and told her to see with more than just her eyes. That things aren’t always as black and white as it may seem or how people want them to appear. Ichigo had used that advice to go over many of Kish’s past actions and her findings had astonished her.

“And are you staying at the café to be close to him?” her mother asked without revealing how she felt about it.

Ichigo sighed. She wanted to tell the truth about staying on the ship, but she was afraid that would be pushing it. So, she just nodded her head, “Yeah.”

Ichigo’s mother took a moment to stare at her daughter. She was the leader of the Tokyo Mew Mews, but she was also her little girl. But that little girl was growing up. Their talks had become deeper. No longer about clothes and cute boys, but about life questions. What she should be doing. Or trying to find deeper meanings and understanding herself better. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while now. About how you may truly feel about him. After all, it is your father and I that have been comforting you when you wake up calling out his name. I suspected that if he ever came back, I may lose you to him. Just be safe Ichigo. Only do what you want. No one else. Do what makes you happy and is best for you. No matter what he or anyone else says. You choose your own path. Keep me informed as always. I love you.” She pulled her daughter into a tight hug, then quickly left the room.

Ichigo was starting to think being in a state of shock was just going to be the way of life for her from now on. She was pretty sure her mother had just given her and Kish her blessings.

Kish, who had apparently been eavesdropping, chimed in. “Did you just tell your mother about us? And she’s fine with it?”

‘Looks like he thought the same thing,’ she thought. “Um… Yes. And I think… I think so,” she answered back unsure and slightly confused.

“Hate to rain on this parade, but we need to be at the café in about twenty minutes,” Kish reminded her.

With a squeak, Ichigo threw the last few things into her duffle. Rifling through her underwear drawer, Ichigo selected a few of her more sexy sets and slipped them into her bag.

Keeping her back to where she knew Kish was hiding, Ichigo shimmied into a pair of black lace panties and matching bra. She made sure to keep the towel tight around her to block his view. At her closet, she found a pair of faded low rise skinny jeans and a deep green tank with a silver foil cartoon U.F.O. on the front. She’d bought it on a whim a few months back. Green with a spaceship, it wasn’t hard to figure her out sometimes. Slipping into the jeans and tank, she finally threw the towel over the back of her desk chair.

“You’re no fun, Kitten,” Kish pouted.

She could almost see the pout in his words. Throwing on her socks and shoes, and tucking her cell with Masha as the charm and her pendant in her back pocket, Ichigo grabbed her duffel and ran down the stairs. “I’m headed out. And thank you Mom. Promise I’ll be safe and keep you up to date. See you in a few days. Love you.” Not waiting for a response, Ichigo was out the door. She had barely made it five feet past her gate when a pair of pale arms wrapped around her.

This time, Kish caught her elbow. “You really need to calm down on the reflex there, Kitten.”

“It’s your fault! A year of being snuck up on and grabbed keeps me a bit jumpy. Even Masaya learned not to hug me from behind unless he gave me fair warning. Pretty sure I broke a rib once, but he never admitted it.”

“Good thing my reflexes are quicker,” the cockiness back in his voice.

“Oh yeah? Then what happened back on the beach?” she shot back.

“That was me not thinking my mate would attack me after we had made love. Now I know she most definitely might, I won’t be so easily surprised again,” he said matter of factly as he folded his arms behind his head.

Ichigo shivered as a light evening breeze kicked up. “Dammit. I knew I forgot something,” she pouted.

“What’s that? I can go grab it,” he offered. “My jacket. It’s the hoodie on the back of my door.”

“Be right back Kitten.”

Kish teleported into Ichigo’s room and froze. Her mother was sitting on Ichigo’s bed and staring right at him.

“So, you can teleport! Ichigo said you could, but it was so hard to imagine.” Sakura saw the wide-eyed look in the young man’s face. “It’s alright. I’m not upset. I’m guessing you’re Kish?”

Finally finding his voice and manners, Kish bowed, “Yes. I’m Kish. A pleasure to meet you. Apologies if I startled you.”

Sakura giggled. “I believe I startled you more. If you’re looking for Ichigo, she already left.”

He shook his head, “I know. She forgot her jacket and I offered to get it. Didn’t expect anyone to be in here, sorry.” Kish scratched the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I saw she wasn’t wearing it. That’s how I ended up in here. Was going to get it for her, but she was already long gone.” She handed him the hoodie from her lap. “I can see now why she’s taken to wearing green so much this last year.”

Kish took the deep green hoodie and couldn’t help the happy grin that slid across his features.

Sakura didn’t miss the smile. “Tell me the truth, do you love my daughter?” Sakura asked in complete seriousness.

Kish didn’t even hesitate, “With all my heart.”

“Then just promise to keep her safe. She’s been through more than any girl her age should ever have had to go through. And I know you’re to blame for a lot of it. But I also know she forgave you a long time ago. And I see how much she loves you. Keep her safe and happy and you will always have my support. Now hurry off, I’m sure she’s waiting impatiently for you. But tell my daughter I expect her to bring you by for a proper introduction to me and her father.” Sakura rose to leave.

“I will always do everything I can to keep Ichigo safe and happy. And thank you Mrs. Momomiya,” Kish bowed to the woman once more. “Have a wonderful night,” he said before disappearing.

Sakura stared at where he had just been. “Amazing. Polite and very handsome. Yes, a fine young man,” she muttered to herself as she closed the door to her daughter’s room. Visions of golden eyed, pointy eared grandchildren danced behind her eyes.

An impatient foot tapped the sidewalk as Ichigo rubbed her arms and waited. It had gotten much colder since Kish had left. She hadn’t realized how much his presence warmed her. She was about to call to him when the air beside her began to ripple. “It’s about time! I’m freezing! What took you so long anyway?” she snapped as she held out her bag and held her other hand out waiting for her jacket before he had even fully materialized.

“I swear you’re going to tell me how you do that one of these days,” he said handing her her hoodie and slinging her bag over his shoulder. It drove him nuts. It was like she had a sixth sense on when and where he’d teleport. “Besides, I figured you would of known what kept me thanks to your little spy up here,” he said tapping his temple. He saw her blanche and he chuckled. “Already forgot about Kit didn’t you? And by the look on your face, she just updated you. We’ll have to talk about it later honey. We’re going to be late.” He swung his arm under her knees and scooped her up bridal style. With a quick glance around, he kicked off the ground and took to the air.

The last thing she thought before they disappeared was, ‘Who’s Kit?’

They reappeared in an alcove on the balcony of the Mew Mew Café and Kish gently set Ichigo on her feet. Ichigo put her hand to her head. “Urgh. My head’s spinning. And I don’t know if it’s from teleporting or because you just met my mother and she seemed to actually like you.”

“I feel like I should take offense to that,” Kish said placing a hand to Ichigo’s hip to keep her steady.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I meant… Oh I don’t know what I mean. I’m just so overwhelmed,” she started to rant as she started to pace. “It’s just sooo much! I mean I’m happy she’s given us our blessing. But it just kind of came out of left field and now I feel bad that I didn’t tell her the truth about staying with you instead of at the café. And I’m just hoping she and dad are going to be as understanding about me being suddenly engaged and getting married in a month. Get Ryou and Keiichiro to hopefully let us have the wedding here, which, again, is only in a month. Which I just know is gonna cause Ryou to flip his lid cause he’s not exactly you aliens’ biggest fan. Then tell the girls about us. And get their help with planning the wedding as well. Then to top all that off, figure out what to tell my parents about me leaving with you to go to a different planet. For who knows how long. And now I have to go face Ryou who’s probably still ticked at me for not coming into work. Figure out a way to tell him we’re mated and engaged and without it getting too awkward. Especially when the second I say we’re mated he’s going to know exactly what I mean since he knows I was out with you all night.”

“Uh, Ichigo?” Kish interrupted hesitantly.

Ichigo spun to face him, “What!?”

“I think you just told him,” Kish said pointing over at Ryou who stood in the balcony doorway with his arms crossed and looking not too pleased.

Ichigo shrieked and there was a soft ‘poof.’ Where Ichigo had been standing, now stood a tiny black kitten.

“Well, that’s new,” Kish commented.

Chapter Text

Ryou pinched the bridge of his nose. “Actually, it’s not. She could always turn into a cat, but she can’t control it. It happens when she gets too overwhelmed and doesn’t know how to handle it all.”

Ichigo released a frustrated mew and pawed at Kish’s boot.

Looking down, Kish gently picked up Ichigo and tucked her into his arms. He softly trailed his hand over her ears, and she involuntarily purred at the sensation. Kish snickered, “Looks like you really are my kitten, Kitten.” Looking back to Ryou, “So if she can’t control it, how does she change back?”

“I kissed her,” Ryou stated flatly.

“Well, that’s not happening,” glared Kish.

“Wasn’t planning on it. She’s your problem now. A kiss should undo the transformation.”

Carefully, Kish brought Ichigo up to his face and placed a light peck to her furry lips.

A soft ‘poof’ and Ichigo once again stood before him, blushing with her head lowered. “Sorry,” she quietly mumbled.

Kish gently drew Ichigo into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. “It’s alright, Kitten. I should have realized how overwhelmed you were. You really haven’t had much time to process everything.” He stroked a hand down her back.

Ryou cleared his throat, “Back for not even a day and you’re already engaged. Moving a little fast, don’t ya think, alien boy?”

Before Kish could respond, Ichigo spun around and glared at Ryou. “Don’t you dare start on him. It was my choice as well. So, if you want to be mad, start with me. Kish has been nothing but a gentleman,” she snapped.

Kish couldn’t help but smirk as Ichigo defended him. She was just full of surprises today.

Ryou cocked an eyebrow, “Is that so? Then I must have misheard when you said you two had mated.”

Ichigo blushed scarlet. “Dammit, Ryou,” but Kish cut her off.

“Listen here you bastard. What we do is really none of your business. Ichigo’s old enough to make her own choices, and that just happens to be me. So, get over it,” he said wrapping an arm around Ichigo’s waist protectively.

Sighing, “You’re right. I accept it, though I don’t have to like it. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully accept you aliens. But I can acknowledge the help you three provided against Deep Blue. Just keep the lovey shit to a minimum around me.” Ryou wasn’t happy, but he did care about Ichigo, and her happiness meant a lot to him.

Kish couldn’t help the cocky remark, “Why? Jealous?” Kish had seen multiple times in the past the way he looked at Ichigo. Like he wanted her. And he should know, he had looked at Ichigo the same way more times than he could count.

Ryou glared at him, “Of you? Never, but…”

Ichigo cut him off. “Knock it off you two. You both better learn to play nice. Kish isn’t going anywhere, so deal. And I love him, and yes we’re getting married. And I was really hoping to have the wedding here because this place means a lot to me and it would be easier because, of well, how Kish looks. But if you’re going to be a complete ass, we can always figure something else out and not invite you.”

Ichigo was hurt. Even if Ryou was a complete jerk at times, she was really hoping that this would go well. Ryou was someone she considered close. He’d been like an older brother to her when she was confused and lost. Helping her figure out things, always being straight forward with his answers and advice. Even if he could be a snarky jack ass.

“Sorry, Kitten,” Kish whispered.

“Fine. I’ll try to be nice, but I wouldn’t expect much. And of course, you can have the wedding here. You may not believe it, but I do care about you. I’m sure Keiichiro would be thrilled to make the cake as well.” Ryou finally gave in.

“Cares a little too much,” Kish muttered under his breath.

Ichigo elbowed him in the side, “Can it.”

“Let’s go inside. Apparently we have a lot to discuss and I’d still like to know why you aliens are back after so long. Didn’t think we’d ever see you again. Or rather hoped we wouldn’t.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes and sighed, “I give up. Just don’t kill each other.” She stomped through the doors and headed down the stairs then down to the basement.

Ryou and Kish looked at one another. “For her, I’ll try. Truce?” Kish asked.

Ryou raised an eyebrow. “Fine. But I still don’t like you.” Ryou said offering his hand.

Taking it, Kish replied, “Feeling’s mutual.” They shook hands and headed after Ichigo.

“Thanks, love,” Ichigo said to Kish. She had been eavesdropping through her presence in Kish’s mind.

“Only for you, Kitten,” he replied.

Ryou hated to admit it, but Kish was actually impressing him. He never would have taken him to be an intellectual, but he had completely surprised him. They had joined Ichigo in their hidden lab and immediately Kish had become interested in both their technology and the research. Once the two had relaxed and started sharing ideas and information, they had fallen into an easy conversation.

Keiichiro had joined them shortly after and seeing how bored Ichigo was with all the science talk had brought her a slice of strawberry cheesecake. They spoke about Ichigo and Kish’s upcoming wedding while the other two geeked out. “Of course, I would be honored to make your cake as well as the hors d’oeuvres. How big and what kind did you have in mind?” he asked.

“Nothing too extravagant. It will just be the Mews, you two, my parents, Tart, and Kish and me. I kinda want to invite Masaya, but I don’t know how well Kish will take that. As for what kind, I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to Kish, but I have a feeling we’ll both want strawberries in it somehow,” she giggled.

Keiichiro smiled, “That doesn’t surprise me. And congratulations by the way. Though I must admit. I never would have seen this coming. Even without the whole trying to take over the planet, you two always fought like cats and dogs.”

Ichigo smiled, “Believe me, if you had told me back then that we’d end up getting married, I would of checked you into a mental hospital. After probably using you as a scratching post. But over the years, I thought a lot about everything he used to say and do. There were a lot of hidden emotions there that I was too young to see. And once I did see, things just fell into place. I guess a part of me always cared for him somewhat ‘cause when I saw him die, a piece of me broke. This last year without him hurt. But now, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.”

“I can’t imagine another moment without you either, Kitten,” Kish whispered softly in her mind.

“Stop eavesdropping and pay attention. Ryou’s asking you something,” she scolded.

He laughed and withdrew to focus on Ryou.

“I get it. You two went through a lot together. Strong bonds and feelings couldn’t be helped. And you have my support. I care about all you girls, and if he makes you happy, then I can care about him as well. I don’t have the blind hatred for the aliens like Ryou does, and Pai did sacrifice himself for me and the others. Just as Tart and Kish sacrificed theirs for you. But I think even Ryou’s coming around, but stubbornly. Look,” Keiichiro pointed to Kish and Ryou. Ichigo giggled.

The two were standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the large computer discussing and arguing back and forth over some data. They were both smiling and teasing one another. “You’re an idiot. This theorem is completely wrong. Here, let me show you,” Kish said as he entered some new information into the computer.

“Well, I’ll be damned. You’re not as dumb as you look, you pointy eared freak,” Ryou shot back.

“I’m smarter than you, you blonde bastard.” And so, it continued.

“I think Ryou just made a friend,” Ichigo laughed out loud. Both Kish and Ryou glanced at her with eyebrows raised. That only made her laugh harder.

Ryou glanced at Kish out the corner of his eye and crossed his arms, “Anyways, why did you come back after so long?” he asked Kish. Ichigo blushed.

“Ichigo?” Kish asked.

“Tell him whatever you want. It’s alright.”

Nodding, “Because of Ichigo. I felt her pain when she was having nightmares. I had chosen her to be my mate, so we had a mental connection, a bond. At least on my side. So, Tart and I came to make sure she was alright. Pai stayed behind to pick up our slack. See, we’re all on the ruling council of our planet, and he’s handling our share of the work for the time being,” Kish finished as he slid to Ichigo’s side and took her hand, his thumb running over her knuckles in comfort.

“Fascinating. I’d love to hear more about this bonding and mating custom. Learn more about your biology as well. Your customs and your planet life.” Ryou stated curious.

“Hey, I’m not a guinea pig for your research,” Kish bit out.

“I didn’t mean it like that. But now that you say that…”

“Ryou!” Ichigo shouted.

Ryou held his hands up, “Sorry. But honestly. Kish, I promise not to treat you like a lab rat, but I really would like to learn and study you. But only with what you’re comfortable with.”

Kish folded his arms behind his head and floated a few feet off the floor. “Fine. But only with what I feel comfortable with. And any and all findings stay with you. I don’t want our technology getting out. Your planet isn’t ready to handle half the knowledge I have. And anything relating to Ichigo and I needs her approval as well since it’s a private matter between us. If I say no to something, no pushing or forcing the matter.”

“Deal. How long are you staying?” Ryou asked.

“Just over a month. And the wedding is in one month, so nothing can interfere with that,” Kish answered.

“As much as I may want to, you have my word that I won’t do anything to interfere.”

“Then I’ll agree to your tests and answer what I can. Oh and Ichigo, if you want, you can invite the tree hugger. Just don’t expect me to be friendly. I’ve still got a few nasty scars from that bastard when he tried to kill me and I don’t mean just when he was Deep Blue.”

“I fought you too, you know,” she reminded.

“Yes, but I love you,” he winked.

Keiichiro spoke up, “How did you know she mentioned that?”

Kish tapped his temple, “She’s in here, just like I’m in hers. A part of our connection.” He had a smug, cocky grin as he revealed that information.

“Kish! What happened to asking me first before revealing anything about us?” Ichigo snapped.

“Ah, sorry, Kitten. Just kind of slipped out,” he said sheepishly.

“So, wait, you can read each other’s thoughts?” Ryou asked.

Kish looked at Ichigo. She threw up her hands. “Oh, go ahead. You’ve already let the cat out of the bag anyway. No reason to hold back now,” she pouted.

Taking Ichigo’s hand, Kish drew her over to a desk, and floated down to sit on the edge. He tugged her to stand between his knees, her back to him. He loosely circled her middle with his arms and spoke over her shoulder. “Yes and no,” he stated. “We can keep some thoughts private, but surface thoughts, yes, we generally share. Her because she’s terrible at shielding her mind, but at this point I don’t even think she’s trying or cares to hide her thoughts from me.”

Ichigo lightly elbowed him in the side.

He snickered, “Guess I’m right?”

“Shut it, mister know it all,” she huffed as she crossed her arms.

Laughing, he kissed her cheek. “Still so feisty. Anyways,” he continued when Ryou cleared his throat. “She can read most of mine because she’s managed to place a piece of her consciousness into my mind. I’ve allowed her to stay for the time being. So yes, we can read each other’s thoughts, but we do respect each other’s privacy.” “Usually,” he added just for Ichigo.

“I said I was sorry about that,” she grumbled.

“I know. I’m only teasing,” he said as he nipped her ear.

“And because of that, we can usually hear what’s being said to each other even when we aren’t around. But don’t worry. Like I said, if we need to, we can keep things private. So don’t always assume if you say something to one of us, the other will automatically know. That being said, we also don’t keep secrets. So if she ever straight asks me something, I will tell her.” Kish rested his chin on Ichigo’s shoulder.

“Wait, what do you mean she’s put a piece of herself in your mind?” Ryou asked. His scientific mind was racing with all this latest information, and he had so many questions.

“Don’t ask me, she did it. Just because she’s too damn curious for her own good,” he teased. “Pai would be better equipped to explain. Telepathy and most anything to do with the mind is his area of expertise. Though, my friend Skilek would give him a run for his money in telepathic strength. I’ll admit, they are both way more knowledgeable when it comes to this than me. I’m good with technology, combat, and the biology of infusers and predacites. Tart’s empathic and the top of his field in plant manipulation and research. It’s part of the reason we’re a team. Our abilities compliment each other, besides the fact that we’re family.” Kish explained.

“Absolutely fascinating,” Ryou exhaled. “I really can’t wait to pick your brain over the next few weeks. But it’s getting late. And if Ichigo yawns one more time I’m gonna snap. Ichigo, you can have tomorrow off. But I expect you here bright and early for work on Friday. And while she’s working, you and I can discuss things further and I can begin my tests, Kish.”

Kish sighed but nodded.

“Thanks Ryou. And uh… I know you told me not to, but uh… My mom thinks I’m staying here for the next few nights. But I’m going to be staying with Kish on his ship. So, if she calls, will you um… please cover for me?” Ichigo stuttered shyly.

“I swear, Ichigo. You are a pain in the ass. But because Kish is letting me sate my curiosity, I suppose I can continue to cover for you,” Ryou said, glaring at her.

“Thanks,” she squeaked.

“Just remember, I’m not a lab rat. I’ll let you ask your questions and run your tests, but you better treat me like a person. If I say no to something, you better respect it. We may not be enemies anymore, but I’m not a tamed animal.” Kish’s piercing amber eyes flicked to and held Ryou’s. His pupils narrowed to slits. “I will defend myself if need be. And this time I won’t be holding back.”

Ryou shifted uncomfortably under Kish’s sharp stare. The threat was clear. And Ryou would be a fool to not heed it. Kish was clearly no longer the hot-headed youth from years ago. Crossing his arms defensively, “Understood. And I won’t cross any lines you’re not comfortable with. I may be a scientist and be curious. But I’m not some monster.”

Kish simply nodded and slid his eyes back to Ichigo, all traces of darkness in his eyes replaced with his normal shimmer of mischief. “Come on, Kitten. Get your bag and let’s go. The blonde bastard’s right, I can feel how tired you are.”

Ichigo yawned and gathered her bag. “Thanks again Ryou, Keiichiro. I’ll see you both Friday.”

“Night Ichigo, Kish,” Keiichiro said. Ryou nodded to them both, arms still crossed.

“Night Blondie, and you too,” Kish said wrapping his arms around Ichigo and teleporting them both to his room aboard his ship.

Ichigo stumbled a little when they appeared in what must have been Kish’s room, but otherwise seemed alright after the teleportation. “I think I’m finally starting to get used to that,” she said proudly.

Kish smiled, “And faster than most. Took Tart nearly three days of regularly teleporting before he could even stand after.” He beamed in pride at his mate. She was so strong and had a knack for overcoming just about anything. “Uh… Ignore the mess. Wasn’t exactly expecting company anytime soon,” he said blushing.

Ichigo just shook her head, “Typical boy.”

“Man, thank you very much,” he corrected.

“Whatever,” she teased.

“Anyways, welcome to my room. Wow… That feels weird saying that to you. I always wanted to bring you here back then. Feels odd saying it now and actually seeing you here,” he said rubbing the back of his neck.

“Surprised you never tried to kidnap me and bring me here,” she said.

“Won’t say the thought never crossed my mind,” he admitted. “But by the time it did, I loved you too much to do that to you. Plus, it would have put you in danger from Pai and Tart. They may have tried to hurt or kill you. So, I couldn’t risk it.”

“See, I told you you have a heart and were never a monster. You could have easily kidnapped me whenever you wanted and forced me to be yours. But you never did. Because you cared about me. Such a dumb alien.” She kissed his cheek.

Kish rolled his eyes and folded his arms behind his head. “Only around you,” he winked.

“So, do I get the grand tour?” she asked with her hands on her hips after she had dropped her bag on the floor.

“Tomorrow. I’ll gladly show off my ship tomorrow,” he said looking her up and down. His eyes grew darker, the bright gold becoming warm honey. Reaching out, he began to slowly unzip her hoodie. “Right now, I want to fulfill my fantasy. I finally have you in my room.” Pushing her hoodie off her shoulders, he let it fall to the floor. He trailed a finger up her bare arm and toyed with the strap of her tank top. “And soon, in my bed. This room just so happens to be completely soundproof. I want to see how loud I can get you to scream my name. To hear you moan and scream it so much that your throat’s sore and my ears ache.”

Ichigo’s heart raced and goosebumps broke out along her skin from his touch. He looked at her like a predator sizing up their prey. His words made her stomach flip flop and her womanhood throb. He had barely touched her and she was already getting wet. She swallowed thickly. All traces of her earlier tiredness vanishing with his dark promises.

“Kish?” she squeaked when he stalked forwards a step.

His hands shifted to the bottom of her shirt, “Cute shirt by the way. Someone in mind when you bought it? Hmm?” His voice was low and teasing as he began to push her shirt up slowly.

“Maybe,” she blushed.

“I love that you’ve kept yourself wrapped in my color. Showing just who you belong to,” his tone was smooth and deep. When he pushed her shirt over her breasts cupped in black lace, he grinned. “So that’s what you were hiding behind that towel. Delicious,” he purred. Lifting her arms, she let Kish pull her shirt the rest of the way off and he dropped it to the floor. Lowering his head, he placed his mouth atop the swell of her right breast. “Always so full of surprises, Ich-i-go,” he said, placing a kiss after each syllable of her name.

She shivered at both his kisses and the sudden feel of his cool hands sliding around to cup her back. This felt different from their previous two encounters. The first time was full of gentle caresses as they learned each other’s bodies. Slow and passionate, gentle and loving. The second time had been soft yet quick. A need to satisfy their growing hunger for each other. But this. This was full of heat. His confidence made her knees weak. She felt like prey that he was toying with before he claimed her. He looked at her like he owned her. And in that moment, he did. She was completely at his mercy. When her eyes met his deep honey gaze, she knew she’d do anything he asked. She swallowed around her rapidly beating heart.

While his cool hands held her still and his mouth lavished kisses atop her still covered breasts, she suddenly remembered that she had hands as well. Bringing them up, she slid them under his vest, enjoying the feel of his cool, hard chest against her warm palms.

Kish nipped the top of her breast and snapped his fingers behind her back. His vest and undershirt disappeared from his body and fell to the floor behind him.

Ichigo’s hands flattened over his smooth skin. Slowly, she trailed a hand towards a nipple and gently tweaked it between her thumb and forefinger. Kish bit down in reaction. When she twisted it, he dragged his fang roughly over the sensitive flesh, drawing two beads of blood along the shallow scratch. Quickly, he lapped at her blood, letting the coppery flavor tingle on his tongue while sealing the small wound at the same time.

She hissed at the slight pain but was quickly soothed by his warm tongue. She loved pulling new reactions from him. It almost made her giddy as her own confidence soared. Heat licked along her skin as Kish slid his hands around her waist, following the top of her jeans. Finding the fastening at the front, he deftly unbuttoned her jeans before slowly sliding her zipper down. Hooking his thumbs into the belt loops at her sides, he tugged them down past the swell of her hips and let them fall to pool around her feet.

Toeing off her sneakers and socks, Ichigo pushed it all out of her way with her foot. As soon as she stepped free, Kish brought his right hand up and took her left. He raised their joined hands above her head, took a step back, and spun her around like an erotic dance partner until her back was to him. Aggressively, he yanked her back to him, her body pressed firmly along the long line of his. Releasing her hand, he wrapped his left arm around her chest, his hand palming her breast. His thumb brushed over her sensitive nipple through the rough lace, rubbing it to a stiff peak. Snapping the fingers of his right hand, his boots, leg wraps, and pants fell to a heap behind him. Pressing his palm to her abdomen, he pulled her harder against him, his thick erection pressed against the top curve of her round rear and into her lower back.

A warm tongue slid along the edge of Ichigo’s right ear. “Can you feel what you do to me? Seeing you like this in my room. Gods Ichigo. It’s my oldest fantasy. I’m going to fuck you against my bed til you beg me to stop. Then I’m going to make love to you in my bed until we’re both too exhausted to continue. I want your scent so drenched in my sheets that there will never be a doubt as to who my mate is.” His voice was soft, thick, and husky and coated in something dark.

Something that made Ichigo tremble. She arched against his body, craving his touch. His possessiveness caused something deep inside her to clench in need. When his right hand slid down and cupped her scorching heat through her panties, she couldn’t stop the deep moan that left her lips. She tilted her head to the side, exposing the line of her throat to his hungry lips.

“Mmm… Already so wet for me,” he growled against her neck as he pressed his fingers into her damp folds through her underwear.

She bit her lip. He’d always been possessive of her, but this was on a whole other level. And it was making her legs weak and her vision hazy. He was turning her on so completely and thoroughly that she felt as though she could catch fire at any moment. She reached her left arm up to bury in his hair and rested her other along his right arm, both gripping tightly to keep herself standing. His hand between her legs brought his name in the form of a soft moan from her lips. “Kish…” When the hand in his hair slid up further and cupped the back of his long ear, her thumb brushing along the bottom edge, Kish growled low and bit down over her mark. His fangs pressing deep into her flesh, just shy of breaking skin. “Kish!” she yelled, her arousal permeating the air around them.

Roughly, he shoved her forwards and she stumbled to his bed. Hands falling atop to brace herself as she leaned over it. He stalked his way to her, “Such an impatient kitten. I warned you about my ears. And, fuck, seeing you bent over my bed… Gods, you’re sexy.” His hands found the band of her panties and he quickly pulled them down her long legs. Kneeing her legs apart, he swiftly found her entrance and buried himself to the hilt in one hard thrust. Bracing himself with one hand on the bed and sliding the other under her bra to roughly knead her breast, he began to thrust fast and deep within her tight sheath.

Ichigo screamed his name when he entered her forcefully. But her screams quickly became moans as he ravished her. His hips were relentless as they pounded into her body. Fisting her hands in the covers, it was all she could do to brace herself, to keep herself upright, as he took her mercilessly. It was bordering on painful with how hard he took her, but Ichigo was in heaven. Her moans and cries of pleasure were the only sounds within his room besides the harsh connecting of their bodies.

Her legs were already beginning to tremble as he pushed her towards that cliff. The wound coil in her abdomen was burning, tightening, with every push and pull of his hips. His tongue caught a small bead of sweat that trickled down between her shoulder blades. “You’re mine, Ichigo. Always been mine,” he growled against her skin. His breaths were becoming pants as he slammed into her. His thick length bumping against her cervix.

She screamed his name again, that coil so close to snapping. Her arms and legs were shaking, working to keep her from collapsing. She wasn’t going to last much longer. But then again, neither was he.

Kish’s rough fingers plucked and twisted her overly stimulated nipple, bringing forth another round of deep moans. Her breathing fast and labored. Gods he loved the sounds she was making. And her body. It was beyond beautiful pressed against his bed as he claimed her. His muscles were starting to contract as he felt the rapid approach of his orgasm. Removing his hand from her aching and bruised breast, he gripped her hip hard, fingers digging into the flesh above her hip bone. He knew he was probably going to bruise her, but at the moment he didn’t care. It would just be one more mark proclaiming that she was his.

His need to own her completely pushed him onwards. He felt her body shudder and quake and knew she was almost there. His abdomen burned and clenched. With a hard thrust, he hit that sweet spot deep within her and she screamed his name and begged, “Kish, please!” He could feel her release trickle down her legs as she came around his swollen member. One final deep thrust and he found his own release, coating her womb with his seed. Her name fell from his lips in a deep throaty whisper.

Ichigo collapsed to her elbows, her head falling down to rest on her folded arms. “Fuck,” she managed to breathe out.

He stayed, braced above her, and buried deep. His hips and member still shuddering. “You can say that again,” he panted above her. “Fucking Abysses, Ichigo. Sorry if I hurt you, but damn. That felt amazing. You felt amazing. So sexy and so hot and tight… Just fuck,” he groaned. Slowly, he slid from her dripping sheath and their combined essences slid down her leg.

She gasped as she turned her face and rested her cheek atop his bed. Bringing her hands behind her back, she undid her bra, letting the straps fall down her arms before sliding it off and dropping it to the floor. “It hurt a bit, but also felt incredible. I think I just might love this possessive side of you. You’ve always been possessive, but that was just damn… I’m afraid to move. My legs feel like jelly,” she said as she tried to calm her breathing and her pounding heart.

Kish slid an arm under her middle and swept her into his arms, “That’s a dangerous thing to admit, Kitten. Because it would be my pleasure to constantly remind you that you belong to me. You’re mine Ichigo, forever,” he promised as he kissed her cheek.

Ichigo giggled, “No, what’s dangerous are those ears of yours.”

He chuckled, “I did warn you.” A smile slid across his lips. Carefully, he laid her on his bed and crawled in next to her, slipping under the covers.

She melted into the pillows, “This looks familiar.”

The bed was identical to the one they shared on the island. “Of course, it does. I based the other on this one. Told you I had always fantasized about having you in my bed. That was as close as I could come at the time,” he winked. He sprawled out on his side beside her, propped on his elbow. A long pale finger drew lazy circles along the side of her ribcage. “But you look even more beautiful here than I ever imagined,” he whispered.

“Kish!” she pouted. “You’re going to give me an ego if you keep up with those compliments.”

“It’s the truth, Kitten. You really are more beautiful than my dreams,” he smiled. Golden eyes flashed in the dimly lit room as they flicked up and down her body. She twisted her fingers in a forelock and drew his lips to hers. Their kiss was short but heated. His circling fingertips trailed down her side to trace random patterns over her thigh.

“Gods and Goddesses, I love you Ichigo,” he murmured when he finally pulled his lips away. He moved his hand up and over her thigh, his fingers brushing over her damp folds. He slid his finger easily into her slickened entrance. Their essences coating his hand. His thumb slipped back and forth over her glistening pearl.

“Kish,” she moaned softly.

He leaned up and ran the tip of his tongue along the shell of her ear, “I’m far from done with you, Kitten. I still plan on making love to you until we’re both exhausted. And I’m not even close to being tired.”

“Kish! You can’t be ready for another round already,” she whimpered.

“Alien, remember. My stamina greatly surpasses that of your weak human males,” he said with a cocky smirk.

She shuddered.

Sitting up beside her, he withdrew his hand and began to slowly unwind the wraps around his arms. “Close your eyes, Kitten,” he commanded. She looked at him skeptically but did as she was told. Swiftly, he brought her hands up above her head and using one of his arm wraps, bound her wrists together and tied them to the base of his headboard. Using the other wrap, he wound it over her eyes like a blindfold.

“Kish?” she questioned as she tugged at the bonds. They were tight enough that she couldn’t get free, but not painful.

“Shh, Kitten. Just enjoy as I pleasure what’s mine,” he purred, his voice dropping low seductively.

Crawling over her, he knelt between her knees and gently spread her legs. He brought his mouth down to her inner left thigh. Teasingly, he lapped at the glistening traces of their earlier orgasm. His own flavor mixed with hers and it made him grin darkly and his golden eyes flash with hunger. The taste of himself mixed with her only made her taste that much richer. Made his possessiveness grow, as it was just more proof that she was his. Following the slick trail up her thigh, he reached the source. Spreading her thighs wider, he rested his arms over her thighs as he lazily dragged his tongue between her dripping folds.

He moaned as their combined flavor coated his tongue. Dipping down, he lapped at her entrance, cleaning her, and savoring the taste. Her legs trembled and a breathless moan flew from her lips. When she was clean, he pushed his tongue as deeply as he could into her warm entrance. Her inner walls contracted around his tongue and he swirled and licked within her until he heard her panting above. He licked hard at the roof of her entrance then began rapidly darting his tongue in and out.

“Kish!” she cried, bucking her hips, and pulling at her bound wrists. His tongue was driving her insane. And being bound and blindfolded was frustrating her to no end. When he swirled his tongue deep within, her head fell back to the pillows and her abdominals contracted. But when he brought his thumb up to flick and rub over her swollen nub, she about lost her mind. He seemed to know exactly how to please her, to push her to that precipice.

“God, that tongue,” she panted. Her inner walls were clenching around his talented muscle.

He grinned against her as his mouth switched places with his hand. “I could say the same thing about how you taste, Kitten,” his voice was silky in her mind. Sealing his lips around her throbbing bud, he held it between his teeth as he flicked his warm tongue across it rapidly. At the same time, he pushed two fingers into her tight passage. Her hips bucked against him involuntarily at the stimulation. “Like that?” he asked cockily.

“Mm-hmm,” was all she could manage in response.

Pleased with her answer, he nipped at her clit. She hissed and sucked in a breath. He set a quick, but steady pace with his fingers, sliding them in and out. Her inner walls were starting to flutter as he drew her closer to that peak. Sealing his lips around her clit once again, he sucked hard at the same time he curled his fingers against that hidden button. Her reaction was instantaneous as her body clamped down around his fingers and she screamed his name, crashing over that cliff. He slowed his hand to let her ride out the aftershocks of her orgasm, his tongue teasingly circling her throbbing bud.

Ichigo panted as she fell from another heart racing orgasm. Her body shook and shuddered as he brought her back down to reality. She tugged harder at her bonds. She wanted to touch him, to pull him up to her. She felt him withdraw his hand and she whimpered at the loss of contact.

Dragging his mouth away from her reluctantly, he chuckled. “Don’t worry, Kitten. I’m far from finished. And I’ll never tire of hearing my name cross those beautiful lips when you cum for me.” Unknowingly, Ichigo darted the tip of her tongue out to moisten her dry lips in response.

Licking his fingers clean, Kish moved above her. He let the tip of his swollen member brush over her sensitive clit. She bit her lip. “Tell me what you want, Kitten,” his voice was soft and seductive once again.

She struggled again before relenting. “You, Kish. Please. I want to feel you inside me.” She begged shamelessly.

Kish smirked and pressed his tip to her entrance. “And who do you belong to?” he demanded.

“You. Only you…,” she whimpered.

“That’s right, Kitten. Me,” as the words left his lips, he slid himself deeply inside her, his hands pressed into the bed on either side of her body. Rocking his hips gently, he moved in and out slowly. Savoring the feel of her tight body wrapped around him.

Gradually, her hips moved with his, matching his movements as their bodies danced together. “Untie me, Kish. I want to touch you,” she begged.

“Not just yet, Kitten. I’m enjoying you being completely submissive for once,” he teased.

“Dammit, Kish!” she pouted, drawing out his name, but she relented and relaxed back.

“That’s it, mate,” he cooed. Reaching down, he hooked her left leg over his hip and quickened his pace slightly, pushing deeper.

Ichigo writhed against him, her lack of vision and touch enhancing all the sensations. He traced his fingertips up over her ribcage before gently cupping her breast. His mere touch igniting the inferno within her almost as strongly as where he pushed between her thighs. Gently, he ghosted his fingertips up and danced over her collarbone, coming up to brush along the smooth line of her bared throat.

Ichigo shuddered at his soft caress. There was something so intimate yet powerful in how his fingers wrapped delicately around her throat. She arched both her neck and body, pressing herself harder to him and giving him more access. A soft growl of appreciation left his lips.

Here again, she was showing how deeply she trusted him, and Kish reveled in the power he had over her and how she enthralled him. They had been enemies. Had tried to kill each other, and yet, he had his hand wrapped around her throat as he made love to her. His grip tightened just a fraction, his feather light touch becoming firm. She moaned in response. He could snap her neck if he so choose, she was that vulnerable beneath his touch. And yet, she was enjoying the control he had over her.

His hips had never stilled, and now he pressed deep, her body molding perfectly to his. They fit as though they were made for one another. Brushing his thumb over the hollow of her throat, he leaned down and drew his tongue across her mark. A gasp left her lips, and she circled her legs tightly around his waist. Her lush hips tilted to accommodate him even more as her movements matched his rhythm. Her hips meeting his in perfect unison.

Breaths became shallower as Ichigo fought to supply oxygen to her overly stimulated body. Kish’s touch not only ignited her skin, but also made her feel alive. Like heated electricity was coursing through her wherever they connected. Her body thrummed with the sensation. Squeezing her legs around him, she sought to increase their contact, intensifying that feeling.

Her hands struggled against her bonds, aching to touch him. But she was at his mercy. His hand at her throat caressed her so lovingly that it made her heart flutter, even as that deep seated pressure built higher within her core. It was both erotic and slightly frightening. She knew he would never harm her, but their history left that slight edge of danger. He was strong, fierce, intelligent, and dangerous. She’d experienced all sides of him, but that flash of danger thrilled and excited her. He could easily kill her, but instead, he licked at her mark. Bringing attention to the symbol of both his love and his ownership over her. She was his just as much as he was hers. The way he worshipped and caressed her body showed just how precious she was to him. When she felt his fangs glide over her mark, that coil came close to its breaking point. Her body was shuddering, and her inner walls were starting to clench.

Her body’s reactions were pushing him closer to that peak, and he knew he wouldn’t hold out much longer. Kish moved his hand from her throat to bury deep in her hair, his fingers twisting in the silken strands. Scraping his fangs over her skin, he aligned them carefully with his previous indents in her mate mark.

He pressed his body fully against hers, his larger frame pushing her down into the bed. He thrusted hard once, twice, then snapped his fangs into her flesh at the same time he thrusted as deep as he could. The head of his throbbing member slammed into her sweet spot and he held himself there, holding her body close. She shouted his name, shattering around him. Her walls clenching tight as she milked him for all he was worth. His warm release filling her deeply.

Her words were incoherent as she came down off that peak, pleasure and heat coursing through her system. The intensity of the orgasm shook her to the core. He made her feel indescribable and unbelievably satisfied.

Licking at his bite, he sealed it once again. Taking pride in the evidence of their bond. He nuzzled against her neck, “I love you, Ichigo.” His breath was warm against her skin and it made her pounding heart skip a beat.

“I love you too, but please, Kish. Untie me. I want to put my hands on you. To feel your skin beneath my fingers,” she whimpered.

He licked along the shell of her ear, “But Kitten, you look incredibly sexy all tied up in my bed. Let’s just say that another of my red books has come true.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes behind her blindfold, “I’m almost scared to see just how many red memories you have locked away within that perverted mind of yours.”

Kish snickered, “Would you like to see?”

Ichigo froze. “Are… Are you serious?” She barely managed to get the quiet words out. She had had to fight for even a glimpse behind his shields. And now he was offering to show her what lay at the deepest part of his mind.

He smirked as he undid her blindfold, “You’ve been a good Kitten tonight and deserve a reward. Besides, it’s only fair. You’ve shared yours and trusted me, it’s my turn to do the same. And I did promise. But just a glimpse. I aim to honor what I said earlier. I’m not done pleasuring you or sating my thirst for you just yet.” His lips captured hers as he undid her bonds, releasing her wrists.

To say Kish was impressed would be an understatement. The second he had released her, she had managed to effortlessly flip their positions so she now sat above him straddling his waist. And she had done it without losing their connection. He still remained buried within her.

He looked up at her in awe as she twined both her hands in his and held them pinned to either side of his head. Her aggressiveness was starting to reharden his soft member as she piqued his arousal. “Still so feisty, Kitten. And I know you can feel what that does to me,” he teased, shifting his hips up.

Ichigo squeaked and pressed her hips down hard, holding him still. “Later. I’m more interested in that mind of yours than your body right now,” she smirked.

“I don’t know whether to be flattered or hurt by that,” he pouted.

“Oh hush. Let me behind that locked door and I promise to make it worth the wait.” She slowly rolled her hips, drawing him out then in before stilling once more.

“Tease,” he growled.

“Only if I don’t follow through. Which I most definitely will,” she quoted him from earlier.

“Clever, Kitten. Very clever.” His pupils narrowed slightly at the determination set on her face. “Fine. Normally you’d need to make a connection with my mind first like I did with you. But since you’ve already got Kit up here, just close your eyes and follow the bridge she’s already made.”

“Kit?” she asked looking confused.

He grinned, “It’s what I call your little kitten inside my mind. She’s a little piece of my Kitten, so… Kit.” His grin widened as a smile slid across Ichigo’s face.

“Cute,” she teased.

“Anyways, close your eyes and follow her into my mind.”

Doing as he instructed, she closed her eyes and focused on his mind and the piece of herself that resided there. When she opened her eyes, she would have fallen if not for Kish’s strong arms around her middle. They were perched atop a narrow column that barely had enough space for the two of them. Looking around, she saw a couple other columns of varying heights some distance away. When she glanced down, she gripped onto Kish’s arm. They were incredibly high up and it momentarily made her vision swim.

“Careful, Kitten,” he whispered.

“What’s with the height? And is… Is that me?” she asked pointing to another column near them. There was a tiny pink kitten curled up on the pillar that had an ethereal look to it, like she could almost see through it.

“Yup. That’s Kit. She’s here because she’s your link to my mind. But now that the connection is established, you’ll be able to enter when you want, just like I can with you. As for the height… Sorry. You’re in my mind. And I can fly. This is where I retreat to when I’m thinking through things. I find it calming.” He held onto her hand as he stepped off the pillar and floated next to her. “But don’t worry, you won’t fall. It’s my mind so you can fly as well,” he winked.

“What?!” she asked with wide eyes.

He chuckled, “Just imagine the air is solid beneath your feet and step off. Watch. Kit!” He called to the pink kitten. It raised its head and leapt from the column. Running through the air, it came to Kish and nuzzled under his hand, floating in mid air next to him. Turning back to Ichigo, “See. She’s a part of you, and if she can do it, so can you.”

She looked at him skeptically. “You’ll catch me if I fall?” she asked hesitantly.

“Always,” Kish replied quickly.

Nervously, Ichigo stepped from the column, but kept a death grip on Kish’s hand. It felt like she was walking on pillows. There was a slight give, but she didn’t fall. Slowly she released his hand.

With a huge grin, Kish folded his legs and applauded her. “Having you here and being able to join me in flight is almost better than being able to share my thoughts and memories with you. Well done, Kitten.”

She blushed at his praise. “You make it look easy. And knowing you’re there for me kept me from being too scared to try. And I have technically flown before, but only with my powers and only for a short time. But this is amazing. I’ve always been a tad envious of your abilities. How do I… Well, be like you? Like be able to sit or move without stepping?”

He tapped his long finger to his chin in thought. “Here. This may help.” He snapped his fingers and she was suddenly in her Mew Mew costume. “You’ve flown before when you were a Mew so just relax and do it. Don’t think too hard.”

She forced herself to relax and willed herself to float up next to him. She giggled, “I did it!”

“Such a quick and clever kitten,” he praised.

“Only ‘cause of your help.”

Kish caught her eye and gave her a serious look. “As for being envious, well… Soon you may not have to be.”

“What do you mean by that?” Her face was full of confusion and a bit of worry.

“Well, now that we’re mated, you could possibly gain some of my abilities. See, another part of being fully mated is that the weaker of the pair grows in strength to better match their partner. Within my race, that usually means stamina or magical aptitude. It takes a lot of energy to maintain flight, teleport regularly, or manifest things. Not even counting our magical affinities. So when a pair mates, the weaker gains more stamina or stronger abilities so they can keep up with their mate. I’m not entirely sure what that means for us, which is why I haven’t said anything yet. And it was one more thing to add on top of everything else. I didn’t want to keep overwhelming you. But seeing how happy you are to fly, I couldn’t help but let you know that it may be a possibility. You’re already incredibly strong and can probably match my stamina. And I know you can match my magical stamina. I’ve seen that firsthand. But you lack my abilities. So it’s possible the mating will compensate and give you access to them. But don’t get your hopes up too high. As I said, I’m not entirely sure what will happen since you’re human. But the fact that you were able to place a mate mark on me as well is a good sign.” He drifted slightly away. He wasn’t sure how she would take this new information. It was more to pile on her.

Quickly, Ichigo shot to his side and wrapped her hand around his. She looked straight into his eyes, “Listen. I won’t say I’m still not a bit overwhelmed with everything and that this new possible change in me doesn’t make me a tad nervous. But it’s a good nervous. I’m kind of excited. I’ve already flown as a Mew Mew, so being able to fly when I want isn’t that big of a change. It’s just an upgrade. Plus being able to fly with you will be amazing if it happens. As for the rest, if that happens as well, then I know you’ll be by my side to help me. So, I’m not really worried. Maybe about making a fool of myself if I mess up, but not about the actual powers. It will be just another thing that connects us. Besides, I already have supernatural powers and am a freak by human standards, what’s a few more?” She winked.

“I swear, Kitten. Is there anything you can’t handle?” he said in awe of her once again.

“Being away from you,” she whispered.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. “Well, that’s never happening again, so nothing to worry about. Now come on, I do believe I promised to show my curious Kitten my locked inner mind.”

“Where is your door anyways?” she asked, looking around.

He pointed up over her shoulder, “Up there.”

Floating in mid air was a large metal electronic door that she could only liken to what she’d seen in sci-fi movies. It even had a hand scanner next to it. She then remembered how technologically advanced Kish’s race really was. She was on his spaceship after all. They both floated up and she waited for Kish to press the hand scanner. When he did, the door slid open with a hiss, and they floated through. Landing on their feet, Kish stood back and watched Ichigo’s reaction, for his inner mind worked slightly differently than hers.

Ichigo blinked. She had expected a library like hers, but that wasn’t even close to how Kish’s mind displayed his memories. There was a large machine like table before her that had a hologram of them flying displayed above it. Behind that was a monstrosity of a computer that would make Ryou drool with jealousy. The screen was large and flat. And below that was a control desk with more buttons, keys, and switches than she could count. To the left of the screen were various weapons that looked as though they had been dipped in black ink. To the right of the computer hung a collection of pearly white weapons, some with parts made of red gemstones.

One set in particular caught her eye. It was her bell and one of his sais. Her strawberry bell was hung with his sai going through the handle, blade down and behind the inner bell. The hilt of his sai overlapped the handle of her bell. They were both pearly white, but the inner bell looked to be made of rubies and the gem of his sai that was usually aquamarine, was now a ruby along with the black highlights that ran along the two outer prongs. Both weapons were also much bigger than their real counterparts. The weapons were beautiful and she couldn’t take her eyes off them.

Kish came up behind Ichigo and locked his hands behind his head. “That’s when we became mates,” he said softly.

“You mean since these weapons are all white, they represent your most treasured memories?”

“Yeah. Everyone’s mind creates its own unique way to display memories. Because I’m technologically adept and a born and bred fighter, my memories are displayed as files on that computer. But my darkest and most treasured memories are weapons. And most people naturally have their memories arranged chronologically, mine are set up kind of the same. The weapons closest to the computer are the oldest, moving to the most recent the further out you move.”

Glancing towards her right, she saw his sai mounted blades up with her bell hanging around the center prong like a charm. They were both completely made of ruby, but her tiny center bell and the gem of his sai looked to be made of pearl. Next, was just her bell completely made of pearl and looked to be truer in size. After that, was an almost identical set to the ruby one but with her bell being much larger than his sai. Moving further to her right were both his sais mounted at an angle, the tips of the center prongs crossed and draped over the tips was her bell again. And again, they looked to be completely made of rubies with pearl accents.

Kish followed her eyes and pointed at each in turn. “When we made love on the beach, when you said yes to marrying me, that’s when you fulfilled your fantasy in the shower, and the last one is of me fulfilling my fantasies with you in my bed.” He grinned after explaining the last weapon.

Ichigo rolled her eyes, “Why does it not surprise me that your most treasured memories are us having sex? Always a perverted alien right down to your core.”

Kish looked hurt. “They also happen to be memories of you. Of us sharing something special, but mostly because they are about you. You are the most precious thing in my life. I can’t help it if our most recent memories together also happen to be us making love.”

Shame raced through Ichigo and she placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry Kish. I shouldn’t have criticized. And I’m beyond happy that I’m at the center of those memories that you so cherish.” Kish glanced down at her, his lip twitching up into his smirk. Ichigo caught it and smacked his chest. “You damn alien. You actually had me feeling bad. You do cherish them because we’re having sex,” she hissed.

Kish rubbed his chest. “What I said is true, but yes, the fact that we’re having sex in them makes them that much more special to me.”

Ichigo just shook her head. “Pervert,” she muttered.

“And yet you love me anyways,” he teased.

She sighed and walked back to the computer glancing at the other weapons along the way. She saw her bell again, but this time it was only about the size of her fist and completely white. She glanced back at Kish.

“That’s the day we met,” he supplied.

She was shocked. She didn’t think that would be a treasured memory because there weren’t any real feelings tied between them at that point.

Seeing her confusion, Kish came to her side. “I told you; I liked you from the moment we met. I don’t just go around kissing anyone ya know,” he smirked.

“Part of me wants to seriously doubt that.” She gave him a grin of her own.

“You wound me, Kitten,” he said, clutching his chest dramatically.

A pair of large pearly curved daggers caught her eye near the computer. Seeing what she was looking at, Kish sighed. “Those are my father’s spirit weapons. That was the first time I managed to land a hit on him in one of our sparring matches. He was so proud of me. One of the first times I heard him laugh.”

“I’m sorry, Kish.” Her voice was soft. She knew that while it was cherished, the memory also had to be incredibly painful.

Sighing, “Don’t be Kitten. I want to share these with you. Share my life with you. And when I left Earth, I carried a new respect for my father. He was no longer a traitor in my eyes. I could finally see and understand his point of view. Seeing how caring and how willing you Mew Mews were to sacrifice yourselves for others, showed me just how wrong we were to ever try to destroy you all. We were the selfish ones, not you humans.”

Ichigo wore a sad smile, “You really did grow up those four years. And really have changed. But you’re also still my Kish. Hot headed, cocky, perverted, and arrogant. And yet now more understanding, caring, gentle, wiser, and more willing to use his brains instead of letting your emotions rule you.” She was serious but also lightly teasing.

“Gee, thanks, Kitten,” he said folding his legs in mid air and leaning back, his arms back behind his head.

“That was a compliment actually,” she pouted. “I’m glad you haven’t changed too much, because the emotional, possessive Kish is who I originally fell in love with. But I’m also deeply in love with who you are now.”

Kish blushed, “I love you too.”

Moving past the large computer, Ichigo looked over the inky black weapons. A large sword caught her eye. She recognized the blade almost immediately, even though it looked like it had been dipped in dull black paint.

Kish had floated along beside her, and the scar on his abdomen twinged when he realized what held her attention. Absentmindedly, he rubbed at the scar. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed, but yeah, that’s when Deep Blue killed me. Not exactly a fond memory.”

“I’m sorry Kish. That was all my fault. You died trying to protect me and I just sat there unable to do anything. If I had been stronger, I may have been able to help so you never would have had to suffer through that,” she sniffed. Tears were glistening in her eyes.

Kish immediately stood and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s alright, Kitten. You aren’t to blame at all. I made my own choice and knew the risks. Besides, if I had managed to kill Deep Blue, I don’t think we’d be here together now.”

She looked up at him, confusion clear in her watery eyes.

He swallowed thickly and elaborated. “He was still technically Masaya, who you still deeply loved. I don’t think you would have ever been able to forgive me.”

Ichigo blinked. For him to say something like that must have been incredibly difficult. And not only that, but he had actually used Masaya’s name. The very first that she could recount him ever doing. “Oh, Kish. I’m so sorry for all I put you through. And even more sorry because you’re probably right. And that kills me, because I don’t even want to think of a life without you. I’ve been happier these last twenty-four hours than I have in years, and that includes a lot of the time I was with Masaya. While I did love him, you complete me in a way he never did. The other half to my coin.”

“You don’t ever have to think of a life without me because I’m not going anywhere. You’ve made me happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.” His eyes were soft as he stared at her.

Ichigo glanced back at the wall of black weapons. There had been something else that she had noticed. It was her Mew Aqua Rod, small and completely black. It confused her. She glanced back at Kish.

He shook his head. “Leave that one alone, Kitten.” His eyes held something strange, something dark.

Something she didn’t recognize. Then it dawned on her. It was despair. “Kish?”

“I said leave it. All I’ll say is that that’s right after I was resurrected, and we left.”

Her curiosity was getting the better of her. Before he could stop her, she had reached out and touched the weapon.

Instantly she was transported to after the final fight with Deep Blue. She was looking through Kish’s eyes. He was staring at her limp body held tightly in Masaya’s arms. The three stood to the side, away from the others. Heartbreak and despair rolled through Kish as he realized that even though he had given up his life for her, she would never choose him. Slowly. Carefully. Kish reached out to Ichigo.

Masaya took a step back. “Don’t you touch her. You’ve done enough. Keep your filthy hands off her.”

“I just want to hold her one last time. Have a moment to say goodbye.” She heard Kish say.

“Absolutely not. I don’t trust you with her,” Masaya shouted.

Kish recoiled and Ichigo could feel a tear slide down his face. Kish’s hand fell to his side. ‘I love you,’ he had thought before stepping away. ‘Goodbye mate.’ Ichigo felt tears welling in his eyes as his heart shattered. He would probably never see her again and he couldn’t even touch her one last time. Couldn’t even tell her goodbye.

Kish had then raised eyes full of hate and jealousy and locked them with Masaya. “You don’t deserve her.” His voice was low. Flat.

“And you do?” Masaya accused.

“Probably not. But I never lied to her about who I was. I never lied to her period.”

Masaya glared at Kish. “It was for her own protection. She should never have learned that I was the Blue Knight. But you couldn’t stop pushing. Couldn’t stop trying to take what was mine. I had to step in. And you say you didn’t lie. When I know. I was Deep Blue. I was in your mind. She was never your toy.”

Shock raced through Kish. “Bastard. I wish I’d killed you. But it would have hurt her too much. You only love her because it was what Deep Blue wanted.”

Masaya’s eyes narrowed. “Leave, Kish. Take the Mew Aqua and leave. Go restore your planet. Forget about her and your people will never have to know that you betrayed them for a love that could never be.” Masaya’s voice was cold. Colder than Ichigo had ever heard it.

Anger flared within Kish. A sharp pain pricked her palms. She realized Kish had clenched his fists so tightly he’d dug his nails into his hands. “You think I care about that? For her, I’d step away from my people and never look back. And you know I’ll never forget about her. You know what she is to me. But I will leave. But not for you. Never anything for you. Only for her. She made her choice, so I’ll leave so she can be happy.”

The memory was ripped away as Kish yanked Ichigo away from the wall of weapons. “Dammit, Ichigo! You and your blasted curiosity. It would have been better if you’d never have seen that.” Kish’s eyes were glittering intensely. A swirl of anger and sadness warred within them.

Anger blazed in Ichigo’s own eyes. She was livid. “I can’t believe him! You had just given your life for me and he couldn’t even let you say goodbye. And what the hell did you mean he only loved me because it was what Deep Blue wanted?” Her emotions were all over the place, but anger burned the brightest. Her tail twitched in agitation behind her as she paced in front of Kish. He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. “Don’t you dare try to calm me down. Not until after you’ve explained.”

Kish crossed his legs as he floated near Ichigo. Frustration was clear on his face, masking the anger and sadness at that moment. A hand ran through his hair in exasperation. His eyes flicked back and forth as he tried to piece together the best way to explain. His voice was sharp when he spoke. “Did you never wonder why Deep Blue’s host just so happened to be the leader of the Mew Mew’s boyfriend?”

Ichigo narrowed her eyes. “The thought crossed my mind a few times.” Her eyes widened. “Are you saying he was chosen because he was my boyfriend?”

Kish sighed. “Yes and no. Masaya fell in love with you because it was what Deep Blue wanted. Deep Blue was counting on you not being able to raise a hand to your lover. But what Deep Blue didn’t count on was Masaya actually falling for you himself. Whether it was real or just the remnants of Deep Blue’s mind control, I don’t know. But the fact was that you both loved each other so much that you were willing to sacrifice everything to save each other. It was Deep Blue’s downfall.”

His mouth was set in a hard line. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be talking about his mate’s past love. Even if he had been around to witness most of it. It still hurt. And it hurt knowing how much pain she had to be in as she questioned whether Masaya’s love had ever been real in the first place.

‘Maybe that was why it was so easy for us to drift apart. He had never genuinely loved me in the first place,’ she thought. Her thoughts echoing Kish’s concerns. It had just been Deep Blue’s mind control. “Did you know? That Masaya was Deep Blue all along?”

Kish cringed. “Not in the beginning, but later on yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I couldn’t. I was being watched closely at that point. It was hard enough trying not to hurt you. I couldn’t give away secrets that weren’t mine to give. I tried to warn you though. So many times, I tried to warn you about Deep Blue and the pain he would cause.”

Ichigo spun on Kish. “That actually reminds me of something I wondered a while ago. If you were in love with me, why didn’t you just deflect to our side?”

Kish bit his lip. His eyes lowered to the ground. “I’ve told you why. I couldn’t just abandon my people. I had to do something. Not to mention Pai and Tart were, are, my family. I couldn’t just turn my back on them. I didn’t want to hurt them. And you’d made it pretty clear that I wasn’t wanted. I wasn’t a complete fool back then. I may have been desperately in love with you, but to put my life in your hands and the lives of my people and family. That’s asking a lot. But even saying that, if you had asked, I would have. But again, you made it clear I wasn’t wanted. But as Deep Blue became more powerful, the choice was removed. You heard Masaya, he was in my head. It took everything I had to try and keep my feelings buried. Both my love and my traitorous thoughts. Deep Blue could have killed me easily enough if the lies or deceptions had been too great. As it was, I was skating on thin ice in the end. He began to suspect everything. It was why I asked you so many times to run away with me. I was scared I wouldn’t be able to protect you or myself anymore.”

Stepping closer to him, Ichigo reached out and brushed Kish’s bangs aside, letting her eyes search his. She could still see anger, frustration, and sadness clearly. But under all that was fear. A deep-seated fear that she would hate him for this. That she would blame him for not joining her side in the first place. For not putting his trust in her back then. Or even for Masaya’s part in everything. Ichigo released a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.

“I’m not mad at you. Not in the least. I’m mad at Deep Blue and at Masaya. But not you. It was just something I had wondered about. But you’re right. And I couldn’t possibly imagine how hard it must have been to skirt that line. To hide right under the nose of your own God. The amount of fear and pressure you must have dealt with every day. And from both sides. Then to throw love into the mix. No wonder you were a bit insane.”

The soft smile that appeared on her lips drew Kish’s attention. Reaching out, Kish threaded his fingers through hers. “You’re really not upset with me?”

“Nope. I’m mad for you. What Masaya did is unforgiveable. Even if we had been enemies. What you had just gone through and for me, and for him to treat you like that. I’m beyond pissed at him. And the next time I talk to that ex of mine I’m going to rip him a new one. Because whether you believe this or not, if I had been awake and you had asked for a moment alone, I would have granted it to you. Even at the time it had hurt seeing the light fading from your eyes. I would have gladly given you a goodbye hug at the very least. Though I know you, you would have tried to steal a kiss.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

Finally, his smirk started to slip over his lips. “You’re probably not wrong.” He winked. “I don’t think you’ll ever stop amazing me. Each time you do or say something, I think ‘That’s it. I’ve seen all she is, and I can’t possibly love her anymore.’ Then you prove me wrong over and over. My love for you just keeps growing and you surpass my expectations each and every time. I’ve said it before, but I really don’t deserve you, Ichigo.” He slipped a knuckle under her chin and tilted her face up. Glittering gold met shimmering chocolate for a split second before he captured her lips. He poured his love for her into the kiss while he slid the hand under her chin deep into her hair. His other hand was splayed wide against her lower back, pushing her flush along his body.

After a moment or two, he finally pulled away, and placed another quick peck to her lips, “Come on, I still haven’t shown you what originally piqued your interest.” He took her hand and tugged her in front of the large computer.

“Huh?” She was confused.

“Already forgotten, my curious kitten? I do believe I offered to show you just how many red memories I hold about you,” he grinned smugly.

She blushed, “Oh yeah.”

He chuckled at her pink cheeks as he clicked away at the large keyboard. “Considering you’re about to see just how often I fantasized about you, pretty sure I should be the one blushing.”

“Maybe, but I can’t help it when I know they’re about me. Besides, you have no shame,” she smirked.

“You might be mostly right, but only when it comes to you because I love you so much.”

A large pink file appeared on the computer screen. Before he clicked it, “No judging. I was alone for four years with only my thoughts of you to get me through some nights. And deeply in love with you for even longer. And as you so enjoy pointing out, I may be a bit perverted.”

“A bit?” she teased, crossing her arms.

“Okay, maybe more than a bit. You were warned,” he smirked as he clicked on her file. As the large screen displayed the hundreds of memories revolving around her, he couldn’t stop the slight blush that dusted his cheeks. Maybe he did have some shame after all.

A gasp escaped her lips as her arms fell to her sides. The majority of the icons were hued pink. Some had whisps of black or white threaded through them, but mostly they were a solid shade of pink. But what made her gasp and her jaw drop, was that at least a third, possibly more, were tinted a very deep red. Many were scattered through what she figured was the year they spent fighting, but the last four years contained almost all solid red files. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he’d thought about her a lot.

Reaching over, he tapped under her chin, closing her mouth with a click. “Well?...” he trailed off.

Her blush deepened ten-fold as she snapped back to reality. “I’m currently damning my curiosity because part of me is dying to know just what the hell you’ve been imagining about us, but I’m also scared to death of the answers especially with how many there are.”

He laughed, “I did warn you. And we have plenty of time to explore those files together. And I hope to see each and everyone come true.” He laughed harder when he saw her wide-eyed face. “Don’t be so scared, Kitten. A lot of them are repeats. They aren’t all a different fantasy. But it is almost five years’ worth of dreams. We’ve already begun checking them off,” he winked.

Ichigo gulped. “There’s just so many. You really are my perverted alien, aren’t you?” She finally smiled.

“Yup. And we’ve already established you enjoy my pervertedness and flirtatious nature. Besides, I can already see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of yours. Like I said, we have lots of time to make up those years of separation. And you can try to deny it all you want, but I know you’re looking forwards to fulfilling both our fantasies probably just as much as me.”

She licked her lips as her eyes trailed back over the files on screen, “Maybe…”

“Uh-huh,” he chuckled, clicking a button that closed out the file. Taking her hand, he pulled her towards the doorway, “Now there’s one more promise I aim to keep before I let you rest. I still haven’t exhausted that delicious body of yours to the point of collapse. Nor are my ears hurting from your repeated screams. It’s time to fix that.” His smirk shifted to something darker, a touch more seductive and his golden eyes shimmered. With a firm shove, he pushed her out the door and gently nudged her out of his mind.

A squeak left Ichigo’s mouth as she found herself in a free fall for a split second before returning to her own mind. Blinking her eyes, she refocused on her incredibly sexy mate beneath her. He was gazing up at her with those molten honey eyes that made her weak in the knees. But she wasn’t backing down. She held him down firmly and rotated her hips teasingly, for he was still seated within her.

“Kitten,” he growled and tried to free his hands.

She pushed down harder, her nails biting slightly into the backs of his hands. Leaning close to the inner curve of his ear, she placed her lips a mere hair’s breadth from his sensitive skin. She whispered, “My turn.”

Arousal shot through his system. His member quickly swelled to his full size.

Keeping him trapped against the bed, Ichigo set a slow smooth pace with her hips. When his hips matched hers then tried to lead her and set the pace he wanted, she stilled. Shaking her head, “Uh-uh. I told you, it’s my turn.”

“Dammit, Kitten,” he hissed.

She rocked her hips hard, grinding them down. “Show me just how good your control has gotten. If you can manage to let me stay in control and can keep your hands to yourself until I say, then I’ll let you do whatever you want to me next time. Within reason of course. However, if you can’t, then I get to be completely in control. Meaning, you’ll be the one tied up and at my mercy.” She licked her lips, “A win-win really.”

Biting his lip, his eye lids partially lowered as he gazed up at her. “You’re playing with fire, Kitten.” His voice was gravelly and thick with need.

“Scared to accept the challenge?” she snipped, rolling her hips back until he nearly slipped from her then slamming back down.

He hissed and squeezed her hands tightly. “You should know better than that, Ich-i-go. Challenge accepted,” he said, drawing her name out. “But I promise I’ll win, and remember, almost five years’ worth of fantasies to choose from. And I can be very creative,” his voice lowered, sounding almost threatening.

Ichigo shuddered. Hesitantly, she released his hands and placed hers on his chest for support.

Blood running hot, Kish grinned wickedly and folded his arms behind his head. The tip of his tongue snaked out and slid over a glistening fang. “Your move, Kitten.”

‘God he has a knack for making my blood boil,’ she thought. She couldn’t tell if she was more pissed off at his easy arrogance or turned on by his challenge. Either way, she was going to enjoy this.

She had an ace up her sleeve that would ensure her victory, however, she was almost interested enough to let him win just to see what he may have in store for her. Licking her lips, Ichigo put her first plan in motion, because let’s face it, she’d never allowed him to win before, so why start now? At the very least, she was going to make him work for the win.

Grinding her hips hard but slowly, she set a steady rhythm. She flexed her hands on his chest, letting her sharp nails dig slightly into his cool flesh. Slowly, she began to drag them down his pale skin in random patterns, pressing hard enough to leave faint red trails in their wake. When she crossed over his stomach, she saw his abdominals clench. But that infuriating cocky grin hadn’t cracked even a millimeter. He just continued to watch her through hooded eyes. It was time to up her game.

Dragging her nails along his sides, she scraped over his hip bones and arched her back, giving him a wonderful view of her heaving breasts. Arching further, she placed her left hand on his thigh behind her, her nails prickling over his skin. Her other hand dragged up her thigh and continued over her body until she cupped her breast.

Gently, she squeezed and kneaded the soft globe. Her thumb and forefinger tweaking and tugging her nipple. A deep moan reverberated from the back of her throat. Her hips hadn’t stopped for a moment, continuing the slow sensual undulations of push and pull. When she slid her hand down from her breast and over her belly button, she watched him through the slits of her eyes. Finally, a reaction.

She saw his eyes widen just barely as her fingertips brushed over her swollen bud. As sharply arched as she was, he had the perfect view as she stroked herself. Watching him intently, she saw the barely perceptible flex in his shoulders and arm muscles. Small, but the cracks in his defenses were beginning to show. But when she shifted her hand so as she touched herself, her nails would brush along his delicate skin where he disappeared within her, she heard him gasp and close his eyes. She could almost hear his heart pounding over her own thundering in her ears.

Kish sucked in a breath and bit his lip. ‘The All Bright, help me,’ he thought. His Kitten was pushing every single one of his buttons. Hands clenched tightly behind his head, he desperately ached to touch her. Watching as she pleasured herself while riding him was taking every ounce of control he had not to pin her down and push her screaming over that cliff. But when he felt her ghost her nails over his swollen member, his control almost snapped.

“Fucking Abyss, Ichigo. Not gonna go easy on me are ya?” he groaned as he began to pant. The strain from trying to stay in control along with his intense arousal at his beyond sexy kitten was starting to take its toll.

Her hips ground down harder in satisfaction and her nails pressed slightly rougher. “Going easy was your thing, remember. I always gave it my all and never backed down to you,” her voice was sharp but coated in breathless pants. She was fast approaching that peak, but her fingers or hips never slowed.

His arms were tensely locked as he fought to restrain himself. Her little show was pushing him to that edge rapidly and he wasn’t sure what would snap first. His control or that coil deep in his abdomen.

Moments before her peak, she fell atop his chest, a hand flat on his sternum to brace herself. She craned her neck to bring her lips to his ear. “Let go,” she moaned, then licked along his ear’s hollow.

Almost instantly, he flipped her to her back and pinning her down, pounded into her. Sweat beaded on his brow and trickled down his spine. Both their bodies glistening in the dim lighting of his room. Both hearts thundering in their chests. It only took a few powerful thrusts to have them both moaning their release.

Collapsing atop her, Kish was loathe to move. His entire body was exhausted, and his arms ached from being tense for so long.

Ichigo carefully gathered his hair, freeing it from where it stuck to his sweat dampened neck and shoulders. Sliding off his hair tie, she gently rebound his hair, collecting all the loose strands that had come free. She had to focus on something as she fought to steady her breathing and calm her racing heart.

Kish groaned as he pushed himself up, finally finding a tiny bit of strength and energy. Sliding out of her, he flopped to his back beside her. Flinging his arm over his eyes, he groaned softly. “I concede. You won that round, Kitten.” His heart was still pounding in his ears as he came down from his intense pleasure high.

Ichigo pressed along his side and nipped his shoulder. Getting the hint, he lifted his arm so she could slip under it and nestle her head in the crook of his shoulder. As he wrapped his arm along her back and rested his hand in the curve of her hip, she spoke. “You held out until I said, so that means you’re the winner, love.”

He eyed her from the corner of his eye. “We both know if you had licked my ear before you said anything, I never would have held out.”

She traced idle patterns across his chest. “A draw then?”

He smiled and captured her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he placed a kiss to her palm. “I can live with that, even if you said you’d never let me win.”

She nipped the side of his chest then soothed the bite with her tongue. “A draw doesn’t mean I let you win.” She winked. “And I can’t let you have all the fun. I think we both won, anyways. And you kept your word, not sure about you, but I’m exhausted.”

He chuckled and rested her hand over his heart, his still clasped atop. “If we both win, who’s fantasy do we get to fulfill next time? And you’re right. I hate to admit it, but I’m spent. You managed to wear me out, Kitten. Though my ears aren’t aching from your screams. But one is still twitching from that tongue of yours.”

Giggling, “Guess we’ll just have to flip a coin. After all, two sides…”

“Same coin,” he finished for her. He grinned, “You really are my soul mate, Kitten.”

She nuzzled closer. “And I’m starting to believe you’re mine. I love you, Kish.”

“I love you too, Kitten.” Keeping her tucked against his side, he used his foot to kick up the covers and pulled them over their bodies. Releasing her hand for a moment, he snapped his fingers, turning out the lights. Bathed in darkness, his hand clasped hers once again. Breathing deep, he smiled. His sheets smelled deeply of both their scents and their love making.

Closing his eyes, Kish jumped in his own skin. He was in his mind and Ichigo was sitting atop one of the columns, her legs swinging freely. “Dammit, Ichigo. This is starting to become a thing. You slipping into my mind without me noticing.”

She blushed, “Sorry, love. It just sort of happened. I closed my eyes while thinking of you and found myself here. Figured I’d just wait til you showed up. And though I know I’m technically asleep, it’s kind of amazing that I can spend a little bit longer with you in our minds. So, I definitely think I want this to become a thing.”

He shook his head but couldn’t help but smile. Floating over, he settled down next to her. “Well, I can’t argue with that. So did you actually want to talk about something, or could you just not resist me?”

She smacked his arm, “Like I said, it just happened. But now that you mention it, yeah, there is. But uh… First can you fix this…” she trailed off as she motioned between them blushing.

He rolled his eyes, “Really, Kitten? After all that, being naked like this still makes you blush?”

“Virgin less than twenty-four hours ago, remember. You may be experienced with all this, but I’m still getting used to it,” she huffed.

He stared at her for a moment and cocked his head. He snapped his fingers and she was back in her black lace underwear and he in the deep green sweat pants. She cocked an eyebrow. “What? You find me sexy in these and I think you look incredibly sexy in that, fair is fair. And listen, Ichigo. I think there’s something I never made clear. I was a virgin as well.”

Ichigo’s jaw dropped. “But… But you’re so confident, and seem to know exactly what you’re doing. Not to mention all that talk back then about how popular you were with the ladies. I just assumed you had experience.”

Kish grinned and shook his head, “Thanks for the compliment. And yes I was, still am actually. None of those girls were ever worth my time though. And after I met you, I only wanted you.”

“I’m afraid to ask, but what all did you do before me?” she asked nervously.

Sighing, “I’ll tell you, but only if you really want to know.”

She thought about it. “Yes. I want to know, but I don’t need details. And umm… with how many?”

Kish leaned back on his hands, his amber eyes flicking back and forth as though looking through the pages of a book. “Everything except for sex and somewhere around twenty girls. But I was a bit cold and cruel.”

“How so?” she asked glancing over at him.

His eyes flicked to hers. “Like I said, those girls were never worth my time, but they were always throwing themselves at me. And you know how twisted, perverted, and aggressive I can be. So… I used them for my own satisfaction. However, it quickly got out that if we did anything below the waist, I’d never touch that girl again. I didn’t want them getting attached because I really wasn’t interested. But I was extremely attractive and a highly sought-after catch, so many were still willing to take the chance and hope I’d choose them. So, I’d let them pleasure me or I’d pleasure them if the mood struck me. And I’ll admit, I’m a horrible flirt, but I always made it clear that if we did anything, there wouldn’t be another time. I wouldn’t even flirt with those girls again. But they kept trying for their chance to possibly catch my interest. Obviously, that never happened.”

He took a deep breath. His sexual past wasn’t something he was particularly proud of, but he didn’t regret it either. He may act all cool and confident, but revealing those secrets to Ichigo did feel a bit awkward and shameful. But, once again, she surprised him.

“I think I kinda understand and I don’t think you were being cruel. You were clear with your intentions up front. If they chose to ignore them in hopes of winning you over, that’s on them. Though I admit, I am a tad jealous I wasn’t your first at everything, even if I did have some experience. Not much mind you, but some. And I was your first, which makes me feel incredibly special and happy, even if it does shock me.” She was being completely truthful. It did shock her that he had been a virgin, but she was happy.

Staring at her incredulously, he finally spoke. “I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but I’ll thank the All Bright for the rest of my life for whatever it was. I’ll never be able to tell you enough how much I love you.”

A full genuine smile lit up her face, “I love you too. And I guess that explains some of your confidence, but I still don’t know how you’re so damn amazing at sex if I’m your first.”

“Says the girl who just took control and thoroughly tortured me with that body of yours while riding me,” he smirked.

“That’s because of you. You’ve always made me feel more confident, more sure about myself. Even when we were younger. I always felt I could be myself around you without fear of being judged or looked down on. In a way, you always made me feel special, even when you were annoying the living hell out of me.” Her cheeks were warm with the return of her blush.

“And there’s your answer,” he said. “I’ve always been cocky and arrogant, but it’s worse around you because I constantly want to impress you. I also want to make you happy. So, I’m always thinking of how to do that. It doesn’t hurt that I get glimpses into your mind so at times I know exactly what you want or need which can make pleasuring you easier. But I also enjoy pleasuring you. So, I aim to do a good job.” He flashed his fangs as he smiled wide.

“Well, I can certainly say without a doubt, you do an amazing job,” she winked.

He laughed, “Thanks, Kitten. And for someone without any real experience, I assure you, you’re incredible.”

She grinned as she crawled into his lap, straddling his waist, “Since you’re in a sharing mood, there’s something else I’ve been wondering.”

“Ever the curious kitten. Ask and if I can, I’ll answer,” he smiled up at her as he laid back on his folded arms.

“You’ve brought it up a couple of times, and I’ve noticed a few, but only one I’m sure of how you got. But, well, which of your scars are from me?” She looked down as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap.

He gazed at her through the slits of his eyelids. He could tell she was nervous about asking as she hid behind her bangs. Other than the one she mentioned, his scars didn’t really bother him. But he could understand her awkwardness. She had personally inflicted some of them.

Raising back up on his left hand, he took one of hers in his right. Bringing their hands to his abdomen, he trailed their fingers along the long pinkish scar that bisected his abdominals. Her eyes followed their hands as he spoke, “As I know you’re well aware, this one is from Deep Blue from that night, and probably the only scar I have that I wish I didn’t. Its partner runs along my spine. Probably the most painful as well. That hurt like a son of a bitch.”

He slid her hand down to the bottom right side of his ribcage. “Not a scar you can see, but you broke at least two ribs when I didn’t dodge fast enough after trying to grab you. Took the heel of your boot to the side, cracking them. Got a heck of a kick, Kitten.”

He brought her hand up over his left shoulder and pressed her fingers into the jagged scar next to his shoulder blade. “That’s courtesy of the Birdie. One of her arrows hit my shoulder. Little brat shot me in the back when I was trying to play with you,” he smirked. Shifting her hand to his left cheek, “They’re faint, but they’re the first scars you ever gave me. The second time we met, you scratched my cheek when I asked for another kiss. Also, the first time I ever felt those claws of yours.”

Ichigo smiled, “I remember that day. You cornered me against a tree when I was on my first date with Masaya and threatened to tell him about us. Even though there was no us. Then you had the nerve to ask for another kiss after you had stolen the first. Which just so happened to be my very first.”

“Guess we made an impression on each other since you remember that so clearly. Hmm? And what can I say? I already knew I wanted you. And you were and still are so cute when riled up.” Golden eyes flicked her up and down and his fang slid over his lip.

She rolled her eyes.

Moving her hand up to a thick gash that ran below his left collar bone and into the top of his chest. “That one was a gift from that damn tree hugger boyfriend of yours when he was the Blue Knight. Slid his sword deep, greatly wounding me. Took me a while to heal from that one. Spent most that time cursing your name too. Was about then that I realized I was falling in love and that was a pretty big blow to my ego. I was hurt badly and yet you ran to that bastard’s side. Hate to admit it, but ended up on some random rooftop basically screaming your name in a fit while I patched myself up. Couldn’t understand why you kept denying me when I was only trying to help. I had tried to convince you to leave with me so you wouldn’t get hurt. I get it now, but back then it hurt and pissed me off.”

“I know I’ve said it before, but I’m sorry Kish. I was young and stupid and didn’t really understand what you were trying to do or how badly I kept hurting you. I had a one-track mind, saving the planet and Masaya was all I was focused on.”

He shook his head, “I forgave you a long time ago, Ichigo. Like I said, eventually I understood. Once I was able to look past my twisted obsession and see the love that was starting to grow, I could understand your point of view. It was why I left. I could finally put your happiness over my own. Anyways,” he slid their hands up to his right shoulder.

“Again, one you can’t see, but still bothers me from time to time. When we fought at Tokyo Tower, I was attacking you with my sais. You managed to deflect my attack and threw me into one of the iron struts. Managed to dislocate my shoulder in the process. As I’ve said, you could kick my ass fair and square because that time I didn’t hold back. Not only were Pai and Tart there, but I was still reeling from our last fight. And in my twisted way, for a moment I thought killing you would stop the pain in my heart. Just ended up in more pain,” he chuckled dryly.

“Jeeze, Kish. You really were a bit crazy then weren’t you?” she asked humorlessly.

“Yeah, you could say that. Though most of it was your fault. I was falling in love with you, but at the same time I hated you for standing in the way of helping my people. I felt like a traitor because I didn’t want to see you hurt. But mad at you because of your constant rejections, and because you couldn’t see I was trying to help. Took me a while to finally get it all sorted. And when I did, Deep Blue started to suspect my lack of loyalty. He threw me into confinement. It was why I was so late to that final fight against him. Had to break my way out. My heart almost stopped when I saw you facing off against him. Was why it was so easy to initially trick him into believing I would kill you. Gods, I could barely look at you. The fear, hurt, betrayal, and confusion on your face when I was walking to you after declaring that I would kill you. I almost couldn’t keep up the act, it hurt so bad. But it was all I could think of to get him to drop his guard and to stop hurting you.”

“You really did scare me, ya know. I was so confused. You had already convinced me that you really did care about me. But then you offered to kill me. For a moment I really thought I was going to die by your hand. And because you wouldn’t look at me, I thought you honestly had resigned yourself to killing me. I can admit now that my heart broke a little. I could honestly say by then that I’d come to care for you at least somewhat. You had stood between me and the others and taken a hit meant for me, passing out in my arms. And now you were saying you were going to kill me. So yeah, I was hurt and scared. But nothing could compare to how badly it hurt when you died in my arms.”

Kish cupped her cheek and wiped a lone tear away with his thumb. “No more tears over that. It really is time to let it go. I have, and I was the one that died. I’m sorry I put you through that, but let it go, mate.”

She wiped her eyes and smiled. “You’re right.”

“That’s my girl. Which brings us to this.” Taking her hand again, he twisted and pressed her palm against the jagged scar on his lower left back. “From my own cousin. When I stood between you and Pai. By then I just wanted the fighting to stop and Pai wouldn’t listen. Hoped he’d see some reason if he saw the lengths even I was willing to go to. He usually respected my opinions. But Deep Blue had him so brainwashed that he was willing to kill me. Abyss, he killed his own brother.” Releasing her hand, he brought his right leg up and pulled up his pant leg.

Twisting to look, Ichigo saw a shiny scar that wrapped his ankle. “Let me guess, Zakuro’s ribbon spear?”

“You got it. She managed to catch my ankle as I was trying to teleport away. I swear that thing is made of acid. Burned like crazy. Then to top it off, she dragged me to her and clocked me a good one. Nearly broke my jaw. You girls were hell I tell ya. But worth it all because I met and eventually got you.”

“Guess we were stronger than we realized. Never knew just how much damage we actually inflicted.”

“Should have felt it from my side,” he grinned.

“I did.”

She took his hand and brought it to the base of her throat. “Like my scratches, it’s faint, but never doubt me when I say I know just how sharp your sais are. When you had them crossed over my neck, I don’t think even you realized but you actually cut me. It’s small, but the scar’s there.” She slid his hand to her right shoulder, “That mess of scars is thanks to Pai, when I saved your ass. He managed to clip me. I swear I can still feel the heat of his fan’s fire.”

Holding her wrist between them, she indicated a thin pale line along the back of her wrist. “From when I dislocated your shoulder at the tower. When I deflected your sais, I caught one across my wrist. Took me a couple of days to figure out how I got cut. My gloves hid the slice and the blood during the fight.”

Pulling his hand down to her right knee, she cupped it over a dark pink splotchy scar. “You again. You landed in front of me and kicked my legs out from under me. Landed hard on my knees and a rock embedded itself deep. A damn rock scarred one of the Mew Mews. Not one of my finest moments.”

He chuckled, “I remember that. I came to play with you, but you were just standing there, not fighting back. Decided to kick you into action so to speak.”

“Thank you so much for that by the way. I was still new to the Mew Mew thing and was a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. But as usual, you pissed me off enough to push me into action.” She pulled his hand up her inner thigh, where a small pink oblong scar ran an inch or two up her leg. “Once again, you. And again, you kicked me. Your boot ripped a gash in my leg when I tried to block.”

Pulling him forwards, she took both his hands and placed them on her upper arms covering three small crescent shaped scars on each, “Again courtesy of you. One of the times you grabbed me. You held me so tight that your nails dug into my arms.”

Kish looked away ashamed. “I’ve actually got a matching set.” He rotated his body to show first his left then his right arm. “I just forgot because they weren’t from any of you, but myself.”

“Huh?” Ichigo asked confused.

“Do you remember when you saw me by myself hovering over the pond by the café?” he asked.

“You knew I was there?” She was surprised. He hadn’t made any indication that he knew she was watching him. Which would have been highly out of character. He normally couldn’t keep his hands off her or at the very least from pestering her.

“Yeah. I had already started the mate bonding process by then and could feel your stronger emotions when you were close. I was there because we had fought earlier, and, well, you said some things that hurt me badly. So, I wanted to be alone and lick my hurting heart. But then I felt you. And you hurt me even more. I could feel your pity for me, which also pissed me off. And yes, I heard you call out to me. But I was so mad and hurt that I didn’t want to be around you. As hard as that may be to believe. Yes, I Kish, actually avoided my Kitten. I teleported back to my room and only got madder. This time at myself for running away from you when it was the first time you seemed to actually want me to stay. So mad, that I dug my nails into my arms to distract myself from everything.”

“Tart was the one that eventually calmed me down. He could feel my pain and came to check on me. And though I tried to hide it, I knew he had seen what I had done. He tried to cheer me up by explaining that you had been so mean and mad at me earlier because I had disrupted your only day off. I managed to convince myself that that was the only reason you had called me so many names and said you hated me.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, “I really wish you hadn’t run that night. It wasn’t all pity I felt. I was honestly worried about you. It was the first time I got a real glimpse of the you behind that arrogant smirk. That there was so much more to you. And I was beginning to care. It was also the first time I began to wonder the point of all the fighting. At that time, I didn’t know the full story of why you wanted to invade. I spent many nights this last year going over that very memory, wondering if you had stayed to talk, if maybe we could have avoided so much fighting. Especially that final battle. If maybe we could have found a better way.”

Leaning forwards, Kish rested his forehead against Ichigo’s and wrapped his arms around her waist. Sighing, he closed his eyes. “We really were both fools back then. You were so wrapped up in Masaya, me in my obsession and anger, and both of us with fighting, that neither of us could see what was right in front of us. Then both of us suffered for so long with regrets of how we treated each other. It’s almost no wonder we ended up here together. Seems like we’ve been twined with each other since the very start. Two sides...”

“Same coin,” she finished for him this time.

Ichigo brushed her lips over his, “I love you Kish. Now no more regrets. Time we start living in the here and now. We’ve both said our apologies and we’ve both forgiven each other. I’m not gonna let the past hurt me anymore. Fact, I thank it. For without it, we wouldn’t be here together like this.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, Kitten. I love you too. Time to rest, mate. Our bodies are fast asleep, and both our minds are barely holding on. Sleep well, Kitten.”

“Good night, Kish.”

Kish tugged her down to lay atop his chest as he laid back. Together they slept in both body and mind.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Ichigo awoke first again. Her throat was dry and scratchy and she desperately needed a drink. Kish had been true to his word. He’d made her throat sore from screaming his name half the night. Carefully slipping out of bed, she looked over his sleeping form. She almost giggled when he curled towards where she had been. Grabbing the pillow she had slept on, she dropped it over his searching arm. Immediately, his slight frown disappeared as he cuddled around the pillow, inhaling her scent. A smile graced her lips, even in sleep he sought her out and tried to put his hands on her.

Quietly, she rummaged through her bag. She pulled on a pair of clean underwear and a pair of tight black athletic pants. Pulling on a gray sports bra, she searched for her green U.F.O. tank amongst the strewn about clothes. Finally finding it, she pulled it over her head. She’d worry about wearing something nicer once she’d had a shower. But right now, her thirst was her priority. Using Kit, she delicately searched Kish’s mind for the layout to his ship, taking care not to disturb him. Thanks to Kit, she was able to easily slip past his shields and succeeded in finding the information she sought.

Making her way quietly to the door, she faced her first problem. But another quick search of Kish’s mind revealed the secret to opening it. She placed her palm on the pad next to the door and simply thought ‘open.’ With a hiss, it slid open and she slipped out. The bare metal floor of the corridor was cold against her bare feet. Quickly, she padded her way down the hall and hung a right, heading towards the kitchen and mess hall.

Opening the door the same way as Kish’s room, Ichigo stepped into the bright room. She saw three small round metal tables each with two chairs. Along the back wall was a long counter that had four stools with what she figured was the kitchen behind. To the left of the counter was an archway leading into the kitchen. Making her way towards the doorway, she stopped about halfway as Tart appeared behind the counter. Their eyes locked for a moment. “Hey shor… erm Brat,” she quickly changed her original insult because she realized he now stood at eye level with her.

Tart grinned, “Can’t call me short stack anymore can ya, Old Hag?”

Ichigo laughed, “No I suppose not. Looks like you finally had a growth spurt. And I hate to say it, but you’ve actually grown into a good-looking young man.”

Tart blushed, “Thanks, but don’t let my cousin hear you say that. He’ll get jealous.”

“Oh, let him. He knows I’m his and his ego could stand to drop a peg or two. And you’re cute, but you got nothing on Kish,” she giggled.

“Gee, thanks Old Hag,” he said rolling his eyes.

“You’re very welcome, Brat.”

Taking a seat at the counter, “Think I could get something to drink and maybe something to eat? My throat’s killing me, and I didn’t eat much yesterday.”

“Only seen you for five minutes and already making yourself at home. Water, orange juice, or prodim juice,” he said ticking them off on his fingers. At her confused look, he clarified, “It’s kind of like your apple juice but more sour. Oh, or milk.”

“Umm… Milk please,” she said resting her elbows on the counter.

Floating over to a large silver door, Tart opened something that was very similar to a fridge from Earth. “ I was going to have a bowl of cereal cause I’ve missed having that back home, interested?” he asked over his shoulder as he reached for a silver container that she figured held the milk.

“That sounds good. What kind ya got?” she asked surprised. She wondered where they had gotten her planet’s food.

“Cheerios, Lucky Charms, or CoaCoa Puffs. I’ve still got a bit of a sweet tooth,” he grinned.

“Ooh, CoaCoa Puffs! I haven’t had those since I was a kid,” she exclaimed.

“Sure thing,” he said as he placed a glass of milk in front of her.

As Tart floated around the kitchen putting together their breakfast, Ichigo took in Tart’s appearance. He no longer wore his ruddy brown hair in his signature pigtails. Instead, he wore a single high ponytail that fell just past his long ears. His boyish features were starting to angle into the man he would eventually become. He was now the same height as Ichigo and his build was similar to what Kish had looked like at that age, though his musculature wasn’t quite as defined. His uniform had been upgraded to something similar to what Kish used to wear. But his shirt and pants were red instead of green. His arm and leg wraps were also now red. No longer barefoot, he now wore laced brown boots.

“I see you’ve been promoted, congrats,” Ichigo said motioning to his uniform and arm wraps.

“Guess Kish has been spilling our secrets, hmm?” he asked as he set her cereal down and handed her a spoon.

Taking it, “Thanks. And yeah. I am technically part of your family now.” Ichigo smirked at his confused and shocked expression. Pulling her shoulder straps aside, she saw his eyes widen when she revealed her mate mark.

“Damn, Kish moves fast,” he said surprised.

Ichigo giggled, “Yes and no. True, things moved quickly with us when you two came back. But saying that, he had tried to claim me for almost a year. Plus, he did start the mate bonding process over four years ago. So, not so fast, actually.” She shrugged as she began to eat.

Teleporting to the other side of the counter, Tart took a seat beside Ichigo. “As much as I’m loathe to say this, welcome to the family, ya Old Hag,” he said before digging into his cereal.

“Thanks, Brat.”

They ate in companionable silence for a few moments before Tart spoke again. “I’ll only say this once, but thanks Ichigo. I was really worried you’d deny Kish again and I knew he wouldn’t have survived.”

Ichigo glanced over at Tart. “You’ve really grown up, haven’t ya? And trust me, it’s my pleasure. Though he explained the possible consequences of a frozen bond before I accepted, I would have anyways. It took me a while to realize it, but I truly do love him.”

Tart nodded, “Still not going to stop calling you Old Hag.”

“Didn’t think you would, Brat,” she smiled.

“For someone who doesn’t want to be apart from me, you sure do like to disappear on me in the mornings, Kitten,” Kish said behind them as he leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed. “And don’t you two look cozy.”

“Sorry, love. My throat was killing me,” she apologized.

“Is that so?” he smirked as he cocked a brow.

She blushed when she realized what she had just admitted and when she noticed he was only wearing his pants. Quickly, she spun back around in her stool and took a big gulp of milk. It gave her something to focus on and to cool her heating blood.

Tart sneezed hard.

“Bless you,” Ichigo said.

Glancing from Ichigo to Kish. “Could you not wait until I wasn’t around before you riled her up? You know how that scent makes my nose itch.”

Kish chuckled deeply as he took a seat on the other side of Ichigo. “I suggest you get used to it and quick. Watch.” Kish smirked at Tart before leaning over Ichigo’s shoulder. “Your throat feeling better?” he asked her softly, his golden eyes sparking with mischief.

Ichigo’s blush returned and her arousal shot up a notch. Memories of last night flashed through her mind reminding her exactly why her throat was sore in the first place. “Yup,” she responded quickly, returning to her cereal.

A sneezing fit struck Tart. “Knock it off!” he snapped at Kish.

Kish could only laugh aloud, both his fangs flashing.

Ichigo looked back and forth between the two aliens. “You all right, Tart? And what are you talking about? What scent?” she asked in concern and confusion.

Tart glared at Kish, who threw his hands up. “Oh no, you brought it up in front of her, you get to explain,” he smirked.

“I really hate you sometimes,” Tart grumbled. Looking at Ichigo, he blushed scarlet. “Your arousal,” he spat quickly before grabbing his empty bowl and teleporting to the kitchen sink.

Whirling on Kish, “What?!” she demanded.

Kish’s smirk only grew, his fang sliding over his lip. “The scent of arousal has always made Tart sneeze,” he said simply. Like it was no big deal.

Ichigo’s cheeks and chest flamed crimson in both embarrassment and her rising anger. “You mean you purposely tried to turn me on just so you could annoy Tart?” she growled.

Kish licked his fang. “Maybe.”

“God damn perverted, annoying alien. That sparring match is sounding better and better just so I can wipe that infuriating smirk off your face,” she growled in frustration. Shooting Kish a glare, Ichigo gathered her dishes and stomped into the kitchen.

When she spotted Tart leaning with his back against the sink, her demeanor softened. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” she apologized softly.

He shifted to give her access to the sink. Placing her dishes in the sink, Tart noticed her confusion and pressed a button on the edge. Water began pouring from a small hole at the top back edge of the sink. “The dial next to that button controls the temperature. And it’s not your fault. He’s just being an ass as usual. And don’t take it personally, anyone’s arousal makes my nose itch. It has a peppery smell to me.” His blush was back as he watched her rinse her dishes.

“Huh?”

“Oh, umm… Figured you already knew about emotional scents because you were part cat. Can’t you smell the difference in emotions?”

Ichigo folded her arms over her chest as she thought about it. “Kinda, I guess. Though I’ve never really thought about it before. At least not to put specific scents with individual emotions. Thought of it more as a warning sense because I’ve really only noticed someone’s scent change when they’re angry or threatening. But that was mostly with Kish because he never believed in personal space.”

Tart giggled, “No he doesn’t, but that was mostly just with you. Hey, do you really think you could beat him in a sparring match? Cause I would seriously pay money to see that.”

Ichigo smiled wide, “Absolutely.”

“You wish, Kitten,” he teased telepathically. He’d obviously been listening in.

She glared at him on the other side of the counter, “Can it.”

Tart cocked a brow.

“He’s being snarky,” she said tapping her temple. “But really I think he’s just scared cause he knows I can beat him.” She raised her voice just slightly to make sure he heard her loud and clear.

A large grin curving his lips, Kish leaned on his elbows and rested his chin on his raised folded hands. “Care to make a friendly wager on that, Kitten?”

“Only if I can get in on this too!” Tart shouted.

“Get in on what?” asked a sleepy Pudding who came stumbling through the door, rubbing her eyes.

Tart floated over to her, “Morning Pudding.”

Now much more awake, Pudding threw her arms around Tart, “Morning, Taru-Taru.” She gave him a quick peck to his lips making him blush. Then she noticed Kish and Ichigo. “Ichigo!” she squealed and ran over to the counter, jumping over it nimbly. “What are you doing here?”

Ichigo grinned, “Apparently the same thing you are, if that kiss was any indication. Which one finally admitted it? No wait, let me guess. You? Because there’s no way the Brat would have the courage.”

Kish couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Bet you’re right, Kitten.”

Pudding turned bright pink, but before she could say anything, Tart appeared next to her. “Shut it Old Hag. For your information, I was the one that asked her out.” Tart glared at both Kish and Ichigo as he wrapped an arm protectively around Pudding’s waist.

“Well color me impressed. Didn’t think you had it in you. Figured you’d still be trying to deny how you felt even though everyone knew how much you cared for her,” Ichigo teased. “Always turning pink when she hugged you and trying to push her off. And now not even a grumble about the Taru-Taru nickname.”

“Ichigo! Stop picking on Taru-Taru. Yes, he asked me out. And of course I said yes. I’ve loved him since we were kids,” Pudding shouted at Ichigo, looking upset.

“I’m sorry Pudding. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m happy for both of you. Really,” Ichigo quickly apologized and hugged the girl she thought of as a little sister.

“Really? You’re not upset that I’m with one of the aliens?” Pudding said looking up at Ichigo.

Ichigo giggled, “Of course not. Remember, I said we’re here for the same reason.” She flicked her thumb towards Kish who smirked devilishly.

Pudding’s eyes grew round as it clicked. “You mean you and Kish? Finally! I always hoped you two would get together. Not only have you been so depressed without him lately, but even back then I thought he was better for you then Masaya.”

“Pudding!” Ichigo shrieked.

“What? Kish was way cuter and so much more fun. At least when he wasn’t actually trying to kill us,” Pudding defended.

Kish chuckled, “Thanks Monkey-Girl. Though the only ones I actually tried to kill were Ichigo and that damn tree hugger.”

Ichigo leaned over the counter and flicked Kish’s nose, “There were better ways to make me feel special ya know.”

Kish smirked and snatched her hand, placing a kiss to her palm. “Pretty sure I’ve shown you multiple ways to make you feel special since I’ve been back.”

“Pervert,” Ichigo said blushing while pulling her hand away.

“I was referring to the island, just what were you thinking? Hmm?”

Ichigo’s face flamed red.

“Still so cute when you get flustered,” Kish grinned.

Pudding started to bounce, “You know if you and Kish marry and Taru-Taru and I get married, we’ll be real family. They’re cousins you know.” Her words were fast as excitement poured off her.

“Well… Technically by their customs we already are. And we’re gonna get married at the café in a month so we’ll be married by ours as well soon,” Ichigo stuttered.

That was when Tart finally noticed the mate mark on Kish’s shoulder, but before he could say anything, Pudding shrieked in joy. “Eee! Congratulations! Who’s all invited? Can I be a bridesmaid? Is Keiichiro making the cake? Oh, can I come and help you pick out a dress? How did he propose? And what do you mean married by his customs?” Pudding spoke so fast and asked so many questions, Ichigo could barely keep up.

Ichigo raised her hands, “Whoa. Slow down. The Mews, my parents, Tart, the boys, and possibly Masaya are all invited. I would love it if you would be a bridesmaid. Yes, Keiichiro’s making the cake. I was hoping you and Lettuce would help with not only the dress, but all the planning. Maybe even Mint and Zakuro too. As for how he proposed and how we’re technically already married… Well, I’ll explain those later.”

Before Pudding could continue, Tart cut in, looking at Kish. “How? She’s not a Cyniclon, but you’ve got a mark as well.” Tart was confused. Mate marks required some magic to create and Ichigo was human. She shouldn’t have been able to mark him.

Kish shrugged, “No idea. I didn’t even explain it to her because I didn’t think she would be able to either. But she did. Cause she’s my amazing Kitten who can do anything.” Kish’s eyes drifted to Ichigo, staring at her dreamily. Pride and love shown in his amber orbs.

At the same time, Tart’s eyes glanced over to Pudding. ‘Could she do the same?’ he wondered.

“I don’t know how I did it. But when he… um…,” Ichigo flushed furiously. “When he bit me, I felt this instinct telling me to bite back.”

“Mark? What mark?” Pudding asked.

Smiling, Ichigo once again pulled aside the strap of her tank and bra.

Pudding squealed. “Is that a tattoo? It’s so pretty! It looks almost real.”

Ichigo blushed, “It’s not a tattoo. This is part of how Kish and I are technically married by their customs. Think of it like wedding rings, only permanent and much more special and intimate. And Tart’s confused because if you look at Kish’s shoulder, I marked him as well. Which is, I’m guessing, something before now could only be done by members of their race.”

Looking over at Kish, Pudding started to bounce on her toes again. “Oh wow! A lock and key! They really are like matching tattoos. So cute and romantic! How did you guys do it and can Taru-Taru and I get them too?”

Kish and Ichigo locked eyes as both their cheeks tinged with pink. Turning to Tart, Ichigo held up her hands and pointed at him. “You can explain that one, Brat.”

Tart’s face was beet red as he tugged Pudding to his side. “I’ll explain it later.”

Pudding’s face fell, “Fine. But you promise?”

Tart ran a hand over his face, trying to calm his embarrassment, “I promise.”

Kish couldn’t help but chuckle, “I guess Pai was right after all.”

“About what?” Ichigo asked, leaning over the counter in front of Kish.

“He said that he had a feeling Tart was going to follow in my footsteps. Wasn’t completely sure what he meant at the time, but seeing them, it just clicked,” he winked.

“Wait, has he started the mate bonding process with her already?” she asked telepathically.

“I don’t think so, but the possibility is there. And with how close they were and are, the path is open to start one.”

Ichigo’s eyes grew wide in both fear and excitement. Whirling around, she grabbed Tart’s arm. “Excuse me Pudding, I’m going to borrow Tart for just a moment.” Swiftly, she dragged Tart out the door of the mess hall and shoved him against the wall of the corridor as soon as the door had shut.

“What the Abyss, Old Hag?” Tart yelled as he struggled to free himself from Ichigo’s grasp.

She stared him straight in the eyes, “Now you listen here, Brat. You and Pudding are free to make your own choices, but she’s like my little sister and I’m already starting to think of you as my annoying little brother, so I don’t want to see either of you get hurt. If you want to start the mate bonding process , then talk to her first. And I mean really talk and explain everything. We both know how excited she gets and she’d probably jump up and down saying yes immediately without understanding anything. Make sure she understands everything. I don’t want you hurting like Kish has these past four years. Not only because of how badly he hurt, but because it ripped my heart to shreds when I found out. Things may be fine now, but it was hell for both of us. I don’t want that for either of you. Not to mention, she’s only sixteen. I know ages are perceived differently on your planet, but here, she’s still young. And I realize your situation is entirely different than Kish and I’s, but please. Just be careful. The both of you.” Tears glimmered in her eyes as she finally released Tart.

He looked at her with large eyes and tried to sort through everything she said. Finally, he pulled her into a tight hug, “I promise I’ll be careful with her Ichigo. And no, I haven’t started the bonding process yet, but I won’t lie. I do want to. But I’m not an idiot like Kish. I already planned to talk to her about it soon. And before you think it, no we haven’t done anything. Yes, she stayed the night, but even I know she’s young. I won’t push anything. Besides, you were partially right earlier. I’m still too nervous to try anything. Thank you for caring, Ichigo. It really does mean a lot. And umm… Ichigo?”

She pulled back just enough to look at him, “Yeah?”

“Umm… is it alright if I think of you as a big sister? And be able to come to you with questions about well… you know… Girly things like dates and what not?” Tart lowered his eyes and blushed deeply.

A bright smile slid across Ichigo’s face, “Sure ya can, Brat. We are family now. I’ll even try to keep the teasing to a minimum whenever you come to me, as well as keep it secret. We both know how shy you are compared to Kish. Don’t even hesitate to come to me about anything. We may be pretty similar, but Pudding and I are still human and do things and think a bit differently then you aliens.” She winked at him when he finally lifted his head.

“Still not going to stop calling you Old Hag,” he grinned and hugged her tightly again.

“That’s fine,” she giggled. “Because no matter how old you get, you’ll always be Brat to me.”

Kish appeared behind them in the hall and gently tugged Ichigo out of Tart’s arms. “Go hug your own girl twerp. This one’s mine,” Kish said wrapping his arms around Ichigo who nuzzled against his chest.

“Sorry, cousin. She was hurting,” Tart said to Kish’s mind.

“I know. I’ve got her. And I’m not upset you were hugging her. I heard what she said to you. But don’t worry, I tuned out when you started talking to give you two some privacy. She went through a lot while I was gone and is only beginning to heal. Still upsets her.”

Tart only nodded and went back inside to find Pudding.

“Shh, Kitten. It’s alright,” Kish said when he felt her tears against his bare chest. Holding her tight, he ran a hand through her hair. “I heard what you said to him, but not what Tart said. And I won’t ask if you want to keep it private. But what you said was incredibly kind. Thank you for accepting him so easily. He doesn’t have a lot of people in his life. Being empathic, he tends to keep people at a distance. So, I know what you said and that you truly care about him means a lot to him. And what you said about us means a lot to me as well. But remember, we said we wouldn’t let the past hurt us anymore. So, enough, Kitten.”

Sniffling and wiping her eyes, Ichigo pulled back and looked up at him. “I know and I’m sorry. I’m trying, but sometimes the pain just sneaks up on me.”

“It’s alright and I know it will take time. And I’m here for you always. Just like Tart and probably Pai. As well as the other Mews. You don’t have to heal alone. With Pudding and Tart being together, you even have someone to talk to who will understand more closely. Cause if they do bond, Pudding will be facing a lot of the same challenges as you.”

A soft smile brightened Ichigo’s face, “It still shocks me when you speak like that. Showing just how much we’ve grown up. I still expect to hear you shouting I’m yours or trying to attack when my guard is down.”

He chuckled. “Don’t have to shout that your mine or beg you to be mine anymore. It’s clear to anyone with our marks. And the only way I’ll attack you is by throwing you against my bed and ravishing you.” His infamous smirk slid over his lips.

Ichigo rolled her eyes, “Surprised you didn’t throw a fit when you saw Tart and I hugging.”

Leaning down, Kish nipped just below her ear. “If it had been any male besides Tart, I just might have. You know how possessive I am. But he’s family and you were hurting, so I could keep my jealousy in check.”

Ichigo grinned, “Is it wrong that I like how possessive you are?”

He smirked, “Not at all, Kitten. Just shows you know exactly who you belong to.” He trailed his lips along her jaw before capturing her lips in a deep but quick kiss. “Now, I’m pretty sure we were talking about how badly you were going to lose in our sparring match,” he grinned, tugging her back into the mess hall.

Ears and tail popping out, she hissed at Kish as they walked through the door. “In your dreams, alien. I can’t count how many times I’ve been itching to wipe that damn smirk off your face.”

Tart looked up from the table he was sharing with Pudding. “You mean you two are really going to spar?” Hope and excitement laced his voice, making him sound much more like his younger self.

Ichigo giggled then grinned, “Absolutely. It’s about time I knocked his ego down a peg or two. So, about that wager?”

Kish grabbed her tail and gave it a gentle tug causing Ichigo to yelp and swat at him with her claws. He grinned and easily dodged her, “Still so feisty. Wonder how long that confidence will last because I won’t be holding back this time, Kitten. As for our wager, how bout we won’t need to flip a coin. I win, I get to have my way, and if you win, you get yours.”

Pink seared Ichigo’s cheeks, knowing exactly what he was referring to. “Fine,” she squeaked, crossing her arms.

Kish looked over at Tart and Pudding, “What about you two? What you gonna wage?”

“Oh, I’m betting on the Old Hag for sure. And if she wins then no more purposely trying to make me sneeze, Kish. Get what I’m saying?” Tart announced happily.

Kish glared at Tart and locked his hands behind his head, “Fine, but only on the ship.”

Tart grinned, “Deal!”

Ichigo laughed. “I’m not sure which is gonna be worse. How handsy he’ll be or how bad he’s going to pout if he loses and can’t mess with me around you.”

“But Kitten, we both know how much you love it when I touch you,” he said softly as he floated above her and brushed his fingertips over the soft edge of her cat ears.

“Nya!” she growled, swatting his hands away.

Tart sneezed. “Would you two quit it!”

Kish chuckled. “You haven’t won yet, Brat.”

“What about you, Pudding? Care to get in on this?” Ichigo asked, changing the subject.

“Hmm… Well, if Kish isn’t going to hold back, then sorry Ichigo. But I’ll have to bet on Kish. He wasn’t easy to beat. And the only reason he was, was because he either held back or was distracted by you,” Pudding said as she stared at the ground. She felt bad for betting against her best friend, but was also excited to see the match. She did work in a dojo after all.

Kish shook his head, “What is with you Mews and the back handed compliments? I wasn’t always that distracted while fighting.”

“Yes, you were,” all three of them said in unison making them burst out into giggles.

Kish rolled his eyes, “Anyways, what do you want from Ichigo if she loses?”

Pudding bounced over to Ichigo and whispered in her ear, “If you lose you get to take me shopping to help me pick out some cute clothes so I can look good for Taru-Taru.” Pudding was a bit embarrassed. She was still more of a tom-boy, but she wanted to impress Tart.

Ichigo smiled, “I’d already do that, so how about on top of that, I’ll buy anything you pick out. Just don’t go nuts.”

Pudding jumped up and down, “Kish, you better win!” she shouted gleefully.

“Oh, I will,” he winked.

Crossing her arms, Ichigo asked, “So we gonna do this or what?”

Kish smirked and scooped her up bridal style. “Meet you two in the training room.”

“Dammit, Kish!” Ichigo shrieked just before they teleported.

Grabbing Pudding’s hand, Tart and Pudding raced out the door and headed for the training room. Tart would have teleported as well, but Pudding still wasn’t completely used to it yet.

Tart and Pudding stumbled through the door of the training room giggling. Well, Pudding was giggling, Tart looked slightly annoyed but was blushing. At some point, on their way, Pudding had jumped on his back for a piggy back ride. “Still so clingy,” he grumbled.

“Aww, but I know you like holding me, Taru-Taru,” Pudding giggled as she pecked his cheek and jumped down off his back. Tart’s blush deepened.

“Glad to see some things never change,” Ichigo teased.

Tart glanced at Ichigo who stood smiling with her arms crossed. He was surprised. She didn’t seem phased at all by teleporting. “Don’t tell me you’re already used to teleporting?” he asked.

“Almost. Only a tad wobbly now. But only lasts for a moment,” Ichigo announced.

“Wow! That was fast,” Tart commented.

Ichigo grinned, “Heard it took you three days.”

“Dammit, Kish!” Tart pouted.

Kish shrugged his shoulders, “Not my fault Kitten is better than you.”

Tart glared at him, “I really hope she kicks your ass.”

Ichigo and Pudding took a moment to look around. “Wow! This place is huge! Are we really still on the ship?” Pudding asked in wonder.

“It’s a sustained realm, right Kish?” Ichigo answered looking proud of herself for remembering.

Tart gawked, “Just how much have you told her about us?”

Kish looked at Ichigo with pride, “You got it, Kitten.” Glancing at Tart, “It’s not like it’s a secret. Besides, she’s my mate. She has every right to know everything about me and us.”

“I suppose you’re right. It’s just weird hearing the Old Hag talk about things like that. Like she’s actually smart or something.” Tart said acting cocky.

“Can it, Brat. There’s only enough room on this ship for one cocky alien, and you ain’t it,” Ichigo growled.

Kish wrapped his arm around Ichigo’s waist and nuzzled his nose into her hair, “Gods I love it when you get protective over me.”

Before she allowed herself to melt into his embrace, Ichigo jumped away hissing, which only made Kish laugh.

“So are we on the ship or not,” Pudding asked, pulling everyone’s focus back to her.

“Yes and no,” Kish answered. “Kitten was right. This is a sustained realm. Part of it is on the ship, but a majority of it is in a specially created subspace, which is how it’s so big. Think of it as a room that has a mirrored wall. The mirrors make the room look much bigger than it actually is. But with our technology, you can walk through those mirrors to access the extra space.”

“Oh! I think I kinda get it. That’s so cool!” Pudding shouted happily.

Ichigo looked around. The room really was huge and reminded her of her high school’s gymnasium, including the incredibly high ceiling. The floor was hard but not metal. She wasn’t sure what it was made of. In a corner was stacked a bunch of mats that she figured were floor coverings to soften any landings. On the far wall were all kinds of various weapons. Along the wall to her right were dummies and targets that were probably used for aiming and practicing blows when you didn’t have a partner. The room was very well lit so there were no shadowed areas and nothing to really hide behind if you wanted to take cover.

Turning to Kish, Ichigo asked, “So what are the rules?”

Kish floated up and crossed his arms and legs in thought. “Well I said I won’t hold back, so how about this: Since you’re used to fighting me, I’ll continue to use my flying and teleporting along with my sais, but I won’t use any magic attacks. But since your weapon is primarily for attacks, I’ll allow you to use your magic. But your bell only, no rod. Any and all physical attacks go. No fatal attacks obviously and we fight until one yields.”

“But what if one of my attacks hits the wall, won’t it do some serious damage?” Ichigo asked in concern.

“No worries. This room has a shield that runs over the walls, ceiling, and floor. You’d have to use some serious power and attack the same spot continuously before you could even hope to damage it,” Kish answered reassuringly, his hand waving back and forth.

She nodded, “Oh, one more thing.”

“And that would be?” Kish asked as he came to stand before her.

“I know how sharp those sais are, and I know you said you won’t hold back. But if you manage to get a hit in, keep the cuts to a minimum please,” Ichigo pleaded softly.

Kish stepped forwards and took her hand, placing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Of course, Kitten. I might not hold back, but I still don’t want to truly hurt you.” He stepped back, dropping her hand, and prepared to get into a fighting stance.

“Oh, wait! Kish, could you be a dear and grab my pendant? It’s in the back pocket of the jeans I wore last night.”

Kish smiled, “Sure thing, Kitten. Be right back.”

When Kish disappeared, Ichigo heard Tart snicker. “Has him wrapped around her little finger.”

“As if Pudding doesn’t with you,” Ichigo snapped. Then she noticed the bowl of popcorn between him and Pudding. They were sitting on a small bench along the wall near the door. “Really?” she said, pointing to the bowl.

“What? This is going to be an awesome show,” he said popping a kernel in his mouth. Just then Kish reappeared now fully dressed and handed Ichigo her pendant.

“Thanks, love.”

“Anytime, honey,” Kish answered with a smile.

“Little finger,” Tart teased again in a whisper. But with her cat ears still out, Ichigo had heard him clearly.

“Shut it, Brat,” both she and Kish said in unison. Kish had obviously heard Tart as well.

Tart groaned, “Great. You two are already starting to sound alike.”

“Keep it up and it’s your ass I’m kicking next,” Ichigo threatened.

“And I’ll help,” Kish added.

Tart raised his hands, “Okay… Okay… So touchy.” Both Ichigo and Kish shot him a glare. “Shutting up now,” Tart whimpered.

Stepping towards the center of the room, Ichigo kissed her pendant. “Strawberry Mew Mew Metamorpho…sis!”

Kish stood back and watched Ichigo transform. “That really is amazing to watch.” “Especially since you’re almost naked for a few seconds,” he added privately.

“Goddamn, perverted alien. I’m going to enjoy this.”

He snickered, “Bring it on, Kitten.”

Stepping back, Kish took a stance before Ichigo and summoned his sais. Pudding jumped up, nearly knocking over the bowl of popcorn as she ran to Kish and Ichigo. Standing off to the side of them, she held her hand out between them. “Keep it fair you two, and remember, no serious attacks. On my mark. Ready?” Both Kish and Ichigo nodded. “Begin!” Pudding shouted as she dropped her hand and darted back to Tart to watch.

With an evil grin, Kish disappeared.

Ichigo’s eyes quickly scanned all around her. Finally, she spotted the tell-tale ripple of air behind her. Spinning around, she summoned her bell just in time to deflect one of his sais and angled her body to dodge the other one. “Gonna have to do better than that, love. That’s your oldest trick,” she taunted. Without warning, Kish dropped down and swung a leg out, attempting to knock her legs out from under her. Nimbly she jumped over him and put her hands on his shoulders to spring board behind him. Summersaulting and twisting in midair, she landed on her feet facing him. She lashed out with a kick of her own to his back, but just before she connected, he disappeared again.

He reappeared hovering near the ceiling above her, “You’ve gotten better, Kitten. I’m impressed.”

She grinned, “Just you wait.” Holding up her bell, she took aim, “Ribbon Straw…” But before she could finish, Kish disappeared again. And once again, he teleported behind her. Just as he appeared, she dropped low and rolled under him. As she suspected, he had stayed hovering above the ground. His momentum carried him forward a bit more and Ichigo used that against him. Jumping to her feet, her kick managed to catch him in the side, knocking him to the ground.

Landing on his feet, Kish quickly spun away. Holding his side, he grinned at Ichigo, “Damn. I almost forgot how strong your kicks are, Kitten. At least you didn’t break a rib this time. First hit goes to you. Well done.”

“I told you, that’s your oldest trick. After four years, I would have figured you’d have learned something new,” she shouted.

Kish twirled his sais, “Oh, trust me, Kitten. I’m just getting started.”

Instantly, he teleported right in front of her, and while she knew where he would appear, she didn’t know where his hands would be. She just barely managed to bring her bell up to deflect one sai, but she wasn’t fast enough to block his other. Quickly, he slammed the hilt of his sai into her stomach, which caused her to double over. But before he could press the attack, she recovered and jumped straight up. Her feet landed on his shoulders and she kicked off hard. Making him stumble as she jumped half way across the room, landing in a crouch facing him. “That hurt, jerk,” she panted.

Tart hadn’t been able to tear his eyes away. He just couldn’t believe that Ichigo had managed to get the first hit in. And other than not going for fatal attacks, Kish really wasn’t holding back. Even he could never land a hit on Kish. Especially not as easily as she made it look. Then there was her uncanny ability to predict wherever he would teleport. She somehow knew right when and where he was going to appear. ‘How can she know that?’ he wondered. He cringed when he saw her take a blow to the stomach. ‘That had to hurt,’ he winced. But again, she impressed him when she seemed to recover so quickly.

Pudding leaned towards Tart, “They’re amazing. They both gotten so much faster, it’s almost hard to keep up.” She had her hands clasped in front of her in anticipation as she continued to watch transfixed.

“How does she seem to know where he’s going to appear?” he asked.

“We all can do that a little bit, but Ichigo’s always been the best at it,” Pudding answered.

“But how?” Tart pressed.

“She…” But Ichigo interrupted her.

Nimbly dodging another of Kish’s attacks, Ichigo yelled over at Pudding. “Pudding! Don’t you dare give that away! At least not yet!”

“Sorry, Ichigo. I’ll keep quiet,” Pudding called back sheepishly.

Kish glared at Ichigo from where he hovered a few feet above her. “So, there is a trick?! I knew you were too good at predicting where I’ll be.”

“And you’ll just have to wait til after this match to find out what it is,” she yelled.

“Finally!” he shouted before dropping to the ground to dodge another strawberry bell attack. But he wasn’t quite fast enough, and the blast caught the tip of his ear, singing it.

“Dammit, Ichigo. The ear, really?!” he snapped. Gently, he ran his fingers over the burnt tip.

Tart winced, “Yeah… Ow…”

“I’m sorry, love. Wasn’t aiming there, you dodged. And I’m only using about a tenth of my magical strength, so you don’t get seriously wounded,” she apologized.

“Fuck, only a tenth? Just how much stronger have you gotten?” Kish asked as he darted forwards and tried to snatch her hand.

She spun to his side and landed several handsprings to distance herself. “Since you’ve left, I’ve fought most of the leftover chimeras on my own. And when I’m not working or fighting, I spent a lot of these last two years training to keep my mind off my breakup and off a certain dumb alien,” she snapped back.

Jumping to the side, Ichigo narrowly avoided a kick from Kish, but she swung her bell, intending to clock him. But instead, she clipped his injured ear.

Instantly, he teleported away, “Fuck Ichigo, enough with the ear already,” he growled trying to sooth his aching ear.

“Sorry!” she shouted. “You dodged again. I didn’t mean to, I swear.”

“It’s alright, Kitten. I know you’re not doing it on purpose. And again, two sides, same coin, I swear. What do you think I did mostly to keep my mind off a certain feisty, red headed, Kitten?” He shot her a smirk.

“Doesn’t look like you trained hard enough,” she teased.

He cocked an eyebrow, “Oh, really? We’ll see about that.” He landed a few feet in front of her and slowly advanced, twirling his sais nimbly through his fingers. When he was sure her attention was mostly on his sais, he took a large step forward, closing the distance between them. Quickly, before she could react, he dismissed one sai and threw the other straight up above her head. Her eyes momentarily flicked up to his sai, giving him the opportunity to strike. He had just enough time to snatch her hand and twist her arm behind her back before he deftly caught his sai and held it against her throat. “I win. Yield, Kitten.” He flashed her a fang filled smirk.

“Not yet, you haven’t,” she growled, bringing a leg up swiftly. She placed her foot on his thigh and kicked off, backflipping which caused him to lose his hold on her arm. He stumbled back as she kicked off him and her other foot caught the hand holding his sai, causing him to drop it. She landed on her hands and flipped to her feet. Before he had a chance to find his footing, she brought her foot up and slammed it into his chest hard. Falling backwards, Kish landed on his back and Ichigo pounced atop him. She sat just below his rib cage and pinned one hand to the floor. Pressing her bell against his throat, “Looks like I won. Now yield.”

“You forgot something, Kitten,” he smirked. Before she could respond, he summoned his dismissed sai to his empty hand. Almost instantly, he threaded the center prong through the handle of her bell and flicked his wrist. The move wrenched her hand back, causing her to release her bell. With his superior strength, he pushed her to her back. Reaching over to his dropped sai, he crossed them both over her throat, pinning her to the ground.

A look of fear flashed in her eyes, and he realized what he’d done. The last time he had her pinned like this, he’d been in a rage and was truly trying to kill her. Instantly, he dismissed his sai, “I’m sorry, Kitten. I didn’t think…”

She cut him off as a smirk slid across her lips and her bell appeared in her hand. Swiftly, she brought it up, aiming to hit him on the side of the head. But he was faster.

He grabbed her hand and slammed it to the floor next to her head. “You tricky, little, conniving cat,” he growled as he summoned a sai and held it to her throat. “Yield!” he demanded.

She glared at him, “Fine! I yield!”

“About damn time,” he grinned, dismissing his sai. Quickly, he caught her lips in a rough kiss.

She shoved him off and got to her feet. “Damn alien. I almost had you too,” she pouted.

They both jumped and looked at Tart and Pudding who had broken out in applause. Pudding jumped to her feet and started bouncing. “I knew you would win, Kish. But just wow! You’re both incredible. Thank goodness you’re both on our side. If you hadn’t been so obsessed with Ichigo back then, I’m not sure we could have beaten you. Man, that fight was awesome!”

“Though you didn’t win, I gotta say, I’m impressed. I can never land a blow on him when he’s really trying and you landed so many. And for a moment I really thought you were going to win. It was such an even fight! Seriously, Kish. I’ve never seen anyone give you such a tough time. Even Tek couldn’t pull off something like she did.” Tart was slightly disappointed at having lost the bet, but extremely happy he got to witness such a fight.

Both Kish and Ichigo blushed softly at the praise. Kish folded his arms behind his head and floated in midair, “Tek’s good, but with her talent, she could beat him easily.”

“Who’s Tek?” Ichigo asked taking a seat on the bench. She was exhausted and she knew she had several new bruises. Relaxing, she dropped her Mew Mew form and slipped her pendant into her pocket. Leaning back, she pressed her overheated skin against the cool wall and closed her eyes.

“Tek’s my best friend and second in command back home. He’s also only second to me when it comes to fighting,” Kish answered. Looking over at Ichigo, “Are you alright?” His voice was full of concern.

She waved her hand, “I’m fine. Just exhausted. Been a while since I went all out like that. And I’m sore in a few places. That hit to the stomach freakin hurt. But I’m good. You really think I could beat him so easily if he’s so skilled?” She was skeptical.

“You almost beat me, so definitely,” he winked. Kish helped Ichigo to her feet. “We’ll meet you two back in the mess hall. I’m starving and I’m sure she is too after using so much energy. But first, we’re gonna stop at the infirmary.”

“I told you, I’m fine. Just sore and tired,” Ichigo huffed.

“That may be, but I still want to check you out. And I need to put some salve on my ear,” Kish stated firmly, leaving no room for arguments.

“I really am sorry about that. I know how sensitive your ears are,” she quickly apologized.

“I said it’s alright. It was a sparring match and I know it wasn’t intentional.” Sweeping Ichigo into his arms, Kish teleported them straight into the infirmary. The lights snapped on at their appearance and Kish gently sat Ichigo down on one of the beds. Blinking against the harsh lighting, Ichigo looked around. Other than a few pieces of odd-looking machinery, it looked just like a regular hospital room, but with three beds. “Lift up your shirt,” Kish told her.

She waved her hand, “I told you, I’m fine.”

“Ichigo…” he said drawing out her name.

“Oh, fine,” she huffed and drew her shirt up just below her breasts. A deep purple bruise was already forming just above her navel.

“Damn, Kitten. I’m sorry,” he apologized softly.

“It’s fine. We both know I’ve had worse. Besides, you’ve got a matching one on your side,” she teased.

Looking at his side, Kish winced. “You and those damn kicks. Four years of training and I still can’t seem to dodge them,” he pouted.

She giggled, “We both may have ended up bruised and battered, but I’ll admit, that was fun. I really have missed fighting you. You sure know how to keep a girl on her toes.”

Kish smirked, “As much as I hate seeing you hurt, it was fun. No one has ever been able to keep up with me the way you can. Not to mention getting to see you all riled up as a Mew again. It was almost like old times there for a moment. But the fact that you were actually teasing back instead of getting mad at me made it so much better.”

“Agreed. Not having to worry about my life made it much more fun. And sorry I tricked you. I know that was cruel, especially when I saw how hurt and scared you were,” she said lowering her eyes in shame.

Kish slid his fingers around her jaw and tilted her face up to him, “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Tart. There’s no such thing as fairness in a real battle. You use whatever you can. Even if it stung, it was a good strategy. Almost had me too, but your smirk gave you away too quickly.” He winked.

“Still feel bad. I know how painful that day was for you, not only emotionally, but physically too,” she said softly.

“I’ll admit it caught me off guard when I realized I had you pinned the same way. But as the Earth saying goes, “All’s fair in love and war.”” He quickly placed a soft kiss to her lips.

Stepping back, “Hurt anywhere else, Kitten?”

She shook her head, “Besides being just generally sore from over working myself, the only other thing is my shoulder and wrist are stiff from where you wrenched my arm behind my back. But otherwise, I’m fine.”

Kish nodded and floated up to one of the cabinets. After searching for a moment, he found what he was looking for. Coming back to her side, she saw a deep red bottle and a small jar in his hand. He handed her the bottle. “Take one swallow for mild pain, two if you’re really hurting, and three if it’s unbearable. It will not only ease the pain, but help the healing along faster as well as replenish some of your lost energy,” he instructed.

Ichigo took the bottle and looked it over. “You sure it’s alright that I take this since I’m human?” she asked with concern.

Kish nodded, “Our physiology is similar enough that it won’t harm you. The most it might do besides help is upset your stomach for a little while. Trust me, if there’s one subject I’m good at besides fighting, it’s biology and with that chemistry. I understand the inner workings of most creatures on both our planets. So, trust me, you’ll be fine.”

With his answer, Ichigo uncapped the bottle. “I trust you,” she said before tipping the bottle back and taking a swallow. She grimaced as she recapped the bottle and handed it back to him. “Tastes like I just drank straight lemon juice. Sour.”

He chuckled, “Yeah, not the best tasting, but it does the trick.”

She felt a warmth pool in her stomach and a tingling sensation spread through her body, centering mostly around her abdomen and arm. “It tingles,” she giggled.

“That means it’s working. The feeling should subside in a few minutes.” He handed her the small jar and pulled a chair over next to the bed. He sat and turned his injured ear towards her. “Mind putting that over my ear?” he asked.

“But won’t that… Can you… Can you handle me touching your ear?” she finally stuttered out, blushing.

Kish smirked, “Still so easily flustered. I’ll be fine. Hurts too much for it to be arousing. Just don’t let your fingers wander too much or I won’t be held responsible.”

“Alright, if you say so.” Unscrewing the lid, Ichigo dipped her fingers into a clear ointment that looked and felt like Vaseline but had no smell. Leaning towards Kish’s ear, she gently rubbed it over the last couple of inches, covering all traces of the burn from her attack.

Kish shuddered.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. Just feels weird. That stuff heals, but also numbs the area. So though I can feel you touching me, I can’t actually feel your fingers on my skin. But because I know you’re touching my ear, it’s like I want to be aroused. If that makes any sense.”

She giggled as she finished and resealed the jar, “Actually it does oddly enough. So umm… Just wondering, but what would happen if like Pai or Tart were to touch your ear?” She was honestly curious.

Kish chuckled and took the jar. “They’re still sensitive, but only my mate’s touch gets that particular reaction out of me.”

“That’s odd. That your body recognizes something like that, I mean,” she quickly clarified.

Kish shrugged, “Bodily or mentally, who knows. Just something with our race. If Tart grabbed my ear it would only hurt or annoy me. But if you did, well that’s a different story as you well know. Not much different than if I were to do this…” He gently trailed a finger down her bare arm, his touch barely ghosting over her skin. She shuddered as goosebumps broke out along her arm. “See, you get aroused. But if Tart did the same thing, it wouldn’t have the same affect. My ears are similar. Just much more sensitive and the feeling is so strong that there’s no denying or ignoring it.”

“I get it. Still surprises me just how strong of a reaction you have. Makes it almost hard to resist touching them,” she smirked.

“You do, and Tart and Pudding will wonder what’s taking us so long,” he said, his golden eyes flashing with mischief. Putting the medications away, Kish returned to stand between Ichigo’s knees. Resting his hands on her thighs, he leaned down and nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “I’m half tempted to make them wait anyways,” he spoke softly, lips brushing over her skin.

“Kish?” she asked, her voice raising slightly.

“Gods, Ichigo. Seeing you as a Mew and fighting against me. You have no idea how beautiful and amazing you are. Then, at the end when I snuck a kiss and you shoved me off, I was back four years ago. My feisty kitten once again denying me. And I felt that old excitement well up, along with the frustration. The chase, the thrill, but this time you were mine. Nobody can make my blood quicken like you. If you weren’t so sore and they weren’t waiting for us, I’d be very tempted to claim you right here, right now. And you can be absolutely sure I’m already looking forwards to our next spar.” His lips, tongue, and fangs had been working up and down her neck as he spoke.

“Kish!” she moaned, pushing him away. “We can’t,” she stammered. Though she didn’t really want him to stop. But knowing Tart could come check on them any moment made her resist.

“Say it, Kitten. Say it, and I’ll be able to restrain myself,” Kish growled against her neck. She’d managed to create some distance between them, but his lips had never left her skin. His need to feel and taste her too great.

Finally pulling his mouth from her neck, Ichigo searched his brightly glowing amber eyes. And for a moment, she saw the old Kish. The one who had been obsessed and desperately in love with her. So strong that at times it had driven him insane. Had caused him to lash out in both pain and anger every time she denied him. For a split second she was afraid. But not of him, not anymore. No, she was afraid at just how deep his love and devotion for her went. Looking into those eyes that used to be so good at masking how he truly felt to the point of pissing her off, she knew she could never deny him ever again. And she didn’t want to.

Reaching up, Ichigo brushed her fingers through a forelock, “I’m yours, Kish. Always and forever. You’ll never have to worry or doubt that ever again.” Something in his eyes shifted and again she saw him from four years ago. But now his golden eyes sparked with mischief and hidden intelligence, but over that, his possessiveness still shone brightly.

His signature smirk slid slowly across his lips. “That’s right, Kitten. Mine…,” he trailed off in a growl as his lips stole a quick but heated kiss. Before she could push him away again, he floated back with his arms behind his back. A fang flashed over his lip, “Some things never change. I’ll never tire of stealing a kiss from those delicious lips.”

Ichigo blushed and jumped to her feet, quickly swiping at him with her claws. “I can’t believe I ever thought that infuriating smirk was sexy,” she shouted.

Drifting further up, he easily dodged her claws and chuckled. His smirk growing wider, “You may find it infuriating, but you and I both know you still find it sexy. I bet you did even back then.”

She stomped to the door and just as she stepped through, she yelled over her shoulder, “Absolutely not!” Then disappeared down the hall.

The scent of her lie hit him. It was the first time she ever had. And that particular lie didn’t bother him in the least. She had inadvertently revealed something to him and he could understand why she had lied. A wicked grin crossed his lips. Even four years ago, she had found his smirk sexy. She had been attracted to him at least a little back then. Grin still in place, he floated after her.

He caught up just as she stepped into the mess hall. “You’re lying, Ich-i-go,” he sing-songed.

She spun around, her cheeks tinged pink and stomped her foot. “I am not!” she pouted.

“Yes, you are,” he winked.

‘How does he know?’ she asked herself. Since the spar, she’d been keeping her thoughts safely behind her locked door so he couldn’t read them while they fought. And she hadn’t lowered her guard since.

Kish tapped his nose, “I can smell your lie, Kitten.”

She crossed her arms, “Great, not only can you usually read my thoughts, and feel my emotions, but now you can smell if I lie! You really are one helluva possessive alien, aren’t you?”

Tart’s head snapped up, he could feel both Ichigo’s distress and the worry flash through Kish. Quickly, Tart teleported to Ichigo’s side. He was surprised at how easily he was reading her emotions without touching her. He supposed it was because he really was starting to think of her as a sister.

Mouthing stay to Kish, Tart drew Ichigo to sit down at the closest table. Hovering next to her, Tart took her hand. As soon as they touched, he could feel just how overwhelmed she was feeling. He wasn’t surprised. A lot in her world had changed drastically overnight, and Kish had mentioned how badly she had been suffering before they came back. If the pain he had felt from her through Kish during his attacks was any indication, she really had been hurting badly. “Calm down, Ichigo. It’s something we can all do. I told you before that we can scent emotions. If we’re paying attention, we can scent even lies.”

Hovering behind Ichigo, Kish longed to be the one comforting his Kitten, but somehow he knew she needed to hear this from Tart. Thankfully, Tart was like a brother to him and now to his mate so there wasn’t the urge to pull her away from the other male. He knew she was getting overwhelmed again, and with Tart’s empathic abilities, Tart was reading her just as easily as he was. And since it was him that was overwhelming her, he let Tart comfort his mate. At least for the time being.

“But it’s just one more thing!” Ichigo shouted. “I feel like I’m losing myself. It’s just one more thing that he can see or knows. He knows so much about me and I’ve only scratched the surface on him. A part of me is mad that he can see so much and another feels like I’ve let him down. He learned so much about me because he cared, but I never did. Then to top it off, it’s just more to add to everything else.” Tears were shimmering in her eyes, threatening to fall. She really was starting to get tired of crying all the time.

Tart glanced up at Kish behind Ichigo. Kish gave a slight nod. He understood what Tart was asking. Tart could comfort her, but he would have to bring up some things from the past that could upset him. When Tart flicked his eyes towards Pudding, Kish nodded again. Kish floated over to Pudding to keep her distracted from Tart and Ichigo, as well as give them a bit of privacy.

Wrapping both his hands around Ichigo’s Tart tried to help his new sister. “Ichigo?” When he was sure he had her full attention, he continued. “First off, you’re not losing yourself. You’re just gaining more to add to what’s already there. I’m sure Kish has told you by now that I’m empathic. I can feel everything you are. So, I know how overwhelmed you are. And it’s okay. It’s completely understandable to feel as you do. I’m going to try and help you sort through everything if you’ll let me.”

Ichigo caught Tart’s eyes, “You really have grown up.”

Tart blushed. “A little, but right now my big sister needs my help. And emotions are something I understand, even when I don’t want to.”

Ichigo smiled though her eyes were still watery, “If you think you can help, then, please. I’m getting sick of crying.”

Tart smiled, “I’ll do what I can.”

“Let’s start with Kish knowing you so well.” At her nod, he began. “First, you know how obsessed he was and how much he stalked you for an entire year. Of course, he’s going to know a lot about you. And don’t feel ashamed that you don’t know so much about him. You were in love with someone else at that time, remember. But you’re learning now. You even knew about subspaces. Because you’re taking the time to learn about him now, just as he did then. Plus, with the bond and mating, you two are the same. You can get into his head, feel his emotions, and with your cat abilities, you can even scent emotions. You were just never trained to recognize individual scents like we were. Something that can be easily fixed.”

A genuine smile graced Ichigo’s face, “You’re right. I completely forgot I can do the same thing. And he even admitted that though I don’t know that much about him, I’m one of the few that really knows him.”

Tart smiled, “See. Things aren’t always as bad as they seem at first. You saying yes to Kish is proof enough of that. And I hate saying this, but he does love you more than anything. Your gold chains prove that. I know you’re going through a lot, but so is he. He’ll never admit it, but he’s just as worried. I can feel it. He’s put you in a position to make some hard choices and it’s eating him up inside. Even without my abilities, I can tell. Because I’m eventually going to have to do the same with Pudding. I love her, but I understand how hard this is for you and will be for her. We’re from different planets. Each with lives on those planets. I can feel your fear, Ichigo, but if I know Kish, he’ll do absolutely anything for your happiness. Just like I would for Pudding.”

Ichigo stared at Tart, “Wow, Brat. For someone who was so shy and hated anything mushy, you’re actually really good at this stuff.”

Pink tinged Tart’s cheeks. “I only hated this stuff because I’m empathic. I can feel most people’s strong emotions, and everything when I touch them. Except for Kish, Pai, and my mother. I can sense what they’re feeling no matter what. And now even you apparently. I didn’t have to touch you to know most of what you were feeling. That’s why I always shoved Pudding off. Hard to fight when I could feel how happy she was to see me.”

Pudding was about to jump up and see what was wrong with Ichigo, but Kish floated over and took a seat. “Let them be. Ichigo’s upset over something I said and Tart’s helping her calm down,” Kish said, tearing his eyes from Ichigo and looking at Pudding.

“You better not have been mean or hurt her,” Pudding glared at Kish.

He raised his hands in defense, “I didn’t, I swear. I just said something that overwhelmed her. So much has changed in just a day that she’s still trying to process it all. Something similar happened last night when we went to see Ryou. Things became to much and she changed into an actual kitten.”

“Oh. Yeah, that happens when she’s really stressed. I know she’s happy with you. I haven’t seen her smile so much in a long time, so what’s bothering her?” Pudding asked.

Kish looked at Pudding. She was a tad shorter than Ichigo or Tart and she still wore her long braids, but the rest of her hair had grown out. It now reached past her shoulders. She also didn’t act quite as childish and didn’t finish every sentence with ‘no-da.’ But he could still see her energy thrumming below her skin as she squirmed in her chair.

Sighing, “I’ve forced a lot of changes in her life though I never meant to. From our bonding and mating. She can’t bear to be separated from me, nor I from her. But I know she has a life here while, so do I on my planet. She’s already agreed to leave with me when Tart and I leave, but I don’t know for how long. I already told her I would give up everything to be with her, but I know she’d never allow it. She’s too kindhearted. And I can’t ask her to give up her life here. It's bothering her, just like it is me. Add all the changes she’s going through because of our mating and it’s becoming so much for her to handle. To top it off, I know how badly she was struggling while I was gone which she’s only starting to heal from. Even I can see it might be too much.”

Shaking her head, Pudding jumped up and bonked Kish on the head.

“Ow! What was that for?” Kish shouted rubbing his head.

“Because Ichigo’s right. You are a dumb alien,” she teased. “You of all people should know how strong she is. She’s the strongest one out of all of us. Even if at times she doesn’t show it or cries. She may have suffered after that idiot broke her heart, but you mended it, even if you didn’t know. And she held onto the hope of seeing you again for almost a year even though it was a good chance she never would. She told us everything she was going through and cried occasionally, but she still smiled. Still fought the left over predacites mostly on her own. She kept her head held high, and though we knew she was suffering, she never really showed it. Even helped me with my break downs whenever I thought I would never see Taru-Taru again.”

Kish stared at Pudding dumbfounded. Never in a million years would he have thought the silly little monkey-girl would be talking some sense into him.

“And the one thing I know for sure about Ichigo is that when she loves someone, it’s with her whole heart. Whether it’s loving me and the others like sisters or being in love with you. Because trust me Kish, it may not be my place to say, but Ichigo knows I can’t keep quiet, she loves you with her whole heart. Taru-Taru explained a little about mating to me while you two were in the infirmary. So, I don’t understand everything, but some. Enough to know she’s still happy. Sure it may be a lot, but she’s truly happy. Which is better than she’s been in years. And that’s because of you. So, stop being a dumb alien and believe in her. And talk to her. But more importantly, just be yourself. She can deny it all she wants, but us Mews know, she loves your cocky arrogance. I think it’s because with us, she’s our leader, but with you, she can be herself and let someone else take control.”

“When in the Abyss did you get so insightful?” Kish asked as he gawked at Pudding.

She giggled, “Been around Lettuce too much and I think Taru-Taru’s rubbing off as well. We’ve talked a lot since you came back. Now that I’m a bit less hyperactive, I can listen better. I’ve always seen more than what others think. I just couldn’t sit still long enough to put it into words.”

Kish reached over and patted Pudding’s head, “I’m glad Tart found someone like you. But you ever hurt him, and I’ll kick your ass. Ichigo may be like your sister, but he’s like my little brother. And thanks, Pudding. What you said about Ichigo and me… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. But you listen here, you ever hurt Ichigo and it won’t just be me kicking your butt. All the Mews will, and I know I can convince Taru-Taru to help as well,” Pudding threatened, but couldn’t hide the upturn at the corners of her lips.

“Ha! That runt can’t touch me. I’m more afraid of that wolf girl. Scratch that, I’d be more scared of Ichigo if I ever hurt her. She really can beat my ass, nearly did today,” Kish chuckled.

Pudding laughed, “Yeah but you still won. Always knew you were holding back way more than you let on back then. Like you, I’m a trained fighter. You used to suddenly drop your technique whenever you fought Ichigo. Confused me until I heard you taunting her once when you thought you two were alone. Talking about how she should be yours. I may have been really young, but I am a girl. Even I could see you cared about her at least somewhat. That’s when it clicked. You’re fighting became slower or sloppy because you didn’t want to hurt her. No one else could tell your techniques had changed because I’m the only one who had actually been trained in combat.” She gave him a wink.

“Even now, you Mew Mews impress me. I’ll only admit this once, but even if I hadn’t of fallen in love with my Kitten or not held back, I don’t think we could have actually beaten you all,” Kish said softly.

Pudding grinned, “Wow! Really?”

Kish nodded.

“Maybe. But I think it would have been close either way. We had five to your three, but you were all better fighters and had the predacites. But I’m just happy we’re all on the same side now,” Pudding beamed.

“You and me both,” Kish smirked.

“Thanks, Tart. You really did help. There’s still a lot going on in my head and heart, but I feel more settled. Mind if I come to you again sometime? You’re like a personal therapist,” Ichigo teased.

“What’s a therapist?” Tart asked.

“Oh, it’s like a doctor but they help fix emotional problems,” she explained.

Tart giggled, “Sure, ya Old Hag. As long as you keep your promise and let me come to you about Pudding.”

“Anytime, Brat,” she assured as she pulled him in for a hug. Glancing over Tart’s shoulder, she whispered in his ear, “I think it’s time I go rescue Kish. Surprised she sat still this long.”

Tart pulled away and looked over at Pudding and Kish. Another giggle broke free when he saw Pudding jumping up and down repeatedly while hugging a struggling Kish.

Ichigo came to Kish’s side and pulled Pudding away from him. “Shoo. Your alien is over there, this one’s mine,” she said flicking her hands.

Kish couldn’t help but smirk as he stood and wrapped Ichigo in his arms. “Thanks for the rescue, Kitten,” he whispered in her ear.

“Anytime, love. Besides, you are mine and I’ll fight anyone who tries to come between us,” Ichigo smirked.

Kish’s fang flashed at her words. “Someone seems to have gotten her confidence back.”

“Tart pointed out a few things. Helped me realize I was letting myself get too lost in the little things and instead focus on the big picture,” she explained catching his golden gaze.

“And what’s that?” he asked.

“That you love me, and I love you,” she answered simply.

Kish chuckled, “Funny, monkey-girl pointed out the same thing to me. Let’s face it, together we can overcome anything. We are the two strongest fighters between two planets.” His golden eyes gleamed with the return of his cockiness.

She laughed, “And you can bet we’ll give anything in our way hell. We’re both too stubborn not to.”

A growl rumbled from Kish’s stomach making Ichigo giggle. “Guess you really are hungry,” she teased.

“I didn’t get breakfast like you did. Plus, that fight took some serious energy.”

Ichigo dragged a chair over to the table with Tart and Pudding, and Kish followed suit. Pudding sat on the edge of the table with her legs swinging in front of Tart who had taken a seat. “What time is it anyways?” Ichigo asked as she sat down.

Pudding pulled out her cell, “Almost two.”

Ichigo’s eyes got wide, “No wonder we’re both so hungry. We missed lunch. So guess it’s a late lunch, early dinner. What are we doin’ for food?”

Pudding clapped her hands, “I know! Let’s go to the mall! You can keep your deal Ichigo and it will be like a double date. We can show the boys around for a bit and eat there.”

“Wait, what about how they look? No offense guys, but if you two show up like that, it’s liable to cause a panic,” Ichigo said, pointing between the two aliens.

Pudding smiled, “Show her, Taru-Taru!”

Tart blushed and waved his hand in front of his face.

Ichigo gaped. Where Tart had been sitting, there now appeared a human teenage boy. His ears were no longer the long Elfin ears, but a normal human’s. He was also wearing regular blue jeans and a simple red T-shirt. Even his boots looked like red sneakers. His fangs had shrunk to just slightly longer canines. The arm wraps disappeared and his eyes had become a very light brown instead of the usual pale yellow and looked completely human. “Wow! How did you do that?” Ichigo asked stunned.

“It’s glamor. Takes a bit of energy and focus to sustain, but it’s how we can fit in without drawing any attention to ourselves. Pai and I worked on it last year. I knew if we ever came back we’d have to hide who we were. The humans had seen us too many times to not get scared if they saw us again. This way I can even visit Pudding and her siblings without causing problems,” Tart explained.

“Yeah! I was so confused when he showed up at the dojo yesterday! He looked so much like my Taru-Taru, but not,” Pudding laughed.

“Kept you from jumping on me for about three minutes until I revealed it was me,” Tart teased.

“So does that mean you can do the same?” Ichigo asked, turning to Kish.

He smirked, “Of course, Kitten.” Mimicking Tart, Kish waved his hand in front of his face. Ichigo had to bite her lip. ‘Even in human form he’s still sexy as hell,’ she thought. His hair was now black but retained some deep green highlights threaded throughout. The forelocks were gone, and all his hair was bundled loosely behind his shoulders as usual. Gone were the long ears, replaced with a human’s. His eyes were still the deep golden amber, but his cat like pupils were gone and were now a normal round. He still wore his smirk, but his fangs had shortened and barely touched his lip. But they were still longer than a human’s, though not enough to really draw attention. It allowed him to keep that look of being just a bit dangerous and sexy. He now wore a fitted green tank top and a black short sleeve button down over top that was left completely open and loose. Tight black jeans replaced his pants, and a pair of black biker boots were where his leather boots had been. Though his skin was still pale, it wasn’t nearly as white as his normal complexion. Against all the black he looked edgy or like some kind of rocker.

Leaning on his elbows towards Ichigo, “You’re drooling, Kitten.” Kish’s voice was teasing, and he still held that cocky glimmer in his golden eyes.

Ichigo flushed pink, “Damn…”

Kish laughed, “Guess I look pretty good, hmm?”

Ichigo nodded. “You could say that again.” She reached out towards his ear, but he snatched her hand.

“Just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not there,” he warned.

“It’s so weird. I mean you look good. Damn good actually. But seeing you without your ears or fangs is just weird. You still look like you, but not. Though, I already miss the fangs. And seeing you both dressed in human clothes is odd,” she said looking him up and down.

Kish’s smirk grew and he brought her hand to his lips. He softly bit along the side of her thumb, his fangs pricking into her skin. “You and my fangs. Like I said, just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they aren’t there,” he winked.

Heat bloomed low in Ichigo’s belly as she pulled her hand away. The feel of his sharp fangs against her skin always ignited that spark.

Tart sneezed. “You two are horrible,” he whined.

“Sorry…,” Ichigo mumbled. Scooting her chair closer to Kish, she reached out again. This time, she pushed back the collar and tank strap over his shoulder enough to reveal his mark.

“Not in front of the kids, Kitten,” he teased.

“Can it, pervert. I was just curious if my mark was still there in that form.”

Fixing his clothes, Kish smiled at Ichigo. “Wouldn’t dream of hiding that. It’s the symbol of our love and shows that I’m yours.” He stared at her dreamily, his chin resting in his palm and his elbow on the table.

Ichigo rolled her eyes. “Well, I’ve got to shower and change, so meet back here at three and we’ll head out?”

Pudding jumped down from the table, “Yay! Sounds good to me. This is gonna be amazing. Wait here Taru-Taru, I’m gonna go shower and change too!” Pudding darted out of the room.

Glancing at Tart, “See ya in an hour, Brat.” Kish’s eyes then slid back to Ichigo as he quickly stood and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Kitten. I’ll even help wash your back,” he whispered in her ear. Just before they disappeared, Ichigo heard Tart sneeze again.

Reappearing in Kish’s room, Ichigo finally got a good look around. She had been a bit preoccupied last night and this morning to really notice much. The walls were a deep gray and the ceiling looked to be metal plates that were riveted together. Under her feet, the lush carpet that covered the floor was a dark charcoal gray. His large bed was opposite the wall with the entry door. The right wall held a large metal desk with a computer screen above. There was a keyboard that was similar to a regular computer keyboard, and yet completely different. It’s markings were symbols she didn’t recognize, guessing that they were in his home language. All across the desk was littered books, small electronic devices, and a small disk shaped object that was displaying a pink hologram. The hologram was about six or seven inches tall and it was of her in her Mew Mew form.

Walking over to his desk, she studied the little hologram more closely. It showed her standing, her tail flicking back and forth, and her hands brought up in front of her curled like paws. There was a smile on her face and it was obviously from when she was younger, at least four years younger. It was a perfect recreation of her and was incredibly detailed.

She felt Kish come up behind her, “Used some of our fight footage Pai recorded to render that. I couldn’t have you back then, so this was the best I could do.” His voice was soft next to her ear.

She smiled, “A bit creepy in your stalkerish ways. But also, kinda cute and sweet.”

“What can I say? I wanted you more than anything,” he shrugged. Slipping his hands under her shirt, he rested his cool palms over the skin at her sides. “So, about that shower,” he teased while slowly pushing up her shirt.

She lifted her arms, and he pulled her shirt off. “Always trying to get me naked.”

He snickered, “Five years of wanting you, Kitten. You’re lucky I haven’t kept you tied to my bed since we mated.”

“Well, no joining me until you drop the glamor. You look good like that, but I miss my Kish.”

A satisfied smile slid over Kish’s face. “My Kish… I like the sound of that,” he teased softly. Kish turned her around and snapped his fingers, dropping his glamor. “Better, Kitten?”

“Mmm. Much, but remember, we only have an hour to shower and dress.”

“Then let me speed this up,” he snapped his fingers and both their clothes fell to a heap on the floor.

Ichigo giggled, “So impatient. Then lead the way, dear.”

Grabbing her hand, Kish tugged her to the opposite side of the room where there was another door, only this one had a handle. Kish opened it and stepped through, pulling her along with him.

“This is amazing! You’re technology never ceases to amaze me,” she said in awe as she looked around. To her left was a long counter with a sink and cupboard below. Above was a huge mirror that ran the entire length of the counter. Directly opposite, was a metal and glass shower, the silver metal came up about halfway before shifting into frosted glass. The door was in the middle and looked large enough for four people to shower comfortably. The tile floor below her feet and along the back wall of the shower was a glossy obsidian. The cabinets were metal, along with the sink, but the counter looked to be made of black marble. Just past the shower was a completely metal door that she assumed led to the toilet. But at the back of the bathroom was something absolutely breathtaking.

Against the far wall was a giant black marble tub. Definitely large enough to fit four people and from where she was standing, looked fairly deep. But what really caught her attention was what was behind and above the tub. The wall and ceiling above the tub looked like a giant window which she could currently see out over Tokyo through. “How is that possible? Aren’t we in the center of the ship?” Ichigo asked, pointing to the window. The tub and view was incredible and she couldn’t wait for a chance to soak in it.

“Sustained realm remember. Though part of my room is based on the ship, this area exists in its own realm. I may have taken a few liberties when I designed it, so that the window would show what’s outside the ship,” he answered with a smile. He was beyond pleased with her appreciation of his bathroom. And he was certainly looking forwards to ticking off yet another fantasy of his in that tub.

“You designed this ship?” Ichigo asked shocked.

He shook his head, “The actual ship, no. But when the sustained realms were being designed, me, Pai, and Tart were able to put our input into how we wanted certain things laid out. That was my indulgence.”

“It’s incredible,” she said, still amazed.

“Thanks, Kitten. You have no idea how many nights I spent submerged in that after one of our fights and thought of you while I gazed out over the city. And now I plan to make new memories with you joining me in that. But first, I’m going to ravish that delicious body of yours in my shower,” he grinned, flashing a fang as he pulled her to the shower door and opened it.

“And who said anything about you getting lucky?” she asked cocking an eyebrow.

Kish’s grin grew wicked, “Me.” Reaching in, Kish pressed a button and turned a dial at the back wall. A large spray of water fell from above that was the perfect temperature. Hot but not scalding.

Ichigo’s lips twisted and if Kish had been looking at her, he would have been shocked at how perfectly her smirk matched his. “Oh really?” she asked trailing a nail from the base of his spine to the base of his neck. A shudder traveled up his body in the wake of her sharp nail.

Spinning around, Kish snatched her hand. Nipping her fingertips with his fangs, “So feisty.” Pulling off his hair tie, he tossed it on the counter and pulled Ichigo under the warm water, closing the shower door behind them. The cascading water fell directly in the center, leaving enough room to the right and left to move out from under. But there was plenty of space for them both to stand under the streaming water.

“Cocky, possessive alien,” she remarked as she slung her arms around his neck.

Kish saw her smile as he slid his arm around her and pulled her close. “And you love it,” he grinned.

“Maybe,” she teased. The water streamed down over them both, darkening their hair and making their bodies glisten.

He leaned down so his lips hovered just above hers, keeping the water mostly out of her face. “God’s you’re beautiful,” he whispered.

“Kish…,” she purred, drawing out his name. Instantly, Ichigo felt his lips press against her, claiming her and hungry with need. She returned the kiss with full fervor. Her arms tightened around his neck, pulling him harder against her mouth and body.

Kish growled into the kiss when he felt her bare breasts press against his chest. Sliding a hand up, he splayed it wide over her upper back, keeping her locked to him. His other hand trailed down her back and cupped her soft rear, squeezing playfully.

Ichigo gasped and closed her teeth around his bottom lip, and pulled her mouth away from his, tugging his lip for a few moments then releasing it.

Kish’s tongue slid out and ran over his swollen lip. His deep honeyed eyes blazed, and he locked them with hers. “Kitten…,” he growled low and seductively.

Before she could respond, both his hands slid down to grip the back of her thighs. He hoisted her up and Ichigo found herself pressed against the cool tile of the shower. Her legs automatically wrapped around Kish’s waist and her hands gripped his shoulders. She could feel his member already hard and thick with his desire pressing against her entrance.

Kish’s lips found hers once again just as he thrusted into her, sliding deep. Ichigo moaned as he set a quick rhythm. The hot water cascaded down Kish’s back as he took his mate. Kish couldn’t get enough of her. He’d waited and dreamed of her for so long that, now that she was his, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. And when she began to moan against his lips, his desire only intensified. She was the only one that could stir his blood and drive him insane with his need for her. Every time he pushed into her hot sheath; he felt his body wanting to shudder at the sheer pleasure. She was his goddess and he planned to worship her until his dying breath.

Trailing his right hand up her side, he drew it along the underside of her arm. When he reached her elbow, he pulled her arm from his shoulder and held it against the wall above her head. He interlaced their fingers and pressed the back of her hand to the cool tile, pinning it there.

A deep moan crossed her lips, and she squeezed his hand. His left still gripped her thigh, supporting her while his body kept her pinned. Ichigo nipped his bottom lip and broke the kiss. Her head fell back against the wall, and she clenched her eyes shut. White hot bolts of ecstasy were shooting through her system. When she felt his fangs scrape along the line of her throat, she felt that inner coil come close to snapping.

He was doing it again. Effortlessly driving her to that peak of pleasure. Her body trembled with the power he held over her. His voice slid through her mind like silk. “So incredibly beautiful. And absolutely delicious. Gods, you feel so good.” With his words, she felt him completely drop his mental shields. Shock raced through her as she momentarily saw herself through his eyes. He saw her as a beauty beyond compare. All soft curves and glowing with a bright warmth that surrounded her like a halo. She watched as he focused solely on her. On the pleasure he was both giving and receiving. She really was the center of his world and his need for her burned her to the core.

His seemingly unending love and devotion pushed her even higher to that precipice. She was teetering on the edge. That coil moments away from snapping. Sifting through his mind, she found what she wanted. She could see what he wanted, what he needed to push them both over the edge. His mouth was still latched to her neck, which gave her easy access to her target. Sliding her hand from his shoulder and up the back of his neck, she buried her fingers in his wet hair. Twisting her fingers through the strands to keep his head locked in place.

Snapping her eyes open. Ichigo tilted her chin down and brought her lips to the upper edge of his long ear. She ran the tip of her warm tongue along the firm ridge as far as she could reach before trailing back down the inside hollow. Reaching the base, she licked at the entrance of his ear canal, before sealing her lips around the bottom lobe. Delicately, she pricked her fangs into the sensitive flesh. All the while, her hand kept him from pulling away. “Cum for me, mate,” she whispered softly within his mind and bit down harder.

The moment her tongue found his ear, Kish shouted in her mind, “Ichigo!” His thrusts became harder, faster, and more frantic. His fingertips dug into the soft flesh of her thigh. That tongue of hers was driving him insane. He pounded into her ruthlessly. When he tried to pull his ear away, her hand at the back of his head held him firmly. Feeling her tongue along the inner hollow and at his ear canal, Kish almost lost his mind. His cock swelled painfully in both arousal and his need for release.

Forcing himself deeper, he slammed into her cervix. He could feel her bite back screams of both pleasure and pain. “Ichigo! Stop!” he pleaded. He didn’t want to hurt her anymore, but what she was doing wouldn’t allow him to relent. But she ignored his pleas and when he felt her teeth graze his ear, his mind snapped. Eyes tinged red, he slammed into her with almost his full strength. Crushed her body and hand to the wall, taking her forcefully. They both came screaming each other’s names mentally. White hot pleasure seared through them both. And as connected as they were in both mind and body, they could feel each other’s orgasm rip through one another. Doubling the scorching pleasure. His member throbbed and pushed painfully deep, pressing harshly against her cervix and coating her womb in stream after stream of his seed. Both their essences washed down his trembling legs.

He hadn’t even realized he’d sunk his fangs deep into her mark until the warm sweet coppery taste filled his mouth. The taste of her blood finally allowed his mind to resurface. Ichigo had blacked out from both the immense pleasure and pain. Carefully, he pulled his fangs from her shoulder and released her hand. Holding her gently, Kish lowered them both to the shower floor. Both their hearts were pounding in their chests as he delicately nudged her mind awake.

Ichigo’s eyes fluttered open, and she caught Kish looking at her intensely. “Don’t you ever do that again. Do you hear me?!” he scolded, his voice a low growl. Though his body was still shuddering from the intensity of the orgasm, he was beyond pissed at her. Livid.

Even without their connection, Ichigo could plainly see the worry and anger flashing in his gold eyes. Pupils narrowed to nothing but slits. She shook her head weakly, “I can’t promise that.”

“Dammit, Ichigo!” he growled. “You pushed me too far. I hurt you. I could have seriously damaged you!”

Again, she shook her head. She was cradled in his lap and she used him as she struggled to sit up. “No. Even when your control completely snapped, you still held back just enough. I was right there with you the whole time. Watching you. Though I admit it was a bit painful, you never truly hurt me. You can’t and won’t. And I trust you completely. Even without thinking clearly, you were still protecting me. You could have broken my arm or torn me up inside, but you didn’t. And you may think you got close, but you really didn’t. Like I said, I was with you the whole time. Not once was I scared.”

“Well, I am! Fuck, Ichigo! I love you so much, but I’m so mad at you right now. I never wanted to hurt you, but you made me. Do you have any idea how much that hurts me? Last time I lost control like that, I almost killed you.” Wrapping his arms around her, he held tight to her frame as he tried to calm down. He had almost seriously hurt the one he loved most in this world.

Ichigo slid an arm around his neck and buried her face against his chest. “I’m sorry, Kish. I just wanted you to fully let go. I may be human, but I’m not weak. I won’t break so easily. I can’t promise I won’t push you like that in the future, but I can promise I won’t push you so far. I never meant to hurt you. And I know it’s hard, but you need to learn to trust me and yourself. I love you.”

Kish carefully stood up, but kept her secure in his arms. She was still too weak to stand yet. He moved so they were both under the water and he let it wash over their shaking bodies. “Gods, Ichigo. I’ll never understand how you can trust me so much. How you can put so much faith in me after everything I did to you back then.”

Ichigo smiled, “Because I live here and here,” she said touching his forehead and over his heart. “And I know how much you love me.”

He shook his head and kissed her cheek. “I’m still pissed at you.”

“I know, but I know you still love me, and I still love you,” she said, still smiling softly.

“What am I gonna do with you, Kitten?”

“You can start by helping me finish bathing. I don’t think I have the strength to support my full weight yet,” she answered.

Sighing, he carefully set her on her feet, but kept an arm wrapped securely around her waist. Reaching for his shampoo, he squirted some onto her scalp and began to work it into her hair as she held onto him. “Tart’s right,” he sighed.

“About what?” she asked, keeping her eyes closed.

“I am wrapped around your little finger.”

She giggled, “And I find it absolutely adorable.”

“I’m a trained warrior, I’m not supposed to be adorable,” he pouted. “Sexy, but not adorable.” Carefully he drew her back under the water and rinsed her hair.

“I like the smell of that. Reminds me of you, but not quite,” she said enjoying the feeling of his hands running through her hair.

Kish chuckled, “Obviously, it’s my shampoo. But it’s not right because it’s my actual scent that’s throwing it off.”

“Huh?”

“Tart mentioned emotions having different scents, like how I could tell you were lying earlier. Well, our noses are strong enough to distinguish an individual’s scent. Yours is strong enough as well, that’s how you can tell my shampoo isn’t quite right.” Keeping his hands on her waist for support, he pulled her out of the water and leaned down, placing the crook of his neck near her nose. “Close your eyes and breathe deep through your nose. Tell me what you smell,” he instructed.

Doing as he said, Ichigo breathed deep. Ignoring the scent of the shampoo and the water, she concentrated on what she could smell. “Umm… Smells kind of like a forest, but something metal as well. Clean, fresh, and woodsy with a tang of something metallic. But just under that I smell…. Strawberries?”

Kish laughed. “Good job, Kitten. The first is my scent. You smell a hint of strawberries because since we mated, your scent is tied to mine. You smell like a ripe field of strawberries after a summer rain. But now you also have a hint of trees and metal under your scent.”

“So, everyone has a unique smell?” she asked.

“Yup. Tart has a sweet smell like freshly baked sweet goods mixed with a silimom, which is a lot like your lemons. Pai smells of snow and burning wood.”

“Neat,” she grinned. “I never noticed before.”

“That’s because you weren’t looking. But I’ll be happy to teach you and how to scent emotions. All emotions have a similar scent to everyone but are specific to each. For example, arousal usually has a spicy scent. Tart smells it as pepper, which is why it makes him sneeze. For me, it’s like hot cinnamon. Except for your arousal, that smell is the most intoxicating scent to me. But that’s because you’re my mate.”

Grabbing his soap, he lathered up a washcloth and pulled her back under the water. While he scrubbed her skin, he continued. “Here’s one I know you’ve scented before. Anger. Can probably scent it now. It usually smells like something hot or burning. To me, it’s ashes. What is it to you?”

Ichigo thought about it, “Well, I’ve only noticed it with you, but it’s like charcoal or old burnt wood.”

He sighed, “Probably because I was angry around you a lot, so you picked up on it easier.”

“Only other scent that I think I know is when someone is threatening, it smells cold and acidic, like frozen bile. Used to turn my stomach and scare me. Which is why I thought of it more as a warning sense,” she stated.

Kish paused, the washcloth still against her hip. “From me again, right?” She only nodded. Kish knelt and resumed scrubbing her leg. Ichigo placed a hand on his shoulder so she wouldn’t fall.

“I wondered why sometimes I could scent your fear even before I did anything. Thought it was because you were afraid of me, but it only happened a few times. So, I knew that wasn’t it. You were scenting my intent to harm. Makes sense now. And that’s pretty close to what I smell, but it’s ice and vinegar to me. Again, I’m…”

Ichigo cut him off with a squeeze to his shoulder. “Don’t. Don’t apologize. You already have and we’ve moved on, remember. I’ve already forgiven you.”

He sighed and nodded his head. Scooping her up, he stepped out of the water and double tapped a tile a couple of feet from the floor. A small bench slid out of the wall and he placed her carefully upon it. “Stay while I finish up,” he commanded.

“Yes, dear,” she said sarcastically, leaning back against the cool tile.

“Petulant, Kitten,” he muttered.

“Arrogant, alien,” she shot back.

He chuckled and lathered his hair. Quickly, he washed his hair and body then rinsed. When he was done, he shut the water off and wrung out his hair. Gathering Ichigo into his arms, he tapped the tiles again, and the bench retreated into the wall.

“That’s convenient,” she mused.

Stepping out of the shower, Kish sat Ichigo on the counter. “Especially when you’re wounded and can’t stand for long or don’t have the energy to levitate.”

“Let me guess, by a feisty cat or an annoying Blue Knight?” she teased.

“Exactly,” he smirked, pulling out two large fluffy towels, one white and the other deep green. He sat the white towel on the counter and used the green to dry his hair before wrapping it around his hips. He used the white to towel dry Ichigo’s hair, then wrapped it tightly around her torso, just under her arms. Picking her up once again, he headed to the bedroom.

Placing Ichigo on the side of the bed, he walked over to his desk and clicked a few keys. The time flashed on the screen above. “Looks like we still have about twenty minutes before we need to meet Tart and Pudding,” he said, heading to his wardrobe that was next to the bathroom door. He quickly dressed in a clean uniform and wound his wrist and leg wraps around his arms and legs. After pulling on his boots, he grabbed Ichigo’s bag and sat it on the bed next to her.

“Thank you for helping me. And sorry I made you mad earlier,” she said softly while looking up at him.

Kish sucked in a breath, “Oh, I’m still mad as Abyss at you. But I’ve been thinking about it and I understand why you did it. However, I don’t agree with how you did it. You want me to fully let go, fine. But not all at once like that. Next time I say stop, listen to me. I really could have hurt you, Kitten. And that’s the last thing I want to do.”

Ichigo lowered her eyes in shame, but Kish stepped close and slipped the tip of his fingers under her chin. “I may still be mad, but I forgive you. And of course I’ll always help you, no matter how angry I may be with you. You’re my mate and I love you. It’s my job to take care of you. And I’m more than happy to do that. Besides, I got to bathe you. Another fantasy checked off the list,” he winked.

“You always say you don’t deserve me, but sometimes I think it’s the other way around,” Ichigo said with a soft smile.

He smirked and folded his hands behind his head. “Same coin, remember. Now hurry and get dressed. I’ll be right back.”

As soon as he disappeared, Ichigo hurriedly dug through her bag. Pulling out a pale pink bra and matching underwear, she quickly put them on. She was just pulling a pale-yellow summer dress over her head when Kish reappeared.

“Well, this is a switch. You actually dressing up just for me,” he teased.

Ichigo blushed as she smoothed down her dress. It was a knee length yellow sun dress with short capped sleeves. The neckline was a low-cut scoop neck that showed just the right amount of cleavage. Along the neckline were tiny red embroidered strawberries. “It is technically our first date. I wanted to look pretty.”

Kish smiled and snatched up her brush he saw sitting in her bag. Taking a seat behind her, he gathered her damp hair and began working the brush through her long locks. “You always look beautiful to me, Kitten.”

“Thanks, honey. And where did you disappear to?”

“Oh, I almost forgot. Seeing you all dressed up distracted me. Here,” he handed her the red bottle from earlier.

“I already need to take another dose?” she asked with concern.

“No. The one you took earlier should last at least six more hours, but you’re hurting worse than you realize,” he said as he finished brushing her hair.

“But I feel fine.”

“That’s because of the medicine already in your system. And though you can’t feel it, I can.” He reached around and pushed firmly on her lower abdomen. A whimper escaped her lips at the sudden shock of pain.

“See. You’re hurting on the inside. I was too rough with you. Which is why I’m still mad at both you and myself. The medicine is just keeping it at bay for now. But as badly as you’re hurt, you’ll notice it soon. So, take another swallow for both the pain and to help heal quicker.” His voice was firm, and Ichigo did as he said.

“I’m still sorry,” she said handing back the bottle.

“It’s alright. I forgave you. But it’s something we can both learn from. You’re right in that I need to trust and believe in you more. You are stronger than almost anyone I know and can handle more than I think. And eventually I will be able to fully let go, but not until you’re more used to it. And you’ve got to remember that I’m a lot stronger than I was or appeared to be. I held back a lot back then so you rarely saw my full strength or power. Not trying to brag, but I am one of the strongest and most powerful on my planet. You know firsthand how bad I can be when I snap. Not to mention how possessive I am. Messing with my ears the way you did brings out that possessive side as well as made me snap. All I wanted was to take you and dominate you. You’re pain be damned as long as I got what I wanted. But that’s not what I really want. Enough about it though, we both feel bad. And my anger is already subsiding because you just reminded me that I actually get to take you on a real first date.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom to retrieve his hair tie.

Returning, Kish watched Ichigo as she put on a bit of makeup and pulled her hair up into her signature pigtails. He smiled, “Been a while since I’ve seen your hair up like that and it’s still adorable.” Quickly, he ran her brush through his hair and tied it back.

“As I got older, I started wearing it down more often. But I kinda wanted to put it up like old times since I’m with you,” she blushed.

When she turned around to face him, Kish gaped. “Damn, Kitten. You really are beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad yourself. Human or alien. Though I prefer the alien you,” she winked.

He rolled his eyes, “Only because you’re obsessed with my fangs.”

“Partially true. This is,” she gestured to all of him, “what I fell in love with and what I know.”

He stole a quick kiss and licked his lips, “Mm. Strawberry lip gloss. You were wearing that when I stole your first kiss,” he smirked, flashing his fang.

“You remembered!”

“Of course, I do. And you still taste just as sweet,” he winked. “Time to go, Kitten.”

Digging through her bag she pulled out a pair of white sandals and a small white purse. Searching through her jeans and athletic pants, she found her cell, pendant, and Masha and tucked them into her purse. Snatching her wallet from the side pocket of her bag, she tossed that into her purse as well. When she reached for her hoodie, Kish stopped her. “Wait. I’ve got something that will look much nicer with that dress than that.”

She watched him as he searched through his wardrobe. Finally, he pulled out a beautiful long black and dark green coat. The body of the coat was black but the high backed collar and lapels were a deep green. The bottom hem and a stripe along the top of each sleeve were also green. A large golden dragon sprawled across the back. It’s long sinewy body coiling until it’s head came near the right waist with one of Kish’s sais clasped tightly in it’s jaws. On the right lapel were several symbols stitched in golden thread. There was also a larger golden symbol over the right breast. Kish held it open so she could slip her arms in. It came to just below her knees. Soft and light as satin, it also felt warm. It was beyond magnificent.

“Kish! It’s beautiful. But what do the symbols mean?”

Kish couldn’t help the large smile that curved his lips at the sight of Ichigo in his military coat. Not only was she wearing something of his, but she looked stunning in it. “The large one on the chest is my title, Commander General. And this,” he brushed his fingertips over the first word, “is my name written in my language. Under that says Tenth Council because I hold the tenth council seat on my planet. This is my military dress coat for official gatherings.”

Ichigo was astonished, “But Kish! I can’t wear something so important!”

“Please do me the honor of wearing it. Besides, you look gorgeous in it. I dare say it suits you better than me. And it makes me incredibly happy seeing you in it.”

Ichigo blushed deeply, “If you’re sure it’s alright.”

“Absolutely,” he grinned. Taking her hand, he teleported them to the mess hall.

“About damn time!” Tart hissed when Kish and Ichigo appeared. Then Tart noticed what Ichigo was wearing. “Really, Kish! You’re letting her wear your Commander’s coat?” It was strange seeing someone else wear his dress coat. It had been a gift from the previous Commander General when Kish had been promoted and he didn’t let anyone touch it, not even Pai or their parents. It was one of his most prized possessions. So, to see it on Ichigo was a shock. Not to mention, the coat signified Kish’s high rank in both the military and on the council. It was a symbol of pride and honor amongst his people. That Kish had put it on Ichigo, showed just how much he genuinely cared for her.

“And why shouldn’t I? She is my mate and future wife. And it looks better on her anyways,” he smirked.

“But it’s not right!” Tart blurted out.

Ichigo lowered her eyes, “If it’s that big of a problem, I’ll go change.”

Kish stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Leave it on,” he commanded. Narrowing his eyes at Tart, “What the Abyss, Tart? You may be my cousin, but I am still your Commander General and if I say she can wear it, then she can.” His voice was low and steady, carrying all the weight of his authority.

Ichigo glanced at Kish. She’d never seen this side of him. Sure, she’d seen him command Pai and Tart years ago, but not like this. He stood proud and his eyes were piercing. His voice demanded attention and respect. He was a force to be reckoned with. It impressed her.

Kish, however, was more than a little ticked at Tart. He could feel how upset his words had made his mate and it raised his hackles.

Tart hated it when Kish pulled rank, though he rarely did. It reminded him just how low on the totem pole he was in comparison. Tart lowered his gaze, “I’m sorry, sir. It’s just that I know how much that coat means to you.”

Kish glared at Tart, “And she means more to me than it ever could.”

Pudding bounded over to help diffuse the situation. She bopped Tart on the head. “Stop upsetting Ichigo, Taru-Taru. Kish is right, she looks really pretty in it. And it’s Kish’s so he can do what he wants with it. Besides, if they are married like you all say, then she has every right to wear her husband’s clothes.”

Tart looked sheepishly from Pudding then back to Kish. “She’s right. I’m sorry. And sorry to you too Ichigo, you really do look nice in it.”

“Thanks, Brat,” Ichigo said, a smile finally returning to her lips.

Kish’s glare softened but didn’t fully relent. “If I wasn’t so excited to take Ichigo out today, I’d be real tempted to kick your ass for that, twerp.”

“I really am sorry,” Tart apologized again.

Kish sighed and waved his hand in front of his face, calling on his glamor. “It’s fine. We ready to go? Ichigo and I are starving, and I believe Pudding has a bet to collect.”

Following his lead, Tart pulled on his own glamor and grabbed Pudding’s hand. Pudding bounced on her toes. “Let’s go! This is gonna be so much fun!”

Ichigo slid her arm around Kish’s waist, Pudding’s infectious happiness shown in her eyes. “You know where to go?”

Kish searched her mind quickly and grinned, “I do now.”

Ichigo reached up and flicked his chest, “That’s both convenient and annoying.”

Kish laughed, “No different than what you did this morning, and I was asleep,” he teased.

A blush tinged Ichigo’s cheeks, “Oh, fine. Just be sure to teleport where there’s no one around.”

Chapter Text

Kish teleported them to a small alley across the street from the mall with Tart and Pudding following him closely through the general subspace. When Tart and Pudding appeared, Pudding clutched her head and nearly fell to her knees, but Tart caught her just in time.

“Give us a sec. Pudding still isn’t used to teleporting.”

“Feel like you’re stuck on a merry-go-round?” Ichigo asked Pudding as she rubbed the younger girl’s back.

“Exactly! But this one isn’t fun,” Pudding moaned and clenched her eyes tightly shut.

“Kish, can you help her like you did for me that first time?” Ichigo asked.

“Only for you, Kitten. And only if Tart’s okay with it,” Kish answered glancing over at Tart.

Tart sighed. He knew what Kish was going to do, and he wished it were him that could help Pudding. But Tart had never been particularly good at sharing energy. Pai was the best out of the three of them, but Kish was pretty good too.

Glaring at Kish, “Fine, but watch the hands.”

Kish rolled his eyes. “I’ve already got a mate, thank you.” Kish moved beside Pudding, “Just relax, Pudding. I can help with the dizziness and nausea if you’ll let me.”

“Whatever you can do, do it. I feel like I want to throw up,” she whined.

“A heads up, I have to touch your skin.”

“Just make the spinning stop,” Pudding interrupted with a pleading whimper.

Stepping closer, Kish gently slid his hand under the bottom of Pudding’s top, splaying his fingers wide over her belly. He placed his other hand against her temple. Taking a deep breath, Kish concentrated. A soft warmth spread through Pudding from Kish’s hands, chasing away the spinning sensation.

Blinking, Pudding slowly opened her eyes. She threw her arms around Kish, “That worked! I feel so much better. No more dizziness. Thank you so much!”

Kish hugged her back awkwardly then stepped away. He stumbled a bit but threw his arm out and caught the cool brick wall of the alley to steady himself. “No problem,” he smiled.

Ichigo slid under Kish’s arm, “You alright?”

“Yeah. Just a bit drained. I suggest we eat before you girls start shopping.”

Ichigo nodded and pulled Kish closer, letting him lean more of his weight on her. “Thanks for helping her.”

“Anything for you, Kitten.” Kish’s trademark smirk was back in full force.

Shifting his arm from Ichigo’s shoulders, he slid it around her waist. “Come on Tart. How about we go show off our girls?”

Both Ichigo and Pudding blushed. Pudding took Tart’s hand and tugged him forward, “Come on Taru-Taru. I can’t wait to show you around.”

Kish and Ichigo followed after the young couple. “Just remember, food first, Pudding. So, you two start thinking about what you want,” Ichigo hollered after them.

The four had finally decided on pizza. It turned out the boys weren’t too keen on processed meats, so they ordered a large cheese pizza to split between them as well as a soda for each. “I know you’re not a vegetarian, so why no meat?” Ichigo asked as they sat at a slightly secluded table.

Tart shuddered, “Found out the hard way last time we were here that some of your overly processed foods, especially some meats, don’t sit well with us. Spent three days in bed with stomach cramps when I stole some kind of meat sandwich.”

“And yet, you ate candy like it was going out of style,” Ichigo teased.

“Hey! Blame Pudding on my candy addiction.”

“It worked, didn’t it? You became my friend, Taru-Taru. And now my boyfriend,” Pudding smiled wide.

Tart blushed and a smirk eerily similar to Kish’s slid across his lips, “I guess.”

Ichigo’s eyes flicked between Tart and Kish. “You two have been spending way too much time together. Your grin is way too close to Kish’s. And that’s not a compliment.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean, Kitten?” Kish asked, sliding his eyes over to her.

“Nothing,” she eeped and returned to her pizza.

Pudding scarfed down her slice. While licking her fingers, she asked, “So if some of our food made you sick, what did you eat while you were here?”

“We brought some provisions from home, but Tart grew enough fruits and vegetables for the three of us.” Kish saw the wheels turning in Ichigo’s head. “Stop thinking so hard, Kitten. Tart’s one of few with that ability, so still not enough to have helped with the food shortages. He made enough for us, but just enough. And it takes a lot of his energy. And I will admit we did steal some food to supplement our supplies.”

“Kish!” Ichigo exclaimed.

“What? We were invading, not like we were concerned about laws or behaving,” Kish shrugged.

“I suppose, but no more stealing. We’re on the same side now. Right?” Ichigo stared at Kish. She realized that while they had parted on decent terms and both Kish and Tart had mentioned being on her side, they hadn’t actually discussed any formal truce or alliance.

Kish smirked and licked some sauce from his long fingers. “Of course, Kitten. Earth no longer has any reason to fear us or our people. Not only were we welcomed as heroes, but after we explained everything and that it was you who gave us the Mew Aqua in the end, you Mews are also viewed as heroes back home.”

“What! But we…,” Ichigo trailed off as she looked around and lowered her voice. “But we killed your people’s god.” Shock was coursing through her. They had talked about his planet before the Mew Aqua, but not much after. She had been his planet’s greatest enemy and now they saw her as a hero. It just didn’t make sense. Not to mention one of his orders had been to specifically kill her.

Even without their connection, Kish could easily decipher the shock on Ichigo’s face. His eyes flicked between hers. He smirked, “Did I forget to mention that?”

Tart rolled his eyes. “Kish is right. You are perceived as heroes just like us. You did save our lives and gave us the Mew Aqua. If it weren’t for you, all three of us would be dead and our people would still be suffering. And though Deep Blue was a god to us, we managed to convince the council of his intent to destroy us as well if we had fully invaded.”

“But we were enemies!” Ichigo hissed. “How can they accept us as heroes so easily?”

Tart and Kish locked eyes for a moment. Kish subtly shook his head, but Tart didn’t agree. “They deserve to know, Kish.”

Kish glared at Tart but sighed. Kish’s eyes slid to Ichigo, all traces of his normal glitter of mischief were gone. “Listen, Kitten. Yes, a majority of our people do see you as heroes, but there are a few who aren’t happy that you killed Deep Blue. He was supposed to be our savior and was worshiped on our planet. However, they are in the minority and keep their feelings hidden. We only know because we’ve been threatened a few times over the last four years. And sometimes a questionable request or document would cross our desks in council dealings. So, we’re pretty sure at least one council member is opposed to how things turned out. But it’s all anonymous so we’re not sure who.” ‘Though I have a few ideas,’ Kish thought to himself.

Kish leaned back in his chair. It bothered him to have to reveal that they could be in danger on his planet. And though he hated to admit it, Tart was right that the girls needed to know. Especially, if Ichigo would be returning with them. The thought of her in any kind of danger made it feel like a cold stone had dropped in his stomach. He licked his fang. He’d happily rip apart anyone who threatened or hurt his mate.

Kit purred in his mind and a soft warmth spread through him. His eyes snapped to Ichigo’s. She’d seen what he was thinking and was comforting him, reassuring him. His thoughts flicked back to what they’d said earlier. They were strong on their own, but together they were a force to be reckoned with.

“Will Ichigo be in danger when she goes back with you?” Pudding was unknowingly echoing Kish’s thoughts.

Both Ichigo and Kish exchanged smirks. “I’ll be fine. If I can almost beat Kish, no one else stands a chance. Besides, Kish wouldn’t allow anyone close enough to even attempt to hurt me.”

Kish grabbed another slice of pizza, “She’s absolutely right. And Pai and Tart have our backs too. Plus, we have other friends that we trust should there be any problems. But I seriously doubt anyone would try anything drastic.”

Tart eyed Kish. Kish was downplaying everything and seemed too overly confident. The first year there had been actual riots and outrage over what they had reported. Most were happy when the Mew Aqua had once again made their planet habitable. More than that, it turned his home into a veritable paradise. But there were still many that weren’t thrilled that their god had been killed. Going so far as to accuse the three of them as traitors. Things were precarious that first year after their return. And though things had certainly calmed down, there was still the anonymous threats and dark whispers through the palace and military compounds. But so far no one had acted. Most likely due to Kish’s strength and status.

Sighing, “Kish is right. We’ll keep her safe if anything happens, which I doubt will.”

“If you say so Taru-Taru. I’ll be very mad at you if you let anything happen to her or me.” Pudding smiled and wiggled in her chair.

“Huh?!”

“I want to come too!”

“Pudding!” Ichigo shouted. “What about school and your brothers and sister? Not to mention the dojo?”

“I’ll just take a year off before going to college. I was thinking about it anyways to help full time at the dojo. And with my dad back, my brothers and sister will be fine, even if I will miss them like crazy. But I want to be with Taru-Taru and see his home.”

Mouth wide, Tart gaped at Pudding. “Are you sure about this? I don’t know how long it might be before we could bring you back.” Tart was thrilled with the thought of having Pudding come home with him. But was also nervous at not only the danger she could be in, but also about how much trouble she could cause. She wasn’t exactly subtle and was still on the energetic side.

“Absolutely! I’ll be graduating high school in a couple of weeks so the timing couldn’t be better. And I know my father will understand. He can’t really complain since he left for so long.” Pudding was beaming. She’d been thinking about this nonstop since she found out Ichigo was going to leave with them. Plus, she’d only just gotten Taru-Taru back. There was no way she could let him leave without her.

“If you’re sure about this, then of course you can come. I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t make me happy to bring you home with me and show you my planet. But are you really sure?” Tart was bright red as he thought of having Pudding with him in his home. That thought reminded him of something. “But if you do come, you girls will at least be together. Kish and I happen to live together.”

Ichigo interrupted, “No wonder you’re starting to act like him!”

Pudding giggled, “Just don’t end up too much like him. I like you just the way you are. And I’m absolutely sure, Taru-Taru. This is gonna be so cool. Living with you two and Ichigo. It really will be like we’re family.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but smile as Pudding jumped out of her seat and wrapped Tart in a tight hug. It really would be nice having her with her on their planet. Like bringing a piece of home with her. She knew she’d never be alone with Kish at her side, but secretly she had been a tad apprehensive at the thought of being the only human on their planet. But with Pudding around, things would certainly be lively.

Kish reached for a third slice, “Yeah. Tart and I have a house together. After being here for so long and after all we went through, it was difficult to jump back into our old lives. I had already made the decision to move out of our family’s home almost as soon as we got back. Tart tagged along and, truth be told, I enjoyed the company. We both missed you girls terribly, so it worked out. And Pai lives just down the road from us.” He glanced at Pudding, his golden eyes sparkling, “And Pudding. No destroying our home with those tricks of yours. I remember how hyper and all over the place you can be.” He gave her a wink.

“Hey! I’ve gotten better! I told you I’m not quite so hyper anymore,” Pudding pouted and stuck out her tongue at Kish.

Both Ichigo and Tart giggled as they reached for the last slice of pizza. “Go ahead,” Tart told Ichigo.

“Nah, you take it. I don’t think I could finish a whole piece. Just wanted a few more bites,” she said eyeing the slice Kish was about to take a bite of.

He rolled his eyes and took a bite before handing it to Ichigo.

“Thanks, babe,” she said happily before taking a couple of bites and handing the rest back to him.

He grinned, “Only for you, Kitten.”

Ichigo was about to respond when a voice behind her made her freeze. “Ichigo? Is that you?” A feeling of dread and anger washed through her and she paled. Slowly, she turned her head to the source of the voice.

Masaya stood a few tables away looking at her intently with a soft smile. Before he could come closer, Ichigo stood, blocking his view of the others. “Wh… What are you doing here?” She tried to sound friendly, but she couldn’t quite keep all her nervousness and anger out of her voice.

Masaya’s smile faltered just a fraction. “Just got in last night. Have to pick up Elaine at the airport later tonight. So, I decided to come walk around here for a bit to stay awake. Still on England time. And though I’d rather walk the park, I was afraid I’d end up falling asleep on a bench. Didn’t think I’d run into you here, but it’s really nice to see you again.” He stepped forwards to give her a hug, but she stepped back, distancing herself.

Before Masaya could say something, someone had taken Ichigo’s hand and tugged her to their side, placing her slightly behind them. A cold, golden, glittering stare caught Masaya’s eye. “It can’t be,” he muttered under his breath. But the resemblance was uncanny. The black hair threaded with green. The paler than normal skin and the slightly long canines. But what clenched it were those gold eyes. Eyes that were glaring at him with hatred. “Kish?” he stammered.

Kish’s arm slid possessively around Ichigo’s waist, tucking her closer to his side. “What of it?” he said. His voice was low and full of challenge.

“But how?” Masaya asked, not backing down. Then his eyes flicked between Ichigo and Kish. Seeing his arm around Ichigo and she wasn’t pulling away. In fact, she was pressing herself further into his side. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Something inside Ichigo snapped at those words. Stepping away from Kish, she snatched Masaya’s hand. “Outside, now. The both of you,” she hissed and started dragging Masaya to the closest exit. She knew Kish was right on her heels. She could feel his anger and a small shadow of jealousy roiling within him. Her own anger was bubbling to the surface. She had a serious bone to pick with her ex. And the tension between the three of them was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. She knew she needed to get them somewhere private before things escalated. Before Kish’s temper and possessiveness took control.

Pudding and Tart watched the trio leave and glanced at each other. “This can’t be good,” Tart whispered.

“Nope,” Pudding agreed.

Quickly, they cleaned up their table and hurried after the others.

Ichigo found a secluded side of the building away from any passersby. Dropping Masaya’s hand, she glared at him. “What the hell did that mean?” she snapped. Her ears and tail popped out as her anger broke free. She thanked her stars that she’d managed to keep it together until they made it somewhere private.

Masaya stared at Ichigo in shock. He’d never seen her this angry before, at least not at him. “You’re… You’re with him?! But you hate him!” he shouted.

Her eyes narrowed and her tail flicked in agitation. “I never hated him. I hated what he was trying to do, but never him,” she growled low.

Kish stood off to the side of Ichigo where he could clearly see both her and Masaya. He leaned against the brick wall with his hands clasped tightly behind his head. His focus was so shattered, he’d dropped his glamor. He was itching to punch the bastard square in the jaw, or better yet, run his sais through him. His old hatred and jealousy towards Masaya was back in full force. But Ichigo had asked him to start trusting her more. So, he’d keep quiet for now. But he couldn’t hold back the smirk when Ichigo defended him. Even if his eyes were narrowed slits full of piercing rage.

Kish’s grin caught Masaya’s eye. “So, you’re not denying it? You’re really with him?” he snapped. His old possessiveness over Ichigo taking over.

“Yes, I’m with him. He’s never lied to me. His love was real. Unlike yours! In fact, we happened to be getting married. And I love him dearly.”

Masaya recoiled and his eyes flicked to Kish’s, narrowing. “You told her?” he accused.

Kish’s pupils became mere slits as he glared at Masaya and came to stand beside Ichigo. He shifted his arms and clasped his hands behind his back. “I didn’t have to. She saw my memory of after I was resurrected. Though I didn’t want her to because I knew how much it would hurt her. How much you hurt her.” Kish’s voice was low but piercing. Masaya’s hands clenched into white knuckled fists.

Tearing his eyes from Kish, Masaya looked at Ichigo. “I’m sorry Ichigo. You were never supposed to know. You were mine and I couldn’t risk you finding out. I couldn’t risk you doubting me. And I never wanted him to touch you. You’re mine. Not his.”

Masaya didn’t even notice the slip in tense, but Kish sure as hell had. And he was livid. Red flashed through his eyes as he shifted his stance.

Ichigo felt Kish’s anger surge through him like a tidal wave. Her eyes caught the flash of silver behind his back as she glanced at him. “Put those away, mate.”

Her smooth command momentarily cut through his rage and his eyes locked with hers. “You heard what he said,” he growled.

“I know and he’s wrong. I’m yours, mate. I should never have been his. And I’ll never be again. Only yours. Now drop them.”

Kish’s angry stare never left hers as he grit his teeth and dismissed his sais. “He says it again and I can’t promise I won’t break something.”

She chose to ignore that comment for the time being and calmly stepped towards Masaya.

Just as Pudding and Tart finally located the three, a resounding crack split the air. The young couple watched on as Masaya lifted a hand to his red cheek.

“How dare you! I’m not yours! Not anymore! I don’t even know if I was ever actually yours or Deep Blue’s. And it doesn’t matter now because I am Kish’s. Whether you like it or not. He never gave up on me. Never let distance stop his feelings for me. You were in England, and he was in another freaking galaxy and yet he never stopped loving me. Unlike you. You let the distance drive us apart. Let your hatred of me being a Mew come between us. While he always accepted who I was, who I still am. Even when we were fighting he respected who I was, even if he didn’t respect boundaries. Not once in over four years did he ever give up on me. Not even when you told him to leave and forget about me. He’s my mate and I will always choose him. It should have always been him.”

Kish’s seething anger completely vanished at his mate’s words. She had thoroughly shocked him. In fact, everyone stood staring at her in shock and awe. A fang slid over his lip as he saw the shock and hurt on the tree hugger’s face. A momentary flash of satisfaction shot through him. ‘Hurt’s to be so thoroughly rejected, doesn’t it bastard,’ he thought. ‘I hope you suffer like I did.’

Ichigo ignored both Kish’s thoughts and the hurt on Masaya’s face as she continued. Letting all her anger and heartbreak out. “And I can’t believe you! He sacrificed himself for me and you wouldn’t even let him say goodbye. Even with as possessive as Kish can be, he still lets me make my own choices. But you took that away from both him and I. I may not have felt for him back then as I do now, but not only did he not get to say goodbye, but I didn’t either. That hurt. I had to live with thinking he just left. That after everything we went through, that he just abandoned me. But it was because of you. I had to watch him die for me then he just disappeared from my life. I never got to thank him or say goodbye. Because of you!”

Masaya just stood there and stared at her. His mind was racing over everything Ichigo had said. Then something hit him like a bucket of ice water. He couldn’t believe it. There was no way. She’d never agree to something like that. Not with him. “Mates?” he asked coldly.

“Yes,” and without another word, Ichigo tugged aside Kish’s coat and her dress, revealing her mark to a stunned Masaya. “And because you taunted him with it, I know you know exactly what the significance of this is,” she said flatly.

Masaya’s cold, angry eyes slid to Kish’s. “Three years we were together, and I never touched her. How long were you back before you forced yourself on her?”

Every drop of anger came rushing back at Kish in full force. His hands once again wrapped around the familiar cool metal of his sais. “Bastard,” his voice was somewhere between a low menacing growl and a hiss.

Ichigo’s fiery voice cut through the air at his side. “What the hell is wrong with you? He didn’t force me. I chose to be with him.”

Masaya’s eyes snapped back to Ichigo’s, “How long Ichigo? How long was he back before you let him into your bed?” Masaya’s voice was low and cold, and it sliced through Ichigo.

Masaya couldn’t seem to stop himself. Couldn’t seem to hold back his words. A coldness was coursing through him with his anger and, to an extent, jealousy. After all he’d done to keep them apart, Kish had still managed to claim her heart. He knew he was being cruel and completely out of character for him, but it was like something inside had snapped. Ichigo had slipped through his fingers and Kish, of all people, had taken his place.

A burning rage tore through Kish. A flash of red tinged his eyes as he stepped in front of Ichigo. Blocking her from the bastard. He could feel her pain at his words. Feel how scared and confused she was, even with her anger simmering over everything. And, for a second, he felt a flash of uncertainty flick through her. Uncertainty in just how quickly things had moved with them. A momentary worry that maybe she had jumped in too quickly. And it made his hatred towards Masaya double. That his mate was doubting herself and their bond. But then he felt her love and resolve hold steady in her heart. Any and all shadows of doubt immediately disappeared. She loved him with everything she had. It allowed him to take back some control, but just barely.

Stepping forwards, Kish dismissed one sai and twisted his hand in the front of Masaya’s shirt. Hoisting him up, he glared into Masaya’s eyes. His pupils narrowed and his golden eyes glittered dangerously. “That’s none of your goddamn business. She made her final choice, and this time it’s me.” He brought his sai up to Masaya’s throat, “Keep hurting her, and this time I will kill you.” Kish had lowered his voice so only he and Masaya had heard the final threat.

Fear shot through Masaya. He knew Kish meant every word. And with his fear, his anger and the strange coldness that had gripped him began to break. Clarity hit him as he realized what he’d done. He’d possibly hurt Ichigo irreparably. He didn’t know if he had any hope of fixing things, but he had to try.

Struggling against Kish’s hold, “Wait! I’m sorry.” He tried to look around Kish at Ichigo. “Ichigo, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he begged.

Ichigo came up beside Kish and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Kish.” Her voice was soft.

Kish flicked his eyes over to her. Tears were trickling down her cheeks as she looked pleadingly at him. His need to comfort his mate overruled his gnawing anger. Sighing, he tossed Masaya to the ground and dismissed his other sai. Wrapping his arms protectively around Ichigo, he kept them turned so as not to put his back to Masaya. Gently, he tucked Ichigo’s head under his chin and held her close.

Masaya landed on his backside, hard. Bracing his hands behind him, he stared up at the couple. “Ichigo… I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it. I swear. I just got so angry when I realized you were with him. And I don’t know why. I’m with someone else. So, I don’t know why I got so mad and jealous.”

Ichigo turned within Kish’s embrace to face him. Kish’s hands slid down to grip her waist, standing protectively at her back. “It’s a left over from Deep Blue’s power.” Kish’s voice was cold and flat.

Worry raced through Masaya. “But… But he’s dead,” he stuttered.

Kish’s grip tightened on Ichigo. “Yes. But I can still feel lingering traces of his power in you. Ichigo was supposed to have been yours. For Deep Blue’s protection. Seeing her with me, especially knowing we’re mates, probably snapped the last of his power to the surface.”

Having Ichigo in his arms was doing wonders to soothe his anger. Kish could feel his arrogance and cockiness slowly returning as his burning rage subsided to a low simmering heat.

“But it couldn’t have been all him. I loved Ichigo. I was willing to die for her so she could destroy Deep Blue,” Masaya pleaded as he finally got to his feet.

Kish shrugged but narrowed his eyes, “Don’t know and don’t care. I did die for her.”

Ichigo’s own anger was dissipating as she took comfort in the warmth at her back from Kish. His protectiveness and familiar possessiveness calmed her. She looked at Masaya and felt sorry for him. He had been dragged into her world unknowingly. And while she truly had loved him at one point and did still care about him, she realized it was time to fully let go. Being around her would only cause him more trouble. She also knew, that while he would try for her, Kish would never be comfortable around Masaya. Masaya was a painful reminder to Kish, from his death, his cruel god, to being who had originally held her heart. She couldn’t do that to him.

Finally finding her voice, Ichigo’s hands gripped Kish’s tightly, taking strength from him. “I’m sorry too, Masaya. For everything. I don’t know if you ever truly loved me or if it was just Deep Blue. But I like to think that in the end it was you who loved me. And I doubt I could have defeated Deep Blue without your help. But now I think it’d be best if we went our separate ways. For all our sakes. Maybe in the future we can try to be friends again, but for now, I don’t think we should see or talk to one another.”

As pleased as Kish was to hear those words, he could also feel how hurt she was. Sucking in a breath, he forced himself to make the offer. “Kitten, you don’t have to do that for my sake. I know you still care,” he whispered into her cat ear.

She smiled at how he was putting her first again, but she shook her head. “I think I need to do this.”

He slid a hand up and cupped her cheek, “Then at least let him come to the wedding before you say goodbye for good. I know you wanted him there. And just maybe I’d like to rub it in a little.” His smirk slowly slid over his lips and his eyes shimmered as they held hers.

She knew what he was doing, and it worked. Her mood instantly brightened, and a real smile graced her features. He’d always been a master when it came to manipulating her emotions. “Cocky damn alien. If you’re sure you can keep your anger in check, then I really would like to have him there.”

His smirk only grew, flashing his fang, “Only for you, Kitten.”

Giving him a peck on the cheek, she turned back to Masaya.

“If you want and can control your anger, I’d,” Kish gave her waist a hard squeeze. “We’d,” she corrected, “like it if you came to our wedding. It’s in one month at the café. If things go well, then maybe, just maybe, we can remain friends. But I still think until then it would be best to keep our distance.”

Masaya’s eyes drifted between the pair. “I… Yeah. I’d like that,” he sighed. “Again, I’m sorry, Ichigo.”

She gave him a soft smile, “It’s alright. I’m still mad, but I forgive you. I don’t think it was all your fault.”

Kish threaded his fingers through Ichigo’s and pulled his glamor back on. His golden eyes were smug as they caught Masaya’s over Ichigo’s head. “Come on, Kitten. We still haven’t finished our date.” A momentary flash of irony hit Kish. It was usually him that interrupted Ichigo’s dates with Masaya, and now it was Masaya that had interrupted his date with her.

A small grin slid over Ichigo’s lips as she heard what Kish had thought. “If the situation were different, I’d almost say you deserved this.”

Kish snickered at her internally, “And you’d probably be right.”

“I’ll text you the wedding info when we get it all nailed down. Bye Masaya,” she said as she let Kish pull her towards the mall entrance.

“Later, Ichigo,” he called.

Dusting himself off, Masaya was about to head back into the mall as well when a boy stopped him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the boy threatened. Then Masaya noticed Pudding not too far behind him. Looking the boy up and down, it clicked, “Tart?”

Tart only grinned. “You’re lucky Kish didn’t kill you. So, I’d let them be and just go home. You may not be so lucky again if Kish sees you so quickly after that.”

Masaya stood a little straighter, “Ichigo would never allow him.”

“Don’t be so sure. She’s in his head just as much as he’s in hers since they mated. They understand one another on a whole other level. And nobody allows Kish to do anything. He chooses for himself. Even Ichigo knows that. He was the one that convinced Ichigo to let you stay in her life. Because he loves her. But don’t ever think for one moment you can hide behind her. You push him too far and he will kill you. And Ichigo won’t be able to stop him. And, honestly, I don’t think she would try.”

Tart’s voice was soft yet threatening and it worried Masaya. Tart had always been a cocky yet playful brat. To hear him speak like this sent a shiver down his spine. “Fine,” he spat. “Guess I’ll see you at the wedding. Tart, Pudding,” he nodded to each before heading home.

Tart watched him for a moment longer to be sure he didn’t enter the mall. He felt Pudding’s hand slip into his.

“Would Kish really kill him?” she whispered.

“I don’t know, but probably. Kish holds a lot of hatred for him. Not only did he kill him as Deep Blue, but he also tortured him when Kish started to turn on him for Ichigo. Kept him locked in isolation and messed with his mind. Tried to convince him to kill Ichigo. But his love for her kept him sane and holding onto hope. Even as the Blue Knight, he tore Kish apart. On top of that, Ichigo initially loved Masaya, which broke his heart.”

Tart pulled Pudding close, “Don’t repeat any of that though. I know how your mouth can run away with you, Pudding. I only know because of my empathic abilities. I know Kish wouldn’t be happy about me speaking about what happened to him. Though I know what I said to Masaya, Ichigo could probably keep him in check. He would never do anything to jeopardize her happiness. But if the opportunity arose, I don’t think Kish would hold back.”

Pudding wrapped her arms around Tart’s waist, “Though I believe you. I also think you’re wrong. Kish has changed. He’s now much more in control and Ichigo helps keep him balanced.”

“True. But you don’t understand the power of mating. He’ll want to eliminate any threat to Ichigo. And because he’s always been super protective and possessive over her, it’s only gotten worse. Let’s just hope Masaya’s not an idiot and steers clear of Kish and especially Ichigo.”

“Agreed. Now let’s go Taru-Taru. We also have a date to get back to. And I’m sure they’re wondering where we are,” Pudding smiled as she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the mall.

Kish and Ichigo were waiting for them just inside the door. “What kept you two?” Ichigo asked impatiently.

“Oh, umm… Well… I was talking to Taru-Taru, and we ended up kissing. Sorry…,” Pudding trailed off.

Kish eyed her up and down. He could smell the lie, but let it go as he twined a hand in Ichigo’s. “So where to first?” he asked.

Pudding looked around, “There! Come on Ichigo. Time to keep your deal!” Pudding grabbed Ichigo’s hand and rushed her over to the clothing store. Ichigo smiled and let Pudding drag her along. Desperately wanting to put the previous encounter out of her mind and enjoy her time with her friends and love. The boys followed behind, smiling at the antics of the two girls.

An hour or so later, the boys found themselves sitting on a bench with several bags between them as they waited for the girls to come out of what felt like the twentieth store they’d been in. In reality, it was the fifth.

Ichigo poked her head out, and when she saw the boys, she beckoned Kish over. “Hey Kish, could you come here a second? Tart, watch the bags.”

As Kish stood, Tart glared at her. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Old Hag,” he said crossing his arms.

“Please?” Ichigo asked sweetly.

“Oh, fine.”

“Thanks, Brat.”

“What ya need, Kitten?” Kish asked looking from her to around the store.

Ichigo took his hand and pulled him back near the changing rooms. “We need a guy’s opinion. Pudding wanted something to make Tart drool. You’re a guy and know him better than us. So, I was hoping you could help us pick something out for her that he would like.”

Kish chuckled, “She could probably wear anything, and he’d still drool over her. But I’d be glad to help.” Kish tapped his fingers to his chin. “Well, his favorite color is red, followed by yellow for obvious reasons,” he winked. “And other than Pudding, the only time I’ve ever even seen him look at another girl, they were wearing a short skirt. Pretty sure he’s got a thing for legs. But other than that, he doesn’t like a lot of skin. He doesn’t like them looking… What’s the word?” he trailed off.

Ichigo giggled, “Slutty?”

Kish laughed, “Yeah. That’s it. He likes cute and modest on the top with lots of leg.”

Ichigo snapped her fingers, “I got it! I know just the outfit. Stay here.” She ran off and slipped into the changing room with Pudding. A few moments later she came out with a blushing Pudding close behind. Pudding was wearing a Chinese inspired mini dress. It had the traditional high collar that wrapped her throat and was a deep shimmering ruby. The sleeves were long, coming to her wrists. But the dress only hit her mid-thigh. It was formfitting, but not overly tight. A long sinewy black Chinese dragon coiled around the bottom. A pair of low strappy black heels completed the outfit.

Kish’s jaw dropped. He’d never seen Pudding looking so… Well, hot. “Damn, Pudding. You’re going to give Tart a heart attack when he sees you in that. It’s perfect.”

Pudding blushed deeply and tugged down on the short dress. “You really think Taru-Taru will like it? Or that it’s not too much?”

Ichigo laughed, “You’re gorgeous in it. Any man would be dying to have you on their arm wearing that.”

“She’s absolutely right,” Kish added.

Ichigo crossed her arms, “Oh really?”

Kish chuckled awkwardly, “You know I only have eyes for you, Kitten.”

Ichigo grinned and gave Kish a peck on the cheek. “I know, I was only teasing. Now stay right there, just one more.”

Ichigo and Pudding disappeared into the dressing room again. Kish crossed his arms behind his head while he waited and tried to keep his feet on the floor. When the girls returned, he grinned. “I’d say you’ve nailed his tastes,” he winked.

This time Pudding was in a soft yellow flowy blouse. It had a square neckline that only showed her collar bones. The sleeves were short but also flowy. The hem around the bottom and collar were red and she wore a fluttering red skirt that ended just above her knees. Pudding did a twirl and the skirt flared out around her. Underneath were small black shorts so there was no worry of flashing anyone.

“You look cute, and I know Tart’s gonna love it,” Kish said smiling.

“Thanks,” Pudding blushed but smiled wide.

“Thanks for the help, love. Now shoo and send in Tart.”

Kish quickly wrapped his arm around Ichigo’s waist and pulled her flush to his body. After stealing a quick kiss, he released her. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her surprised face and the light pink that dusted her cheeks. “Nope. Never going to tire of stealing kisses from you,” he smiled, licking his lips.

Ichigo clenched her fists at her sides. “Kish…,” she pouted.

Kish’s chuckle could be heard through the store as he walked out.

Spinning on her toes, Ichigo shoved Pudding into the dressing room when she saw Tart coming their way.

“What you want now, Old Hag?” Tart grumbled.

“I was hoping to get your opinion, Brat,” she snapped. She was still a bit flustered from Kish’s quick kiss.

“About what?” Tart asked, softening his voice. It actually thrilled him that Ichigo wanted his input on something.

“Well, Pudding and I were hoping to convince you boys to take us on a nice date Saturday night after work and I wanted to see what you thought of the dress I picked out. If you think Kish would like it,” she stuttered as she twisted her hands in front of her.

Tart rolled his eyes. “You already know Kish will be thrilled to take you out. And I guess I’d like to take Pudding out as well,” he finished with a blush.

Just then, Pudding came out of the dressing room and threw her arms around Tart’s neck. “Really? You’ll take me out somewhere nice, Taru-Taru?”

His blush only deepened as he gently pushed her off him. “Yeah…”

Pudding squealed, “You’re the best Taru-Taru!”

“Gah, whatever. Now go change, Old Hag and I’ll tell ya if Kish will like it,” he said, trying to change the subject.

When Ichigo returned, both Tart and Pudding gaped at her. She was in a deep, emerald green dress that was backless, coming to just above the swell of her rear. The halter top style of the front left her arms and shoulders bare as well. The two straps came over her breasts and met at her throat in a choker like collar. The center plunged low between her breasts, revealing a long trail of skin. It was asymmetrical. The right side, long and flowing, came to mid-calf, while the left ended just above her knee. It was tight and showed off all her curves.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked nervously.

“I don’t think Kish is going to be able to keep his hands off you when he sees you in that. Not that he does anyways,” Tart said with pink cheeks.

Ichigo giggled, “Thanks, Brat.”

“You look amazing, Ichigo! Wait, one sec,” Pudding exclaimed as she ran off. She returned with a pair of incredibly high silver heels.

Slipping into them, Ichigo wobbled for a second then found her balance. ‘Thank God for cat agility,’ she thought to herself. Though they were high, they were oddly comfortable. She spun around for them.

“Perfect!” Pudding announced. “Kish is going to lose his mind! Oh! One more thing,” Pudding yelled as she retrieved Kish’s coat and slipped it over Ichigo’s arms. “Now the look is complete. And just wow!”

Tart had to agree. “Wow is right.”

“Thanks, you guys.”

Once Ichigo had changed and paid for all the outfits, they went to rejoin Kish. Tart grinned when he caught Kish’s eye. “You’re in for a serious surprise Saturday night. Apparently, we get to take the girls out on a fancy date.” He didn’t know whether to grumble or smile at the thought. But after seeing Ichigo’s dress, he could only imagine how amazing Pudding was going to look.

“Do we now?” smirked Kish. Kish snatched Ichigo’s hand and pulled the surprised girl into his lap. “What’s this about a fancy date on Saturday? Hmm? I don’t recall asking you out,” he teased.

“And here I thought you’d enjoy showing me off. But if not, then maybe I’ll just tag along with Pudding and Tart by myself.” She teased as she struggled to get off his lap.

Kish’s arms tightened, keeping her in place. He brought his lips to her ear, “It would be my pleasure to take you out, Kitten.” His voice was a soft growl.

Ichigo blushed and pushed on his chest, finally managing to slip from his grasp. “Then it’s settled. You boys get to take us somewhere nice. And we’ll let you decide where. I’m sure Ryou, Keiichiro, or Lettuce can help you guys with some suggestions,” she winked.

Kish glanced at Tart, an idea quickly forming. Grabbing up half the bags, he handed a couple to Tart. “Come on, twerp. We’ll meet you girls back at the food court in about an hour. Tart and I have some things to pick up.”

Ichigo eyed Kish suspiciously. “Like what?”

“That’s a surprise,” he winked. “See you girls in a bit,” he said, tugging Tart along after him.

“I wonder what he’s up to?” Ichigo thought aloud.

“With Kish, it could be anything. Want to follow them and find out?” Pudding asked with a playful grin.

“As much as I want to, let’s let them have their secrets. After all, we have our own surprises for them,” she grinned slyly.

Tart whined, “Where are we going?”

“Well, if Ichigo’s dress is even half as good looking as Pudding’s then we need to find something nice for us to wear to take them out.” Kish winked as a devilish smirk slid across his face. Thankfully, with their abilities, they could create whatever they needed so they had plenty of money to buy what they wanted. But they still needed to find something.

Tart shrugged, “I guess you’re right.”

“I’ll tell you about Pudding’s dress if you’ll tell me about Kitten’s,” Kish said teasingly. Though he really did want to know.

“Oh, no. I don’t want to ruin Pudding’s surprise. Besides, I’m not dumb enough to piss off Ichigo,” Tart said with his hands raised.

Kish pouted, “Wimp.”

They stopped in front of a men’s clothing store. “This looks like a good place to start,” Tart said, eying the mannequins in the window. Kish nodded and stepping inside, they quickly found the dressier section. Kish immediately saw something that caught his eye. It was a slim fitting, long sleeve, black button down, but the buttons, the inside, and the cuffs were dark green.

Watching Kish thumb through the clothes to find his size, Tart finally asked, “How do you know what the girl’s would think of as dressy for us?”

Kish chuckled darkly, “Interrupted enough of Kitten’s dates with that tree hugger to have a pretty good idea.”

“You really were horrible,” Tart smirked.

Kish glanced at Tart, “Kitten’s right. You really are starting to act like me.” He shrugged, “Hated the guy and she was mine, she just didn’t realize it yet.” Throwing what he picked up over his arm, including a pair of black dress pants, Kish turned to Tart and eyed him up and down. “Now for you. Seen anything?”

Tart shrugged, “I umm… I have no idea what to look for.”

Kish grinned, “Good thing I’m here then.” Tart rolled his eyes. Spinning back to the clothes rack, Kish flicked his eyes between Tart and the clothes. Finally, he spotted something. It was a deep red polo shirt and a pair of dark blue slacks. “Here,” he said handing the clothes to Tart. “Let’s go try them on.” Tart grumbled but followed Kish to the changing rooms.

When Tart came out, he saw Kish leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Kish grinned in pride, “Yup. Pudding’s gonna love that.”

Blushing, “Really?”

“No doubt,” Kish winked. Rocking on his toes, “What about me? Think Kitten will be impressed?”

‘Not half as impressed as you’re gonna be,’ Tart thought to himself. Tart nodded, “I’m probably going to end up in a sneezing fit when you two see each other.”

Kish broke out into a fit of laughter. Slapping his hand on Tart’s shoulder, “Told you to get used to it. Let’s change and pay. There’s one more place I want to check out before we meet up with the girls.”

Walking to the register, Tart asked, “How are you going to pay? We promised we weren’t going to steal anymore.”

“Got it covered,” Kish said smirking. Glancing around, he held his hand out between them. With a snap of his fingers, a stack of money appeared in his hand. He’d seen the money Ichigo had used earlier so he could easily recreate it.

“Don’t let Ichigo catch you doing that, it will probably make her mad.”

Kish shrugged, “Eh. She’ll get over it. Not like I’m going to have to do this all the time.”

“Where else did you want to go?” Tart asked as they left the store.

“I promised I’d get Kitten a ring. I wanted to see what engagement rings looked like.”

“What’s an engagement ring?” Tart asked curiously.

“It’s an Earth custom. When you ask someone to be your wife, you’re supposed to give them an engagement ring. According to her, it’s to show they belong to someone. Kind of like our mate marks.”

“Weird,” Tart muttered.

“Maybe, but I promised. And with her mark usually covered, this will be something that easily shows the human males that she belongs to me,” Kish said smirking evilly.

“How about over there?” Tart asked, pointing at a very high-class jewelry store.

“Perfect,” Kish grinned.

Stepping inside, the two were greeted by a man in a suit. Bowing, the man asked, “How can I help you gentlemen?”

Taking in the man’s appearance and the high class feeling of the store, Kish pulled on the act that he used when dealing with the aristocracy back home. Standing straighter, he gave a slight bow. “Evening, sir. I was hoping to get some ideas for an engagement ring for my fiancé. Though I plan on designing it myself, I wanted to see some styles.”

The sales attendant smiled wide, “Congratulations, sir. Come right this way. We have an excellent selection of engagement and wedding rings.”

“Thank you,” Kish said, following the man to a counter display case containing many beautiful rings in all kinds of styles and colors.

Gesturing to the case, “See anything that catches your eye?”

Kish looked over the rings. One in particular caught his attention. It was a large diamond set in rose gold with two pink diamonds on either side. “That one,” he tapped the glass.

Retrieving the ring, the sales rep placed it on a piece of black felt cloth. “Very good choice, sir. A beautiful ring for a beautiful lady, I’m sure.” He pulled out another simple rose gold band and placed it next to the other ring. “And here’s the matching wedding band.”

Mind working rapidly, Kish took a moment to think through what a wedding ring was. Then it clicked. The engagement ring was to show a girl was getting married, while the wedding ring was to show they were married.

Picking up the engagement ring, Kish let the pads of his fingers explore the gems and the metal. He memorized the materials so he could easily recreate them later. A large smile lit up Kish’s face. “Yes. I think my fiancé would adore something like this as opposed to the gold or silver rings.” He carefully placed the ring back down.

“Rose gold is very popular with the young ladies,” the attendant said. “That’s a one karat diamond and half karat pink diamonds. But we have cheaper or more expensive options,” he said eyeing Kish up and down. “And a wonderful design team to make anything to give your girl a special one-of-a-kind ring.”

Kish waved his hand nonchalantly, “That won’t be necessary. Money is no concern. And as I’ve said, I plan to design the ring myself. I just needed to get a feel for some ideas. Thank you very much for your time.” Kish gave another slight bow and was about to turn to the exit.

The attendant quickly got his attention after hearing that money wasn’t a concern. He didn’t want to lose a potentially high paying customer. “Are you sure there’s nothing here that I could show you?”

Kish internally rolled his eyes. The man reminded him of the greedy aristocrats back home. Making a last-ditch effort to get Kish to agree to something.

Giving the attendant a dazzling, yet completely fake smile, “I’ll think about it, and I may come back. Again, thank you.” Kish had no intention of ever coming back, but the greedy human smiled wide.

“A pleasure to be of service. Here’s my card. Ask for me when you return,” he said handing Kish his business card.

Taking it, Kish didn’t even bother to look at it as he slipped it in his pocket. “I certainly will.”

Once they were out of the store, Kish relaxed to his old self.

“I still find it creepy when you do that,” said Tart.

“Comes with the territory,” Kish shrugged. “You wouldn’t be so ignored at the banquets and balls if you could put on the act as well.”

“No thanks. I prefer being left alone.”

Kish chuckled, “While I do enjoy the attention, I will admit dealing with people like him does get tiring. But it’s a good way to gain information. People let their guard down when they think you’re one of them.”

“Still don’t think I can pull off the act like you and Pai can,” Tart muttered.

“Enjoy it while you can, twerp. When you get older, you won’t have a choice.”

Tart knew Kish was probably right, but he knew he’d never like it or be good at it.

“So, what do you want to do while we wait for the boys?” asked Pudding as she bounced on her toes.

“Well, I kind of want to get Kish a gift. He’s made me so happy since he came back. But I have no idea what to get him.”

Pudding giggled, “That’s so cute. And you already gave him the best gift. You!” she teased.

“That actually gives me an idea! Thanks Pudding.” Ichigo grabbed Pudding’s hand and pulled her down the mall.

“I think Kish’s perversion is starting to rub off on you,” Pudding teased while blushing as they entered the lingerie store.

“Maybe a little,” Ichigo admitted. Ichigo couldn’t help but blush as well as she looked through the lacey things.

“What’s it like?” Pudding asked softly.

“Hmm? What’s what like?”

Pudding looked around to make sure no one was listening in, “Having sex.”

Ichigo froze and turned bright red. “Pudding!” she yelled in a hushed whisper.

“What? I know you and Kish have done it. Tart explained about how you have the mate marks. So… What’s it like?”

Ichigo stared at Pudding. She wasn’t surprised Pudding was interested, but she was surprised at how direct she was being. Blushing scarlet, she finally answered. “It hurt the first time, but not for long. And well… It’s amazing!” she gushed. “He always puts me first and seems to know exactly what he’s doing. And that tongue of his. God, Pudding. It makes me weak in the knees just thinking about it.” She couldn’t seem to stop herself. Thinking about her and Kish put her on cloud nine.

“So, you’ve done it more than once?”

Ichigo only nodded. “And with us being mated, it makes it even better. We have this mental connection. If I concentrate, I can feel what he’s feeling and vice versa, as well as read each other’s thoughts. It can make things intense,” she said dreamily.

“Wow! He can read your mind? Doesn’t that get too personal? I mean what if you think something you don’t want him to know?”

“We can still keep things private when we want to. And we trust and respect one another not to pry too deep. But yeah, he’s usually in my head like I’m in his.”

After a moment or two, Pudding finally spoke again. “It really feels that good? Because I’ve been thinking about it with Taru-Taru,” she said softly, pink spreading across her cheeks.

Ichigo caught Pudding’s eyes. “Listen, if you want to go all the way with Tart, I won’t stop you. But be sure it’s what you really want. And be sure to talk with him first. I know it can be embarrassing, but mating is a big deal. For Tart it will be like getting married. I probably shouldn’t say this, but you’re like my sister and he’s like a brother now. But I know he wants to start the mate bonding process with you. You’re his chosen. But I also know he’s willing to wait until you’re ready.”

Pudding’s eyes got wide, “Really? He’s chosen me?”

Ichigo nodded. “But there’s no rush. This is a huge decision. For both of you.”

“I want to. I really do. But what if someone else comes along? I mean I love him, but I’m only sixteen. I’m not sure I’m ready for that kind of commitment.”

“Then tell him that. He’ll understand. He’s a kind boy, he won’t push or rush you. And I know I shouldn’t tell you this, but if you tell him first, you can sleep with him without starting the mating process. Just remember, that to him, you’re the one. So don’t take it lightly. I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”

“Thanks, Ichigo. I promise I’ll take it seriously. I don’t want to hurt Taru-Taru either. And as much as I want to sleep with him, I’m not sure if I’m ready. And, by the way, that’s the one,” Pudding pointed to a very sexy number a few hangers away. It was an emerald green lace babydoll chemise. A small pink bow connected the breasts but plunged low to the belly button, leaving a line of skin bare. Another layer of pink lace was under the green on the breasts in the pattern of roses. A fine pink strap ran over the top curve of the breasts, framing them, and meeting up with the green shoulder straps. Starting just under the ribs, a pale pink sheer skirt came just past the hips. A green thong completed the set.

“Ah! Pudding, it’s perfect! Kish is totally going to lose his mind when he sees me in this.” Ichigo was smiling wickedly as she searched for her size. Finding it, she quickly made her way to the register.

The girl behind the counter smiled, “You’re going to make someone’s night with this.”

Ichigo flushed red. “I hope so,” she whispered.

“No doubt about it, hon. He’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand.”

Ichigo giggled as she handed over her money.

“Special occasion?” the girl asked handing Ichigo her change and wrapping the chemise in tissue paper.

“Kind of. We got engaged yesterday.”

Handing Ichigo the bag, “Well congratulations. I know he's going to love it. Have fun, sweetie.” She gave her a wink.

“Thanks,” Ichigo said as she and Pudding made their way to the exit. “Why don’t we head to the food court and wait for the boys? I’m sure they’ll be along soon.”

“Sounds good, Ichigo,” Pudding said, skipping along beside her.

Not long after, the boys found the girls chattering at a table. “Miss me?” Kish asked as he set their bags down beside an empty chair.

“Always,” grinned Ichigo.

A smirk slid across Kish’s lips. Coming up behind Ichigo, he leaned over her and slid his arms around her shoulders. His lips found that sensitive spot right behind her ear.

“Kish…,” she hissed as her hands settled on his arms. A sharp fang pricked her ear and she squeaked. Swatting him away, she glared at him, “You’re terrible.” Though she couldn’t help the upturn at the corner of her lips.

Kish chuckled, “You love it.”

“So, we ready to head back?” Tart asked, disrupting the two lovers.

“Wait! Think we could get some ice cream first?” Pudding asked, bouncing in her chair.

“Great idea! You guys stay and watch our stuff, we’ll be right back.” Ichigo eyed Kish as he sat down, “And no peeking in the bags.”

Kish’s foot froze where it was trying to pull one of her bags closer to him. Kish slouched in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head, “You’re no fun, Kitten.” Ichigo rolled her eyes and left with Pudding.

As soon as she was gone, Kish began reaching for her bags. “I mean it, Kish. Leave them alone.”

“I wasn’t doing anything,” he pouted.

“Uh-huh. And I’m the queen of Cynicla. I know you. Now leave them alone. It will be worth the wait, I promise.”

Kish sighed, but gave in, “Fine. But don’t be too long.”

The girls returned with a cup of ice cream for each of them. Ichigo placed one in front of Kish before sitting down and Pudding did the same for Tart. “What is it?” Kish asked picking up his spoon.

“It’s a cold sweet treat. I got you strawberry,” she winked.

Hesitantly, Kish took a bite. “Cold!” he shouted. “But delicious.” “Though, not as delicious as my strawberry.”

Ichigo blushed, “Shut it, pervert.”

“What flavor did you get?” he asked, eyeing her ice cream.

“Coffee with marshmallows.”

Before she could say anything, Kish had swiped some of hers with his spoon. “Good, but I like mine better,” he smirked. “What did you two get?” he asked Pudding and Tart.

“I got chocolate chip cookie dough and I got Taru-Taru double chocolate chocolate chip. He always loved the chocolates I made,” Pudding grinned happily.

Tart dug into his. “Oh wow! This is awesome! Thanks, Pudding.”

“You’re welcome. I knew you’d like it.”

Copying Kish, Tart stole a bite of Pudding’s. “That’s good too. Tastes like cookies.”

Pudding giggled, “Yup!”

“See, you do know me better than you thought,” Kish teased.

Ichigo rolled her eyes, “About the small stuff, sure.” She paused to lick her spoon. Kish’s eyes flicked to her tongue and licked his lips. Realizing what held his attention, Ichigo teasingly licked the rest of her ice cream off her spoon.

Kish’s eyes darkened slightly, and his pupils widened. “Tease,” he muttered before taking another bite of his own.

Ichigo smirked, “Payback for the fangs earlier.”

“Speaking of which, I know you won our duel, but let me have tonight? I promise you won’t be disappointed,” she pleaded.

Golden eyes glittered dangerously as they caught hers. “You could never disappoint me, Kitten. And anything for you. But this comes at a price,” he grinned wickedly, the tip of his tongue sliding over his fang.

“That is?” she asked nervously.

“You leave that red door unlocked so I can sift through your memories when I please.”

Ichigo’s eyes widened.

“Don’t worry, Kitten. I’ll let you keep your thoughts mostly to yourself. Even I’m not that possessive. In return, I’ll do the same. However, there are still some memories that I’m not ready for you to see yet. So, if I feel you poking around those, I’ll stop you and you better respect my wishes. Deal?”

Ichigo stared into his deep golden eyes as she thought about it. He promised to let her keep her thoughts to herself. What harm could this be? Besides, it wasn’t like she was hiding anything from him. And if he asked about anything, she’d tell him anyway. But she was still hesitant. This was her innermost private mind. Did she trust him enough to allow him full access? The answer came quickly. “Deal.” Without hesitation, she released the lock on the door.

A wicked grin crossed Kish’s face and his golden eyes flashed in the bright mall lights. Carefully, Kish rearranged his shields so that only Ichigo had access to his inner mind. Tart was slightly telepathic with him, so he didn’t want to leave himself open to him. Though he doubted Tart would ever go looking, but it was in Kish’s nature to keep himself locked away.

Which was something else that had always shocked Kish about him and Ichigo. Somehow, Ichigo had always managed to get him to reveal things that he would of otherwise never have said. From being so blatant and demanding about how he felt about her, revealing secrets about their planet life, to warning her about Deep Blue. And all while they had been enemies. He normally kept everything tight to the chest. It kept people guessing and, he’ll admit, he loved watching people squirm. With Ichigo it was different. Sure, he still loved frustrating her to no end, but it was like he couldn’t hold back what he was feeling or what he wanted with her.

A gasp escaped Ichigo and she suddenly found all eyes on her. Quickly, she waved a hand, “Sorry, brain freeze.” It wasn’t a total lie, which would hopefully keep the Cyniclon’s from noticing. Her brain was frozen at the moment, just not in the way she knew the others had taken it.

No, her mind was momentarily frozen as she was granted unrestrained access to Kish’s mind. And with his shields down and the door unlocked, she didn’t even have to fully enter his mind to sift through anything. It was all laid bare at her fingertips. As soon as the door unlocked, Kit had slipped through and had curled up on the computer console behind that door. Kit was feeding her any information she focused on. And it was a lot to take in.

Kish smirked at her, “Clever, Kitten. I can see that lie and yet even I can’t scent it.”

“Oh, hush. I had to say something.”

“And I see Kit’s already made a new home for herself,” internally Kish ran a hand over Kit’s ears.

‘Well, that’s new,’ she thought. It was like she could feel the ghost of his touch on her ears though they weren’t even out.

Kish’s chuckle reverberated through her mind, “Told you. She’s a part of you.” He scratched behind one of Kit’s ears and Ichigo had to will herself to keep from purring.

“Would you quit it? At least while we’re in public,” she pouted.

Kish shot her a grin and internally scratched under Kit’s chin. “For now,” he teased and withdrew his hand.

“Thank you. Oh, and before I forget, no peeking at my thoughts about tonight or what I’m wearing Saturday night. I want to surprise you.”

Kish pouted slightly, “You have my word, Kitten. Your mind is your own. I won’t go actively looking for things I can feel you want to keep private.”

“Thanks, love.”

“Anything for you, Kitten.”

Withdrawing from Kish, Ichigo refocused on the rest around her.

Tart shot her a knowing look. He recognized the far off look on her face as she spoke to Kish telepathically. It happened to most who weren’t used to splitting their focus.

Ichigo gave him a weak smile, “Sorry.” She hadn’t realized she had thought it at him until his eyebrows shot up.

“Heard,” was all Ichigo understood in return. Kish was right. Even with her, Tart’s telepathy was weak and broken.

Kish snapped his attention to Tart. “Well, isn’t this an interesting development. You really do see her as a sister, don’t ya, twerp?” Kish prodded.

“Yeah… Know?” Tart asked.

Though it was broken, Kish easily understood. He was used to filling in the gaps with Tart. “I’m in her mind. I heard you as well. And I’m warning you now, she doesn’t know how to shield properly, so stay out of her head. Or I will beat your ass. As soon as we get home, I’ll have her work with Pai. She’s too open and anyone could take advantage if they went looking.”

“Promise,” Tart said sincerely.

“Am I really that vulnerable?” Ichigo asked Kish nervously.

“Yes. Though for now it’s fine. Tart and I are the only ones around with telepathic abilities. But it will be different when we go home. There are many there that could easily read your mind. But don’t worry, Kitten. I’ll help and Pai will be able to train you so you can easily shield everyone else out. There’s too much in your head that none of us want getting out. And I don’t mean personal things. There are those that would use information you have about Earth, us, and Deep Blue to further their agendas. It’s too dangerous.”

Kish sighed. He was going to have to work hard with her before they went back. Too many people could slip past her weak defenses. And she held too much information that he didn’t want to get out. The knowledge that Deep Blue’s host still lived, for one. They had purposely left that detail out in their reports. Better to squash all hope for possibly reviving that bastard. Not to mention his early betrayal because he had fallen for her so early in his mission. It would cause too many questions. Thankfully, Pai and Tart were on his side and kept him protected. After all, other than holding back, he hadn’t really betrayed anything until the very end. But again, it would bring up too many questions that he would have a hard time answering.

“Sorry,” she squeaked.

“It’s alright, Kitten. It’s not your fault.” Kish slid his hand over and laced his fingers through hers.

A thought struck Ichigo, “What about Pudding?”

Kish shook his head, “She’s fine. She has no telepathic abilities. Until she bonds with Tart, she’ll be fine. Someone would have to brute force their way into her mind which would alert her and be too obvious. They wouldn’t risk it.”

“What about Pai? He could read her mind.”

“Though we were enemies, we still had a relationship with all of you. After fighting you all for so long, we came to know you. So, there was some familiarity there. It would take a while for anyone back home to develop that sort of connection and by then Pai would have strengthened her mental shields as well. Though speaking of Pudding… Bragging about my tongue, hmm?”

“Kish! That was a private conversation!” she hissed.

“Sorry, Kitten. Didn’t mean to see it. You were thinking about Pudding, so it came up. But don’t worry, I’m not upset. Flattered actually,” he winked.

Ichigo shook her head. He was terrible. She sighed. Though she still held some worries, Kish’s reassurance helped Ichigo relax. They still had over a month to figure things out. And now with full access to Kish’s mind, she could seek out answers whenever she wished. For now, she would enjoy their time because she had a feeling things would be very different when they arrived on his planet.

Chapter Text

“I said no peeking,” Ichigo hissed over her shoulder.

Kish pouted and crossed his arms, “Fine.” Quickly, he spun on his heel and turned his back to her.

Shooting a quick glare at Kish once again to make sure he really wasn’t peeking; Ichigo carefully pulled her new dress out of the bag and placed it on a hanger. She twisted the gown up and looped it over the hanger, so it didn’t hang so long. She put Kish’s jacket over the gown to keep it hidden from view within Kish’s wardrobe. Sensing Kish’s impatience, she hurriedly slid the lingerie bag into his bathroom and shut the door.

Hearing the bathroom door close, Kish spun around. “Done yet?” he pouted.

“And you call me impatient,” Ichigo teased.

He smoothly closed the distance between them. “Can’t help it, Kitten. I’m beyond curious as to what you have planned for tonight. After all, you paid a pretty price for it. And I’ve been very patient so far,” he smirked.

They had returned from the mall not too long ago. After speaking a bit more between the four of them, Tart and Pudding had excused themselves to Tart’s room. Kish had then eyed Ichigo up and down and immediately teleported them to his room. He’d only managed to steal a single kiss before she had told him to close his eyes so she could hide what she had bought.

A slow seductive grin slid across Ichigo’s face. Soft chocolate eyes met glittering gold. “Tell me how bad you want me,” she whispered as she trailed a fingertip down the side of his face then along his jaw.

Kish shuddered under her touch. His pout shifted to a wicked smile as he rested his hands on her hips. “I doubt even Pai could calculate just how much I want you,” his voice was soft and threaded thickly with desire.

Ichigo blushed, as her own grin turned a slight bit wicked. “Then prove it to me. I’m going to go slip into something more comfortable. When I come out, I expect you to be on the bed waiting for me with only your wraps and boots missing. You are to keep your eyes closed until I say. Understand?”

“Mmm. And why can’t I get fully undressed if you’re going to get comfortable?” he smirked.

“Because, tonight is my night, and we’re doing things my way.” Her voice was sharp yet teasing.

Kish stepped back and bowed low, one arm over his waist and the other sweeping out to his side. “As you wish, Kitten.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but giggle. “I’ll be right back. And remember, keep your eyes closed until I say.”

Before she could turn from him, Kish swept her into his arms and stole a quick kiss. “I shall be eagerly awaiting your return,” he winked before he let her go.

Ichigo clumsily hurried into the bathroom before he could capture her again. Quickly, Ichigo changed into the sexy chemise she had bought at the mall, including the matching green thong. Giving herself a once over in the bathroom mirror, she took a deep breath as she nervously combed her fingers through her hair. She had a moment of sudden anxiety.

This wasn’t something she was entirely used to. Sure, she’d already had sex multiple times with Kish and had loved every single second of it. But this time it was different. Usually, Kish took the lead. Usually, he was the one to take charge and let things progress naturally. She paused on that word, ‘usually.’ ‘Since when did it become usual for her and Kish to have sex?’ she thought. She realized that they had been quite active since his return. But then again, this was Kish. Her extremely perverted and possessive fiancé. Though as possessive as he is, he hadn’t once forced or pressured her. He may be the one to start things, but he always allowed her some control. Even if he remained the dominant one. Whenever she showed the slightest bit of hesitation, he would slow down and wait for her consent, whether it be in the form of words, moans, or actions. He never pushed forwards without her. Putting her needs ahead of his own every time, no matter how badly he wanted or needed her.

And though Kish was the dominant one, he had surrendered control to her. She’d even taken over several times. She had just as much control over their encounters that he did. They were on completely equal footing.

Again, she found her confidence soaring to new heights. Even when they were younger and on opposite sides, he had seen her as an equal. Though they had been enemies, he had respected her strength and abilities. In the beginning he may have belittled her, but as time went on and the more they fought, even he had commented on her skill and being a worthy adversary. Their earlier thoughts struck her again. Two sides, same coin. They really were the same and equals in so many ways.

A soft smile spread over her lips as she looked at herself in the mirror one last time. Her confidence still in full bloom in her heart. She was no longer that easily embarrassed and overly emotional girl from four years ago. She may still be fiery, a bit emotional, and sometimes flustered, but she had grown up a lot. And the young man, no alien, waiting for her, had had a lot to do with that. And she was going to show him just how thankful she was. Not only for that, but for how happy he had made her these last couple of days. Show him in a way that he would undeniably appreciate and love, for it was who he was. A part of him that she had once despised, but now endeared him to her. And she wouldn’t have him any other way. Even if his questionable behavior was starting to rub off on her. She honestly didn’t seem to mind in the least. Head held high; she opened the bathroom door just a crack. “Your eyes better be closed,” she called out to him.

Kish rolled his eyes behind his eyelids. “Have some faith in me, Kitten,” he challenged. His impatience tinging his tone of voice.

Ichigo giggled to herself. No, patience was certainly not one of his strong suits, except for where the red head was concerned. Even when being demanding and even impatient with her, he had always been incredibly patient with her in the long run. And though that sounded completely counter intuitive, it was absolutely true.

Stepping into the room, Ichigo closed the bathroom door behind her. At the soft click, Kish’s head swiveled in her direction. As promised, his eyes remained closed. And though still clothed, he had done as she asked and removed his wraps and boots. He lay stretched out on his bed with his hands behind his head and his ankles crossed. Though he looked completely relaxed, Ichigo could tell he was anxious. Through their countless encounters, she had learned to read the subtle shifts in his body language. Mostly out of self-preservation and to avoid his wandering hands and persistent kisses. She could see the slight tensing in his arms. The way his smirk was just a miniscule off. How his eyes shifted behind his eyelids. It surprised her just how well she could read him even without using their bond.

“Such a good boy,” she teased as she came to stand beside the bed. His ears twitched in her direction, and he stuck his tongue out at her. “Or not,” she playfully scolded. Before he could retort, Ichigo climbed onto the bed and straddled his hips.

He cocked an eyebrow, “You going to let me open my eyes, or do I just get to imagine my beautiful Kitten sitting atop me?” His voice was teasing yet tinged with seduction.

Ichigo smirked, “In a minute. First, I wanted to say that tonight is not just about me, but also you. Tonight is my way of saying thank you.”

“For wha…,” he interrupted, but Ichigo placed a finger to his lips, interrupting him.

“Shush and let me finish.”

He quickly kissed her finger then clamped his mouth shut.

Ichigo giggled as she pulled her hand away. “I’m actually surprised that worked.”

He grinned, "How many times do I have to tell you, anything for you, Kitten."

Ichigo rolled her eyes. “Cheater,” she huffed.

His grin morphed into a smirk, but he remained quiet.

“There are so many things for which I wanted to thank you for. From saving my life to loving me. It took me a long time to realize just how many sacrifices you made and were willing to make for me. Not only did you literally give your life for me, but you were willing to give up your entire life. Everything you knew and were trying to fight for. Your home, family, friends, your entire planet. In the end, you gave it all up. Someone who truly didn’t deserve your devotion at the time. And now, even after I had been so cruel to you, you came back because you were worried about me. Still loved me. Four years later and you still cared. You’ve made me so happy since you’ve returned. I’ve never felt like this. So utterly loved, wanted, and cherished. Even without our bond, I’ve never felt so connected. And you’ve given me that. Made me feel complete. Filled a whole in my heart I wasn’t even aware was there. What I’m trying to say is, thank you Kish. For everything. But most importantly, for never giving up on me and for genuinely loving me.”

Gently, she tugged at his arms. Getting the hint, he softly placed his hands atop her bare thighs. “Ready to see your surprise?” she asked nervously. He eagerly nodded his head, not trusting his voice after her declaration. “Then open your eyes.”

Slowly, Kish lifted his eyelids. Her words had left him speechless, but the vision before him not only stole his voice, but his breath as well. She was beyond beautiful and incredibly sexy. The embodiment of a Goddess. His eyes hungrily trailed over every inch of her body. The sexy chemise left little to the imagination, but, at the same time, teased his senses.

When his eyes shifted to hers, she gasped. They held so much love and adoration that his golden eyes shimmered from the intensity, and she felt immensely small before the sheer weight of his gaze. “Well, say something,” she stuttered. His silence was causing her nerves to frazzle.

“I can’t,” he whispered so low that she had barely heard him.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Fear and worry coating her voice.

Kish swallowed thickly, “Because words wouldn’t do you justice. You’re the most beautiful being in the known universe. Both inside and out. But even that doesn’t compare to how magnificent you are.” Kish reached up and wiped a lone tear off her cheek with his thumb before cradling her cheek in his palm. She could only smile down at him as she nuzzled into his hand.

“Only you could render me speechless,” he teased.

She couldn’t help but giggle. “This was not only my way of thanking you, but also my engagement gift to you. Pudding actually gave me the idea. I was trying to think of a gift for you and she said I’d already given you the best gift. Me.”

Kish chuckled, “Remind me to thank the Monkey-Girl. And she was absolutely right. You were… are the best gift I could have ever hoped for. But damn, Kitten. Between that outfit and what you said, I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, hold you, or make love to you. I can’t tell you how happy you make me, but maybe I can show you.”

Suddenly, an incredible warmth filled Ichigo’s chest. She was flooded with not only his love for her, but his happiness as well. It was almost painful. Almost too much for her to handle. Her ears and tail popped out with the overwhelming sensation. His love was so deep, she felt like she was drowning. But at the same time, she felt an incredible calmness settle in her soul. That he loved her this much. That she made him this happy. It was awe inspiring. Her love for him only managed to grow, as impossible as that seemed.

Hungrily, she leaned down and captured his lips in a deep passionate kiss. Both their emotions were flooding into one another on an endless loop. They were unequivocally connected.

Pulling back, Kish smirked up at Ichigo as he ran his fingers through her hair. “Now can I take off my clothes?”

Her smirk matched his as she shook her head, “Nope. I will.”

Kish’s smirk became much more devious. “Who knew my sweet little Kitten would turn out to be such a tiger in the bedroom?”

“It’s your fault. You’re a bad influence. Even Pudding said she thought your perverseness was rubbing off on me.”

Kish slid his hands down to her waist and grasped her hips, “That, my love,” smoothly, he flipped them over and pressed his hips firmly into hers, “is definitely not a bad thing.”

Finding herself beneath her mate, Ichigo began to slowly push Kish’s vest and undershirt up his chest. “Of course, you’d say that. Sometimes I swear you have a one-track mind.”

Kish chuckled and lifted his arms so she could remove his shirts. “Says the one undressing me. Besides, it’s not my fault my mate is so sexy. Especially wearing that seductive little number,” he said licking his lips.

Surprising him, Ichigo flipped their positions, so she was once again on top. Kish let out a soft growl at her challenge but was too thoroughly turned on to do anything about it. Her challenge only fueling his desire even more. His hands grasped her hips and pulled her roughly against him, “Gods, Kitten. You know what your feistiness does to me.”

Her tail came around to curl at her side, the tip flicking against his abdomen. She leaned down and placed a kiss to the center of Kish’s chest, her eyes catching his. “I know,” she winked playfully. Getting fully on her hands and knees over him, Ichigo began peppering kisses across his bare chest, her tail lazily swishing back and forth over her back.

Kish brought a hand up and gently caressed one of her furry black ears. A soft purr vibrated within Ichigo’s chest as she leaned into his touch. “Only you can be absolutely adorable and incredibly sexy at the same time,” he chuckled.

Ichigo flicked her tongue over one of his nipples then nipped it. “Don’t forget playful and feisty,” she teased.

A fang slid over Kish’s lip, “Never. Those are two of the things I love most about you.”

“Oh? And what else do you love about me?” Ichigo asked as she continued to trail kisses over his cool flesh.

“That talented mouth of yours for starters,” he grinned.

At his teasing remark, Ichigo nipped his chest then began to drag her tongue down the long scar that ran the center of his abdomen. He may not be thrilled with that scar, but to her it meant a lot. Though it was a painful reminder of the day he died, it was also proof of his love for her. Proof of just how far he was willing to go for her.

Trembling under Ichigo’s ministrations, he continued. “Then there’s your beautiful body. Soft round breasts, warm tight…”

“Kish…!” she hissed. Interrupting him and drawing out his name.

“What?” he smirked.

Her eyes shot to his and her piercing stare bored into his glittering golden orbs.

He flicked her ear. “Well, it’s true,” he grumbled.

She bit down on the skin just above the top of his pants, hard.

Kish jumped slightly at the sudden pain. “Okay. Okay. Damn, Kitten.” Propping himself up on his elbows, he idly rubbed at the red mark from her bite as he watched Ichigo place butterfly kisses from one hip to the other, following the waistband of his pants. “I love the sound of your laughter. The way you give all you’ve got when something is important to you. That you never give up. How you can be so clumsy one second, then full of grace and confidence in the next. How hard you fight for those you care about. The way your eyes and nose scrunch when you get flustered. Your uncanny ability to adapt and overcome just about anything. I used to love how your eyes would flash with anger and you’d clench your fists when I called you Kitten back then, but now, I love that soft look in your eyes and the small uptilt at the corners of your mouth when I call you that now.”

Reaching down, Kish delicately stroked one of her furry ears again. “I love how you reflexively try to hide your ears and tail, even though I think they are beautiful, but that you don’t do that with me anymore. That you’re finally comfortable with me and trust me enough to let your guard down. Most importantly, Ichigo, I love you. Everything about you. Even if you do hiss and bite.”

At some point during his list, Ichigo had paused her actions. She was laying on the bed, nestled between his legs. Her arms were folded across his waist and her chin was resting atop them as she gazed lovingly up at Kish as he spoke. Strawberry chocolate eyes shimmered with love as they locked with his warm honeyed orbs. A faint blush dusted her cheeks and her heart had skipped a beat or two at his soft words. It really was amazing how deeply he could affect her.

A large smile lit up her face when he ended with a tease. It was just so like him. She highly doubted he could ever remain serious for long, but that was secretly something she loved about him. “Don’t lie. I bet you love when I bite as well.”

“Maybe,” he grinned. “So, did that answer your question?”

Ichigo only smiled and nodded, her mind still going over everything he had said.

Kish took in Ichigo’s current position, “Comfy, Kitten?”

Still slightly distracted by her thoughts, Ichigo only nodded again and nuzzled her cheek against Kish’s growing arousal through his pants.

A wicked smirk slid across Kish’s face. “Then, while you’re down there, think you could…,” he trailed off as the tip of his tongue slid out to lick his lips and fang.

Ichigo’s cheeks burned scarlet, putting her bright hair to shame. “Kish!”

“Yes, Kitten?” he drawled softly.

“You’re such… such a… Such a pervert!” she huffed.

“And?” Kish’s eyes were shimmering pools of mischief. Kish tapped a finger to his lips in mock thought. “I seem to recall that that was your particular fantasy, and that you’re quite good at it.”

Though her cheeks burned even brighter, Ichigo ignored her mate, but she did shoot him a quick glare, which only made Kish chuckle. Resuming her previous task, Ichigo trailed her fingertips down the creases of his hip bones until her fingers curled under his waistband. She couldn’t help but grin when Kish’s abdominals clenched and shuddered under her touch. Gripping his pants, Ichigo slowly crawled backwards, tugging them down along with her. She found it both slightly odd and convenient that he didn’t wear quite so many layers as most men. A part of her wondered if that was just him or if all males on his planet didn’t wear underwear, but she was way too embarrassed to ask.

A chuckle rippled through her mind. "My choice, Kitten. Though not uncommon among the males of my planet."

Ichigo shook her head as she threw his pants to the floor. "You’d think by now I’d be used to you randomly answering my thoughts."

"Eh. I hope you never get used to it. That little frustrated pout you make when I do is absolutely adorable."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and crawled up his body until she was straddling his hips again. “I’m so glad I amuse you,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

“Don’t get mad, but I also find you sexy as Abyss when you pout like that.”

The corners of Ichigo’s lips turned just slightly upwards, “You’re terrible.”

Kish’s hands gently grabbed Ichigo’s and tugged her down on top of him. The soft fabric of her chemise brushing over his bare chest as he brought one hand up to trace his cool fingers up and down the warm flesh over her spine. “You look beautiful by the way. So incredibly sexy. I think I’m becoming obsessed with seeing you in green. And I must admit, pink and green seem to go rather well together. Definitely the best thank you and engagement gift I could ever ask for.” His words were whispered against her lips softly before he captured them. A mix between a gasp and a sigh escaped from Ichigo. Tilting his head, Kish took the opportunity to slip his tongue between her luscious lips, deepening the kiss. Sitting up, Kish slid his right hand deep into her ruby tresses, keeping their lips locked. His other hand trailed down to cup her soft rear, pushing her hips firmly against his.

With a soft moan, Ichigo released his lips for a deep gulp of air. Her arms encircled his neck tightly. Catching his golden gaze, she whispered, “I love you, Kish.”

He smiled warmly, “And I love you, Ichigo. My Kitten.”

The hand on her rear gently lifted her up. Once she was fully on her knees, Kish moved his hand down and skillfully shifted the thin band of her thong to the side. Aligning himself with her entrance, he guided her hips back down, pushing slowly and deeply inside her. Ichigo moaned and arched her back sharply. His left hand returned to cupping her rear, coaxing her into a smooth rhythm. His other hand slithered up her back, fingers splayed wide, supporting her. Leaning forwards, Kish trailed kisses over her collar bone before licking at the hollow of his mate’s throat.

Ichigo hissed as she let gravity pull her further down his length. Her hands clenched onto his shoulders. Keeping her hips moving in slow undulations, Ichigo was currently in heaven. Not only was she in complete control over their pace, but she was being fully supported and cradled by her mate. It was that give and take that she loved about both him and their relationship. She may be the one currently in control, but without his gentle hands her bliss would be incomplete. So, who really held the power?

Her answer? Both, yet neither. Again, they were equals to each other. She gave just as he did. He took just as much as she. They’re bodies danced together, falling in step with one another. She’d press her hips harder for him. He in turn slid his fangs over her heated skin for her pleasure.

Though her pace was almost frustratingly slow, Kish allowed her the control. In fact, he reveled in it. His hands skimmed across her body. His eyes drank in the sight of her. And his lips tasted the sweet warmth of her skin. Body trembling in his desire of the beautiful cat-girl in his lap. Her very essence wrapped around him just as assuredly as her body was.

Both their breaths were becoming increasingly labored. That sweet release was already building. Both felt it coiling within. With a deep moan in the form of Kish’s name, Ichigo picked up the pace. Her hips rocking up and down atop him with fervor. At the feel of her nails biting into his shoulders, Kish released a throaty growl and scraped his fangs down the side of her neck. That was the last push she needed.

Falling off that cliff of ecstasy, Ichigo raked her nails down his shoulder blades, faint trails of blood left in their wake. At the same time, Kish clamped his fangs into her mate mark. She shuddered around him. Her inner walls clamping down tight. Kish immediately followed after. His warm release flooding her depths.

Ichigo collapsed against his firm chest, head coming to rest on his shoulder. “Fuck… That was…,” she panted breathlessly.

“The word you’re looking for is amazing. That was amazing,” Kish replied hoarsely. Kish’s arms wrapped tenderly around her body, cradling her to him. With a soft grunt, Kish fell back onto the bed, pulling Ichigo along with him. A gasp escaped her lips at the sudden action, and at the feeling from where they were still connected.

Kish placed a soft kiss to his mate’s forehead and, with a slight groan, slid himself from her damp heat. Idly, he ran his fingers through her fiery locks. “Gods, I love you, Kitten,” he whispered.

Ichigo snuggled against his cool chest, her ear resting over his pounding heart. “And I love you just as much. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so deeply sated. I can’t even move. Everything feels heavy and weak.”

Kish chuckled softly. “That was intense. We’ve made love before while both mentally and emotionally connected, but this time felt different.”

“Like we were truly one?” she offered.

“Exactly.”

‘Why? Why now?’ her mind wondered.

"Our bond is growing stronger. Normally it takes a while for a bond to become this strong. But I think it’s trying to make up for all our lost time."

"You speak as though it’s alive," she answered.

Kish trailed his hand down and let his fingertips brush up and down her spine. "In a way, it is. The bond grows and changes to best suit the bonded pair. Be that by strengthening the weaker of the pair, letting each feel the other’s emotions, hear each other’s thoughts, or even being able to take one’s pain from the other, even physically healing a wound. I’ve told you before, bonds are something truly special. A lot of reward for a high risk. For us it seems to have pushed our bond further along then what a normal bonded pair would be like. It’s as though we were bonded for those four years. Maybe that’s why, even so far away and after so long, I could still feel your pain. Why I was able to stay sane when I should have lost my mind long ago. The bond simply knew you weren’t ready yet and so it waited. Keeping me protected until you were ready and letting me know when you needed me."

A stunned silence enveloped Ichigo. She didn’t know how she knew, but Kish’s words rang true in her mind. Partially sitting up, she peered down into Kish’s golden eyes. “I think you’re right. Before the nightmares I knew I loved you and missed you. But it wasn’t until the nightmares started, that I realized how badly I needed you. I think the bond recognized that I finally realized I was incomplete without you. My life didn’t seem to have much meaning until you returned. The other half of my heart and soul were finally returned. With you.”

Golden eyes shimmered as Kish brought a hand up to cup her cheek. “Again, you amaze me, Kitten. Your acceptance of me, the bond, of, well, everything astound me. You claim to be a stupid, silly, cat-girl, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. The strength of your heart and the way your mind works through things swiftly and thoroughly amazes me. I love you Ichigo.”

Ichigo gave him a warm, tender smile before she snuggled back down on his chest. “I love you too, Kish. You’re mine. Forever.”

“Mine. Forever,” he repeated and gave her a gentle squeeze.

Kish continued to lay there for another half hour or so, taking comfort in the warm presence of his mate wrapped around him. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after her last words left her lips in both body and mind. The physical and mental exhaustion from the past few days had finally caught up with her. A small, slow, satisfied grin slid over his face. He had been keeping her rather active. He himself had been rather worn out. Both the physical and mental connections had brought him such a monumental relief that he had felt drained. He’d been carrying around the strain of a one-sided bond for so long, that it felt like the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Though it had soon been replaced with the weight of her pain and stress. But even that was now dissipating.

Through their connection and with Tart’s help, Ichigo had begun to heal from all her past pain and was beginning to find peace and balance with all the new changes in her life. There were still many challenges for the both of them in the future, but they would face them together.

Sensing that Ichigo was fully in a deep sleep, Kish gently slid her off and carefully slipped out of bed, being cautious not to wake her. Silently, he pulled on a pair of soft shorts. They were reminiscent of his old shorts, but without the tunic or military tails. Taking another glance at his beautiful sleeping mate, Kish teleported to his lab. There was a promise he intended to keep, and there were only a few hours until midnight.

The lab’s lights snapped on as he appeared within the room. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the harsh lighting. Stepping over to a large transparent screen that hovered near his desk, he quickly tapped in his password and a sequence of commands. The lights on Pai’s side of the lab were extinguished and his side were dimmed. He took a seat at his desk and cleared away some notes and lab equipment to make some space for him to work.

Settling in, Kish drew the screen towards him with a wave of his hand. Eagerly, he brought up the inventory list of raw elements they had stored on the ship. He was in luck! He had plenty of materials to work with. Concentrating, he summoned a large lump of gold. His fingers delicately traced over its cold surface. He separated two small pieces and sent the rest back to storage. Carefully, he manipulated the small piece, altering its molecular structure. The gold took on a pinkish hue as he turned it into the same composite he had studied earlier from the rose gold ring.

Having lived under ground for so long, his race was incredibly adept at both mining and ore manipulation. Their metal work was highly sought after. Though Kish had never been involved in the trade because of his family’s status and because of his early military training. However, his best friend Tek’s father had been a master craftsman. His work was beyond magnificent and had been what provided food for both he and Tek and also what had gotten Tek accepted into the military.

The military was highly selective. Only taking those that showed promising talent or unique abilities. Besides offering advanced training in many fields, it was also one of the only places that offered regular meals and relatively comfortable living conditions. So, it was no wonder many tried to join. However, with its low admission rate, few actually made it in.

Though material manipulation is a common trait within his race, not all could, and not all were good at it. Some could only form shapeless items, while others could only manipulate specific elements. Tek’s father could only work with ores. And while Tek could manipulate everything roughly, he had inherited his father’s finesse with ores and metals.

Kish was one of the rare few who could manipulate anything almost flawlessly. And though he tended to think analytically and created most things for function only, he could be creative when he wanted to be. Having grown up watching Tek’s father create beautiful works of art with his gift, Kish had developed an appreciation for the delicate and finer things. Even when he didn’t see the need to waste precious resources on unnecessary and materialistic wants. But he also realized the importance of those small comforts, especially before the Mew Aqua had changed everything.

Things were different now. His people’s standard of living had drastically improved. And without the constant fear of dying from either the storms or starvation, they had begun to embrace the finer comforts life could now offer them. Trade and commerce had grown between the tribes and people were once again creating art and other riches. Though Kish still lived simply, even he had embraced some of the more decadent things. His home for one. It had been a gift from the council in thanks for bringing home the Mew Aqua. At first, he had declined. It was much too grand for just he and Tart but had eventually relented. The council had convinced him that someone with his ranking deserved to have a grand home. And would one day have a wife and children to fill the empty halls.

He had almost flat out refused when that had been mentioned. His heart had clenched for it would only ever belong to his Kitten. But he was afraid they may discover his secret bond and had reluctantly agreed. Only Tart had sensed his hesitation and understood the reason behind it. At least to the extent that he knew he was still in love with Ichigo.

As his mind wandered, Kish’s hands had been delicately transforming the lump of precious metal. He had coaxed it into a thin band, that, on closer inspection, were tiny vines twisting around each other with intricately small rosebuds weaved in and out. A rose started to bloom on top of the ring. Concentrating again, Kish summoned a large, crystal-clear diamond and placed it in the center of the rose. It’s petals locking it in place. On four petals surrounding one side of the diamond, he embedded four small emeralds. When viewed from the right angle, specifically from the wearer’s perspective, the arrangement of the gems appeared as a cat paw. Though the outside was rough with the twining vines, the inside was smooth. Words began to scrawl on the inside, written in both his and Ichigo’s languages. The text was written in a delicately flowing script. In Japanese it read, “My Kitten,” and in his language it read, “My Mate.”

Picking up the other small piece of gold, Kish repeated the process. This time he created a simple matching band of the flowing vines. Again, words appeared on the smooth inner surface. In her language it read, “Mine.” While in his, it read, “Forever.”

Taking a deep breath, Kish sat back and admired his work. It had taken a lot of his energy, but he couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. The rings were perfect, and he couldn’t wait to show them to his mate. But he decided to wait. He had kept his promise. He had created the perfect ring before the end of the day. He wanted to surprise her. He knew he’d keep the wedding band secret until the day of their wedding, but he wasn’t sure when he’d give her the engagement ring. The timing had to be just right.

The sound of the door opening behind him drew his attention. He’d been so lost in thought and concentrating so hard, he hadn’t felt Ichigo stir from her sleep or her calling out to him. Not even sensing her approach until the door had opened. Quickly, he dismissed the rings to his personal subspace pocket. Spinning around in his chair, “What are you doing up, Kitten?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied almost angrily. She had woken up not too long ago. The emptiness at her side stirring her from her slumber. In a panic she had called out to him but got no response. After calming down, she had reached out through their bond. She had found him working in his lab and her relief that he was alright kept her from noticing what he was working on. She had tried calling to him telepathically as well, but was so engrossed in his work, he didn’t notice. Quickly, she had pulled on her hoodie over the chemise she still wore. Thankfully, it kept everything covered. She exited their bedroom and headed for his lab. A soft smile appeared on her face when she realized what she had just thought. She no longer thought of it as his bedroom, it was now theirs. With a quick search of his mind, she discovered the password to enter the lab.

Standing in the doorway, she glared at him with her arms crossed over her chest. “I’ve been calling out to you and trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes. I was so worried that I came looking for you. What was so important that you had to leave our bed in the middle of the night?”

Kish could see the fire dancing in her eyes. It was a look with which he was all too familiar. Yup, he’d managed to rile her up and she wasn’t exactly happy. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair. “I’m sorry, Kitten. I must’ve been so wrapped up in my work that I didn’t hear you. I was, well… I was working on a surprise for you.” He knew she would pester him if he didn’t tell her what he was doing. Letting her know it was a surprise for her would hopefully keep her from seeking the answers herself from his mind.

“F… For me?” she stuttered, all traces of her anger flying out the window.

A small smirk grew on Kish’s face as he saw his way out of her ire. He could feel her anger slipping away and being replaced with curiosity. “Of course, Kitten. Only you could keep me distracted from you,” he said smoothly as he looked up at her.

Ichigo rolled her eyes. She knew what he was trying to do with that silky, honeyed voice of his. And to her irritation, it was working. When his smirk grew, she huffed. “You’re not as smooth as you think you are. I know exactly what you just did.”

“Worked, didn’t it?” he chuckled, his eyes flashing with mirth and mischief as he crossed his arms.

“Your ability to manipulate my emotions is probably just as frustrating for me as you not knowing how I can read your teleports is for you.”

“That works both ways, Kitten. You know you hold the same power over me. But that reminds me. Weren’t you supposed to reveal that little secret after our spar? Hmm?”

Walking over to him, she crawled into his lap and curled up like a cat. “Fine. I’ll tell you once you’ve finished up here and carried me back to our room. I’m tired and have work in the morning.”

He chuckled at his adorable mate and wrapped an arm around her. Spinning his chair around, he began to close out of the storage files on the computer screen. He paused as her words struck him. “Wait. Our room?”

She smirked against where she was tucked against his bare chest. “Yes. Our room. You sure as hell aren’t sharing it with anyone else.”

He grinned wide, both fangs slipping from beneath his lips. “I like the sound of that. But if you keep getting possessive of me like that, I can’t promise you won’t be exhausted at work tomorrow,” he teased. His voice dropping softly.

“Shut it, you. I’m still too worn out from earlier. And I do have work in the morning.”

Kish chuckled again and quickly shut down the computer. Nuzzling his cheek atop her head, “Can’t help it, love. Hearing you say things like that stirs my blood. But I’ll be a good boy if you keep your promise and reveal that secret.”

Ichigo nuzzled her way up to his neck, her warm breath fanning across his sensitive skin. “Then take me to bed,” she whispered.

“Teasing cat,” he moaned.

Before Ichigo could respond, Kish had teleported them to their room and was sitting on the edge of their bed with her still curled in his lap. She kissed his neck, “Pick one. Me or the secret?”

Kish’s arms locked around her tightly, “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Kissing up his neck, Ichigo shifted so she could look into his eyes. “Choose. You can make love to me, or I will tell you the secret of your teleporting.”

An impish smile curved his lips. “Both?” he said, his words and eyes coated in hope like warm honey.

“No fair looking so cute and adorable. We’ll see, but you get to deal with a cranky cat in the morning if I don’t get enough sleep,” she teased.

“I think I can live with that,” he winked.

“You say that now,” she warned. “First, let me ask you this: When you teleport, are the doorways opened at both ends immediately or does the one at your destination only open when you arrive?”

Kish thought about it for a moment. “As soon as I decide on a destination, the doorway opens there. Depending on distance, the travel time can be close to instantaneous.”

“Okay. Two more questions. Can you hold open the gateway between locations, and secondly, if you can, can something travel from the opposite end to you?”

“What are you getting at, Kitten?” He was confused by the questions.

“Depending on your answers, I’ll show you,” she winked slyly.

Idly, he twirled a lock of her hair as he thought. “If I concentrate, I believe I could hold the portal open on both ends, but only over a short distance. As for something coming through on the other end, I don’t know. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that before. Even if it’s almost instant, I am technically in another realm while teleporting.”

“Could you maintain an open portal from one side of this room to the other? Just for a few moments?”

He nodded hesitantly. “Yeah. I believe I could do that. Why?”

Ichigo slid off his lap and walked over by his desk. Searching the top, she found a notepad and ripped a blank page off and crumpled it into a ball. “I want you to open a portal as though you were going to teleport to me from there. But don’t give away where you’ll be teleporting to. Don’t go through, just keep this side open. I want to try something. And don’t tell me when you’ve opened it.”

He nodded again and concentrated.

Immediately, Ichigo saw the ripples of air appear next to her. With all her strength, she threw the wad of paper into the center of the ripples. And though it didn’t appear where Kish was on the other side of the room, it did disappear into the portal.

With a jolt, Kish slid through his portal and appeared next to Ichigo, quickly wrapping her in his arms. “But how? How did you know where I would appear?” he whispered in surprise and worry. He was glad she hadn’t tried to use the portal.

“Right before you disappear or appear, the air becomes slightly distorted. Ripples appear. They kind of look like heat waves over cement on a really hot day, only weirder. It’s hard to explain. But in short, I can see the portal open a second or two before you teleport.”

He stared at her in shock. “You can actually see the subspace distortion?”

“I guess,” she shrugged.

“That’s incredible, not to mention an incredibly rare talent. I’ve only heard of two people from my planet that could do that. One was my great-great-grandfather. There had been a civil war between tribes over food resources. He had a high rank in the military and led a group of troops. He also had the ability to see our teleportation distortions and was able to use that to his advantage. Even if it only gave our side a split-second heads up, he could direct troops to wear the other forces were going to appear. It eventually led to peace talks because the other side realized they had lost their only real advantage, surprise. They couldn’t risk straight out attacks because their numbers were much smaller. They had been counting on the surprise attacks and guerrilla warfare. My great-great-grandfather’s ability took that away from them.”

While he had been speaking, he had picked up Ichigo and returned her to bed after pulling off her hoodie. He had also stripped out of his shorts and climbed in beside her. She now laid curled along his side, her head resting on his shoulder.

“It’s really that rare of an ability?” she asked in awe.

“Yup,” he said, popping the ‘p.’ “The other person is Pai. But his is more related to sensing the person about to appear rather then actually seeing the distortion. And all of you Mews can see it?” Shock and confusion laced his last question.

“Yeah. I’m the best at it, followed by Zakuro. Then Lettuce. Pudding and Mint can barely detect them. And it’s only a split-second warning either way, whether you’re about to disappear or appear. So, we’ve got to be looking in the right direction. My advantage was with you. As I said before, you would usually appear near me, so it greatly reduced the area I had to watch,” she explained. “Though that didn’t mean there weren’t still plenty of times you caught us off guard. If I didn’t know you were going to appear, for example, I didn’t know to be on the lookout. Only really came in handy in the middle of a fight because I’d see you disappear first.”

“That makes sense. And since we usually appeared from the ship, our portals would be open just a second or two longer since it was a further travel distance. It gave you just a bit more time to spot the portal.”

“Yeah, but again, only if we were actively looking. So, happy now that you know?”

Kish shrugged, jostling Ichigo a bit. “Eh, yes and no. Yes because I finally have answers to something that’s been driving me nuts. But no because even though I know, still doesn’t help the fact that it’s still hard to try and surprise you,” he teased lightly. “It also raises more questions. Like how all you girls can see?”

Ichigo yawned, “I actually talked to Ryou about it once. He had a theory. Zakuro and I share DNA with apex predators who use all their senses, which are incredibly strong and well developed. Lettuce is fused with a predator as well but only really uses one sense. That sense, hearing, is extremely well developed. While Pudding and Mint don’t have predator DNA and have weaker senses, they aren’t very good at detecting the distortions. Combine our DNA’s gifts with our Mew Mew abilities, which were created with the sole intent of fighting off aliens, specifically Cyniclons, and it gave us another way to combat you all.”

“I hate to admit it, but that’s a pretty genius theory.” He hugged her closer and kissed her forehead, “I also hate to admit that we both need to sleep. You’re tired and have work. And I get to deal with that Blond Bastard and his tests tomorrow. So, sleep, mate. I’ll wake you in the morning.”

Kish awoke to an annoying buzz ringing in his ears. With a snap of his fingers, he quickly shut off his alarm. It was seven-thirty and they had to be at the café by eight-thirty to open at nine. He looked down and smiled. Ichigo hadn’t moved an inch while she slept. She was still curled tightly to his side, her body half draped across his. Gently, he shook her shoulder. “Come on, Kitten. Wake up. It’s time to get up.”

Giving a small stretch and a tongue curling yawn, Ichigo snuggled even closer against him. “Just five more minutes,” she whispered sleepily.

An evil smirk appeared on Kish’s face. He was well aware of his Kitten’s tendency to sleep in and be late. Carefully sliding out from under her, he gently scooped her up. “You asked for it, Kitten,” he whispered as he made his way into the bathroom. Keeping her cradled to him, Kish reached in and turned on the shower. He set the water to cool. It wasn’t cold, but it certainly wasn’t warm either. Taking a deep breath, Kish prepared himself for what was soon to be a very shocked and pissed off cat. Quickly, he stepped under the water.

Ichigo came to with a loud screech, her tail and ears popping out, and would have jumped ten feet in the air if Kish hadn’t been holding her so tightly. She glared up at him with fire in her eyes as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. “God dammit, Kish! What the hell?!”

Kish couldn’t help but laugh aloud as he set her on her feet. “Well, you didn’t want to wake up and I won’t be held responsible for you being late. We both know that Blonde Bastard wouldn’t let either of us live it down. He knows precisely what we’ve been doing at night.” He gave her a sly wink as he adjusted the water to a warmer temperature.

Pulling her sopping wet bangs out of her face, Ichigo continued to glare at Kish. “I hate that you’re right. But next time, how about waking me up in a way that doesn’t take years off my life,” she pouted as she crossed her arms.

Kish’s laughter had finally died down to a soft chuckle. “Can’t promise that Kitten. The look on your face was priceless and now you look like an adorable, drowned kitten.”

“You’re lucky I didn’t claw your eyes out,” she huffed, her tail twitching in agitation and her ears flat to her head.

“It may not have been my eyes, but you did manage to sink your claws in,” he said stepping out of the water. Without the water to constantly wash it away, several deep scratches across Kish’s chest began to well up with blood before dribbling down his pale chest.

Ichigo was mortified and brought a hand to her lips to hide her gasp. Her anger left her swiftly. “Oh, Kish. I’m so sorry. Even if you may have deserved it.”

Kish waved his hand dismissively and stepped back under the water. All traces of his blood being once again washed away. “It’s fine. Completely worth it,” he grinned. Stepping closer to her, “Now let’s get you out of that soaked yet still oh so sexy number.” The gold in his eyes turned heated as he looked her up and down. The silky fabric was clinging tightly to her wet body and Kish had to swallow thickly to try and keep his arousal in check.

Ichigo gasped. She completely forgot she was still wearing the chemise from last night. But when she saw how Kish was currently looking at her, a warm blush bloomed over her cheeks and chest. He looked at her like a starving man that had just sat down at a Thanksgiving feast. Like she was the most delectable thing on the planet. Scratch that, on two planets. “Kish…,” she whimpered when his eyes caught hers.

His mouth slammed down on hers and his hands clamped onto her waist. “I can’t,” he whispered huskily against her lips when he finally drew away. “I just can’t resist you.” His hands found the bottom of her chemise and quickly pulled it off, tossing it to the floor of the shower. Almost desperately, his fingers curled into the strings of her thong at her hips. It quickly joined the soaking wet chemise on the shower floor.

“Then take me, but keep it quick,” she rasped in his ear.

Kish needed no further encouragements. And that’s exactly what he did.

“I told you we’d make it on time. Even have five minutes to spare. That’s five extra minutes I could have used to pleasure you,” Kish complained with a smirk as they appeared on the balcony they had used two nights ago.

“Would you knock it off already. You’re acting like we didn’t get to finish. Which, might I remind you, that we both did.” Ichigo’s cheeks were scarlet from both annoyance and embarrassment.

“Yeah, but I didn’t get to bring you to that peak more than once like I usually do.”

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a quickie, especially when I have to get to work,” she shot back.

He quirked an eyebrow at her, “You know, I think I really am starting to rub off on you. Just days ago, you were a sweet innocent virgin and now you’re talking about sex no different than if you were talking about what you ate for dinner.”

Ichigo’s blush spread all the way to her ears, “Why you!”

Kish quickly stole a kiss to end the fight before it began and grabbed her hand, tugging her to the door. “Come on Kitty-cat. You keep standing there all flustered and you will be late for work.”

“You… You damn perverted alien,” she hissed as she stomped past him.

Kish could only chuckle as he followed after her. ‘Yup, stealing kisses and getting his kitten all flustered and feisty will always remain two of his favorite things,’ he thought with a grin.

Kish was leaning against the counter in the kitchen while he waited for Ichigo to change into her uniform. Part of him couldn’t wait to see her in the adorable costume again, but what currently had his attention was the fresh bowl of chocolate frosting sitting on the counter.

Just as he finished licking a swipe of frosting from his fingertip, the kitchen door swung open. A loud bang was heard as a bucket of water dropped to the floor, spilling soapy water everywhere. “Wh… What are y… you doing here?” stuttered Lettuce with wide eyes. Her hand, though shaking, started to reach for her pendant.

Kish quickly brought his hands up defensively, “Wait! I’m not here to fight. I swear!”

Lettuce eyed the older looking Kish up and down. Though she was still shaking a bit from both fear and surprise, Lettuce was sure she could see the truth in his eyes. Hesitantly, she pulled her hand away from her pendant. “The… Then why are you here, Kish?”

Kish thought quickly. He wasn’t sure if it would upset Ichigo if he told the Fishy about them. Not that he thought she wanted to keep them a secret, but he was sure she’d want to tell her friend herself. Sighing, Kish decided to take the safest route. “I promise I’m not a threat. Blondie and the other along with Pudding and Kitten.. er Ichigo all know I’m here. Ichigo is getting changed. You can ask her. I’m sure she’ll explain.”

There was something in the way Kish’s eyes lit up when he said both his pet name and Ichigo’s actual name. Something that made Lettuce smile at Kish. She may still be painfully shy, but she wasn’t an idiot. Everyone knew Kish had held something for Ichigo. And there wasn’t a doubt in her mind, Kish had come back for the girl. She nodded, “I think I will. I have a feeling she’s going to have a lot to say. And… Umm… Do you… umm… Would you mind cleaning up this mess while I go talk to her?”

Kish flashed a toothy smile, “I will, but only if you say yes to what she’s going to ask you.”

“Umm… Yes?” Lettuce answered uncertainly.

“Good,” Kish stated simply with a nod of his head. As Lettuce turned to head out the door, Kish called after her, “Oh, and Fishy?”

Lettuce turned to glance over her shoulder.

“Pai sends his regards,” he smirked.

Lettuce spun on her heel to look directly at Kish, her face, neck, and chest burning scarlet. “Did… Did he come back too?”

Kish chuckled, “Hate to disappoint you, Fishy, but no he didn’t come this time. Just me and Tart.”

“Oh… Oh is th… that so?”

Kish couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in the fish-girl’s voice. Even her eyes had flashed with sadness for a split-second. He wanted to roll his eyes at the painfully shy girl. It was so obvious she had a thing for his cousin. They really were a perfect match, and apparently the feelings were reciprocated on both sides. But even if Pai were here, he just knew it would be like pulling teeth to get them to admit it to each other. ‘How in the Abyss did Pai manage to win over a girl he had barely spoken to, when he had done so much to try and get Ichigo’s attention and affection, but got rejected over and over again?’ Kish thought to himself.

"Maybe because you were too forceful? Not to mention, you couldn’t seem to make up your mind on whether you wanted to kiss me or kill me," Ichigo teased. "Besides, Lettuce likes the strong silent type, which fits Pai to a tee."

Ichigo had been paying very close attention to Kish since she had gone to change, not completely trusting him to keep out of the girls’ only locker room. So, she had listened in on his conversation with Lettuce and his thoughts. She was actually rather pleased that he hadn’t told Lettuce about them, she wanted to tell her friend. She heard Kish’s chuckle in her head.

"Well, I must’ve done at least something right. You did end up falling for me. And what can I say? I’m a complicated guy. Besides, you did say you liked how I kept you on your toes."

Ichigo found that she couldn’t exactly argue with any of those statements.

Lettuce’s voice interrupted any further discussion between the couple. “Well, I’m sure Pudding was beyond happy to see Tart again. And I’m sure even ah… Ichigo was erm… happy to see you.”

Kish stepped back and leaned against the counter, folding his arms behind his head. A sly smirk slid over his features, “I’d like to think she was more than happy to see me.”

“Kish!” Ichigo hollered, coming through the kitchen door. She wanted to shut him up before he gave too much away before she got the chance to talk to Lettuce. However, she had forgotten about the soapy puddle on the floor. Her foot slid out from under her, and she fell backwards. Arms flailing, she braced herself for the impact.

But before she met the floor, a strong arm wrapped around her back. Kish had immediately teleported to her side and caught her. He held her as though he were dipping her while dancing. He grinned down at her, “If I had known all it took for you to fall into my arms was a little soapy water, I would have created some kind of soap chimera a long time ago.”

Blushing, Ichigo scrambled to her feet. Kish reluctantly released her but kept his hand resting on the small of her back. Lettuce took notice of this. As well as what was missing. No yelling in anger from Ichigo, no shoving him away, no real fighting at all between the two. Not only did they seem comfortable around each other, but they seemed playful. Something had definitely changed between the pair, and Lettuce had a sneaking suspicion as to what that was.

Crossing her arms, Lettuce cleared her throat as she looked at the two of them, “Is there something you two want to tell me?”

Ichigo’s blush got deeper, and Kish’s cocky smirk grew wide. Ichigo spun on Kish, “You, shut it. Shouldn’t you be with Ryou now anyways?”

Kish held his hands up in defense, “I didn’t say anything… Yet. And I was just about to head down. There was just something I needed to do first.”

Confused, Ichigo asked, “Wha…”

She never got to finish her question. Kish had swooped down and stole a firey kiss from her lips that made her legs go weak. “That,” he smirked. “Talk to you girls later,” he said just before disappearing.

Ichigo glanced at Lettuce, “Guess I better grab the mop and get this cleaned up. We’ll be opening soon.”

Finally composing herself and closing her open mouth, Lettuce spoke up. “Yo… You and K… Kish?” she stuttered.

“Yup,” Ichigo answered over her shoulder as she reached into the broom closet.

“How long?”

“Umm… Since Tuesday night, so not even three full days.”

“I’m happy for you, Ichigo. I know you’ve been, ah, struggling. You seem happier, more like the old you.”

Ichigo smiled softly at her friend while she mopped the floor. “I am happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time. And it’s thanks to him. I’ve never felt like this before. Not even with Masaya. What Kish and I have is… different. We’re connected in a way I never thought possible. I love him more than anything. I know that sounds weird coming from me. I mean, it’s Kish! But it’s the truth.”

Lettuce’s smile grew, “I could see it. Even in that small moment, the way you two looked at each other. And I will admit, it is a bit odd seeing you with him without trying to fight, but we both know how persistent he was and how much you’ve been missing him. I think it’s romantic. That after all these years he still loves you. So, are you the reason he came back?”

Ichigo sighed dreamily, “Yes. But before I explain everything, there’s something I need to ask you.”

Lettuce nodded for her to continue.

“Well, you see… Kish and I are getting married at the end of the month and I would really like it if you would be my bridesmaid and to help me pick out a dress and plan everything.” She had spoken so fast that most of her words had run together in her rush to get everything out.

“Wh… What?! But Ichigo! You said he’s only been back since Tuesday night. Do… Don’t you think this is a bit fast? And you’re only nineteen. What would your parents say? Have you told them?” Lettuce was in complete shock. They had moved into the dining area to get it ready for opening, but now she just stood there, openly staring at Ichigo.

“I know it may seem sudden, but I’ve loved him for almost a year now, and he’s loved me for almost five. I promise I’ll explain everything later when we have more time to talk, but please, Lettuce. Please say yes. There’s no way I could do this without you or the other Mews. We’re family.” Ichigo’s hands were clasped in front of her as she begged. Her eyes big and round.

“Of course, Ichigo. You know you can count on me. I would never miss my best friend’s wedding. As long as you’re sure this is what you want. He… He’s not pressuring you into this, is he?”

“Absolutely not! He may not always seem like it, but he’s changed a lot. He’s really been amazing since he’s returned. As soon as work is over, I promise to tell you everything. Then hopefully you’ll understand. But I am marrying him.” Ichigo stood firm yet was still worried until she saw the smile spread across Lettuce’s face.

Lettuce herself was starting to get excited for her friend. Ichigo deserved some real happiness, and if Kish gave her that, who was she to stand in their way. “Let’s hurry and get opened. The faster we get done with work, the quicker we can get to planning your wedding! And you can tell me exactly what’s happened since Kish’s return.”

Ichigo jumped and threw her arms around Lettuce in a surprise hug, nearly squeezing the life out of the surprised girl. “Thank you! Thank you! Gah! I can’t wait to get started!” Both girls began giggling as they readied the café for opening.

Just around the corner, hidden from view, Kish smiled to himself. He had wanted to be close in case the fish-girl didn’t accept him and Ichigo. To be there in case his Kitten needed him. What Ichigo had said had made his heart soar. Again, she had managed to make him fall even more in love with her. Leaving the giggling girls, Kish made his way down to the basement.

As soon as he stepped through the basement door, a voice called out from deeper within the room. “Back here!” Ryou yelled. Kish saw a partially opened door at the back of the computer room. He looked around as he stepped through. The small room looked to be a cross between his lab and the medical bay aboard his ship. There was lab equipment and monitors on his left and three medical cots on his right. He figured this was where the Mews got patched up after fights and where Ryou did his experiments. A bit of unease struck Kish as he realized he was now one of those experiments.

“Take a seat on the first bed,” Ryou said. He didn’t sound cold, but there was a noticeable lack of emotion in his voice.

Kish floated over and sat on the end of the closest bed. He noticed a silver tray set up on a table next to the bed. Various tools, instruments, and empty vials filled the tray, including a syringe. Kish cringed internally but sat up straight. He turned his piercing eyes to Ryou, who had started to push his stool away from the computer desk he was working at to come towards him. Pulling on his Commander’s façade, Kish waited until he caught Ryou’s eye.

“Before we start, I wanted to set a few rules.”

Ryou folded his arms and nodded for Kish to continue.

“I want to be fully informed of everything you’re going to do. I will consent to most samples, but I want an explanation as to why for each. You will not inject me with anything unless you have my full consent. I know my body. While my race is anatomically and genetically similar to yours, we still vary in many ways. Things that may be fine for you can be detrimental to me and vice versa. I will state again, I am not some lab rat for you to experiment on. I’m here by my choice. Respect that and anytime I say no. I’m willing to hear your ideas and arguments, but if I still refuse, then I expect you to respect my decision. I will also answer every question you have within reason. But understand that I can’t give away all my people’s and planet’s secrets. Some things I’ve been sworn to secrecy on because of my position. I can’t and won’t jeopardize their safety. Anything about me and my home stays between us. I’m even more than happy to write some encryption code on your computer to be sure this data stays secret. I may not know much about Earth, but I know enough to know your race isn’t ready for the knowledge my race possesses. You and the Mews are an exception for obvious reasons. Do I make myself clear?”

Ryou sat back and fully processed everything Kish had said. To say he was impressed would be putting it mildly. Though he’d never admit that to the alien. Ryou nodded. “I give you my word I won’t do anything without your full consent. And I’ll take you up on your offer to fortify my security. You’re right that we as a race aren’t ready for your technology and knowledge. Though I hope one day we will be. How advanced is your personal medical knowledge? Meaning, do I need to simplify my explanations like I was talking to one of the girls?” Ryou couldn’t help some of his cockiness from leaking through on those last questions.

Kish grinned, “I was the one that biologically engineered and designed almost every chimera you all fought. I may not be a healer, but I can guarantee my biological and chemical knowledge is at the very least, comparable to yours.”

Ryou smirked, “We shall see.”

“So, if we’re in agreement, what’s first?” Kish asked, crossing his arms behind his head. Now that he’d said what he needed to, he relaxed back to his usual self.

“I’d like to start with taking some samples of your blood, skin, hair, and saliva.”

“Fine, why?”

Speaking as he readied his equipment, Ryou explained, “To better understand your biology and to compare it to ours. You once told us that your race originally came from this planet. I want to see if we share a common ancestor or if we are an entirely different species. Our current theory is that we evolved from primitive apes. But there’s a missing link. Why did we suddenly branch off and evolve while other primates didn’t? Maybe your race is the answer. Maybe we actually evolved from some of your race that stayed or were simply influenced by some remainders of your people. Giving humanity’s ancestors the genetic push to evolve into what we are today.”

Kish mulled this over. “Both could be plausible. I don’t know if any of my people stayed behind or even survived if they did. The planet had become inhospitable from what we’ve been told. But if some had managed to survive it could explain our similarities. I do know my people adapted over the centuries to the harsh conditions of our current planet. We became a bit more animalistic. Our pupils narrowed and our night vision increased from living underground for generations. Our ears have always been longer than a human’s, but they grew wider and more sensitive. Our fangs elongated gradually because we had become hunters. No longer able to rely on cultivation and technology. Even our bone density and nails became thicker as a result of the harsh environment. It’s also why our skin is much paler than yours. Before I came here, I had never experienced sunlight.”

Ryou was glad he had set the computers to video record. This information was both incredible and yet heartbreaking. Though he came off as heartless most of the time, even he had felt something for what Kish’s people had been through. He was also surprised at how forthcoming Kish was being with information that had to be uncomfortable to talk about.

Though it was a bit painful, it was also something Kish had accepted a long time ago. Plus, his planet was doing amazingly well now that the Mew Aqua had changed everything. He had also promised to try to be at least somewhat friendly for Ichigo’s sake. Ryou was a large part of her life, so, for her, he was going to try to be on his best behavior, at least mostly.

“Hold out your left arm and make a fist,” Ryou said, picking up a thick rubber tie. Kish did as he was told. Ryou tied the band just above his elbow and carefully pierced his vein. As he drew several vials of Kish’s blood, he continued the conversation. “If you’ve never been in the sunlight, how did you manage not to sunburn?”

Kish cocked his head as he watched Ryou draw his blood. “Fair question. It was part of why we preferred fighting in the evenings. But our flying ability is the answer. We fly by manipulating the air around us. We can make it denser, lighter, or even cause currents. So, if I make it denser, I can, in essence, walk on air. Or if I cause it to flow, I can fly. By creating a thin dense layer of air over my skin, it greatly reduces the strength of the sun’s radiation. However, this, along with flight, do take energy and concentration. Another reason we didn’t like drawn out fights and left quickly if things weren’t going our way. Didn’t want to risk exposing that weakness.”

Ryou nodded in surprise, “But you’re fine revealing it now?”

“I may not exactly like you, but we aren’t enemies anymore. Besides, even with you aware of that, I could still easily kill you.” Kish’s eyes flicked to Ryou’s and something cold and hard shown in his golden gaze, before shifting back to his normal glitter of mischief.

Once again, Ryou was reminded that Kish was a trained warrior. A warrior trained to kill humans. Who was now a man and not the playful youth from four years ago.

Dropping some of his hostility, Ryou decided to give Kish a chance. He was marrying Ichigo after all. And it seemed the alien was at least trying to be somewhat accommodating. “I may never get past my hatred of your kind, but I am willing to at least try to accept you, Pai, and Tart. I don’t know if Ichigo’s told you, but my parents were killed by a chimera when I was a child. I only caught a glimpse of one of your kind before they disappeared. And before you ask, I don’t know what happened to him, only that the chimera was destroyed in the fire it caused that killed my family.”

“I already know,” Kish quickly stated. “Not about your family, but about the other Cyniclon.” Kish paused. He wasn’t sure if he should reveal anymore details. But after a quick glance to Ryou, who had just shared something deeply personal, he decided he owed him at least that much. “I could get court marshaled for revealing this, but… His name was Pearen. He worked under my father, and he was on a solo scouting mission. His ship crashed when he got here, and he was terribly wounded. I honestly don’t know why he fought with your parents or showed himself at all. I do know he wasn’t gifted with chimera control or creation. All I can imagine is that he made one because he was scared or threatened and that he probably lost control of it. He died on his way back, his injuries from the Earth crash were too severe. His ship barely made it back to our atmosphere on autopilot. It was how we knew humans were now on our home planet and why we began to train for warfare. I had just been born and my mother had died in childbirth, otherwise it would probably have been my father who would have come. Unfortunately, it seems your parents deaths were a catalyst for the war on both sides. Pearen’s partial reports that survived his damaged ship are what set our invasion in motion, along with Deep Blue’s urging.”

Ryou glared at the alien, “Are you saying everything was my parent’s fault?”

Kish held his hands up and shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. Pearen had already seen humans here and Deep Blue was insisting we retake our home from you. Whether Pearen had met your parents or not, the war would have happened anyway. Deep Blue spun Pearen’s death to work in his favor. Saying he was attacked by humans. Only a few military personnel knew the truth, including my father and eventually me when I got older. It was part of why my father was executed. He knew the truth of Pearen’s death and didn’t agree that we had the right to wipe an entire sentient race out of existence, especially when we had no real proof of hostilities. You already know how things ended up.”

A new understanding for both Kish and his people began to take root in Ryou. The Cyniclons had been grossly lied to and misled. And his creation of the Mew Mew Project had even furthered their belief of humans being hostile. Though they had been necessary to defend Earth from the threat of the aliens. Ryou lowered his head into his hands, not being able to look Kish in the face for what he needed to say. “I’m sorry.”

Kish was beyond stunned and very confused. “For what?”

“For hating you for what happened to my parents when you had nothing to do with it. You were only a baby when it happened. And for never seeing you as an individual, but as just an alien.”

Kish shook his head then realized Ryou couldn’t see him. Reaching out, Kish gently placed two fingers on Ryou’s shoulder. “You have nothing to apologize for. I understand the hurt and anger at losing a parent. Especially when that parent was killed. I also didn’t exactly give you any reason to see me as anything but an enemy. I was here to destroy you all.”

Ryou gave a half-hearted chuckle and looked up at Kish, “True. But you changed. You were never a cold-hearted murderer to begin with. And in the end, you even gave your life for one of us humans. Even while we were fighting, both Lettuce and Pudding tried to explain that you were no different than us. But I wouldn’t hear it. Wouldn’t admit that I was wrong.”

Keiichiro chose that moment to make his presence known, “But you did see. Even if you didn’t admit it, Ryou. You did finally see. You put your faith in the girls to make the best decisions. And not once did you straight tell them to kill Kish or the others, even when I knew you wanted them to. And two nights ago, you stood shoulder to shoulder with Kish with a smile on your face. Kish isn’t the only one who’s changed.”

Ryou wiped away his unshed tears, “What the hell are you doing down here anyways? The café is still open, right?”

Keiichiro laughed, “Of course it is. I came down to check on you two. Partly because it was too quiet, but mostly at Ichigo’s insistence to make sure you two hadn’t killed each other.”

Kish rolled his eyes, “You’d think after dying for her as well as coming across several galaxies just to check on her, that she’d have some faith in me by now.”

“I don’t think that was her issue. She’s worried about you, the both of you,” Keiichiro smiled at both of them warmly.

"I can feel you eavesdropping, Kitten.”

"Well, Keiichiro’s right. I was worried about you. You haven’t even snuck up to steal a kiss," she teased.

Kish’s laughter rolled through her, "And here I thought you hated it when I stole a kiss."

"Not for a long time," she admitted, though a bit reluctantly.

"I miss you too," he grinned.

Focusing back on Ryou and Keiichiro, “Don’t you have more tests to be doing? And shouldn’t you be making some kind of sweets?” Kish said, looking between the two humans.

Keiichiro smiled, “I’ll let you two get back to it.”

“Good, because apparently I have a Kitten who’s missing my kisses, and who am I to deprive her?” Kish smirked.

“Oh no you don’t. No bothering my employees while they’re working,” Ryou scolded, picking up a very sharp looking scalpel. “Besides, we still have a lot to do.”

Kish groaned and warily eyed the sharp blade in Ryou’s hand. “And what in the Abyss are you planning to do with that?!” Neither human nor alien noticed as Keiichiro silently slipped out the door with a soft chuckle.

Ryou chuckled darkly, “Just a skin sample.”

Kish flexed his hand, cracking a few knuckles, “Exactly how big a sample are we talking?”

“Oh, don’t be such a child.”

Kish glared at Ryou, “I’ve had a sword pierced through me and taken multiple Mew attacks. That little blade does not intimidate me.”

“Sure, sure,” Ryou teased. Swiftly, Ryou scraped the sharp blade across the back of Kish’s arm then smeared it on a drop of saline on a glass slide. “Not so scary, hmm?” he teased again when Kish flinched.

“Shut up,” Kish huffed and crossed his arms.

Picking up a pair of tweezers, “Hold still.”

“Now what?” Kish whined.

Before answering, Ryou swiftly plucked a couple of strands of hair, causing Kish to yelp. “And I thought you were supposed to be some hot shot warrior?”

Kish rubbed his scalp, “You be the one being poked and prodded and see how comfortable you are.”

Ryou rolled his eyes, “Now open your mouth.” Kish shot him a glare but did as he was told. Ryou swabbed the inside of the alien’s cheek and rubbed it on another slide. Gathering up the tray of equipment and samples, Ryou took it over to his computer desk that was also filled with other lab equipment.

“Are we done?” Kish asked, starting to relax a bit again.

“Not quite,” Ryou called over his shoulder. Rolling back over on his stool to Kish, Ryou had another tray with different tools on it. “Please remove your shirt.”

Kish smirked, “Sorry to disappoint, but not only are you not my type, but I’m happily mated to Ichigo.”

“I knew the earlier maturity was just an act,” Ryou snarled.

Kish shrugged his shoulders but started to tug off his shirts. “Eh, I never said I was or wasn’t. Though it wasn’t an act. I may have grown up some, but I’m still me. And Ichigo loves me just the way I am.” He flashed a large cocky smile.

“Yeah, well, she always was a bit of an idiot.”

The words had barely left Ryou’s lips when a quick change came over Kish. All the humor drained from his golden eyes as they narrowed to piercing slits. His smile instantly shifted to flashing a fang as a low growl rumbled in his throat. “Speak of my mate like that again, and I assure you, you will regret it.” Kish’s voice was low and menacing. The threat plainly clear and very real.

The door flew open, and Ichigo skidded to a halt next to Kish. “What’s the matter Kish?” Her eyes and voice full of concern as she eyed him up and down. Spinning around, she glared at Ryou, “What did you do to piss him off?” Ichigo had felt the sudden and fast rise of Kish’s anger. She hadn’t been paying attention to them, focusing more on her customers and tables. But the suddenness had made her gasp in shock, and she had nearly stumbled. Without a word to anyone, she had quickly raced downstairs, worried at what she may find.

Shaking his head, “I didn’t do anything.”

“You must’ve done something! I can feel how mad he is,” she huffed angrily.

Taking a deep breath, Kish’s arms suddenly wrapped around Ichigo’s waist. "Relax, mate. I’m fine. It really wasn’t even Blondie’s fault."

Ichigo calmed down almost immediately. "Then why are you so mad? I could feel your anger like a burning wave in my chest," she questioned in concern.

Kish chuckled awkwardly, "Just got a little overprotective of my mate, that’s all. The Bastard called you an idiot which got my hackles up. But I promise I wouldn’t have hurt him just for that. I would have calmed down on my own in a minute or two. Sorry to have worried you, Kitten."

Ichigo glared at Ryou again. “I am not an idiot! And you may want to be careful about what you say about me in front of my mate. You know how possessive and overprotective he is over me.” She was angry at Ryou, but it was dissipating thanks to Kish’s strong arms around her.

Ryou’s eyes flicked between the couple. “Well, you can be a total idiot,” Ryou said rolling his eyes.

Kish snarled over Ichigo’s shoulder, a lip curling over his fang.

“Ryou! Stop antagonizing him or I won’t be held responsible.”

“Fine, fine,” Ryou muttered.

Ichigo turned back to her mate, “Kish?”

Kish closed his eyes and breathed deeply of Ichigo’s scent. "I’m fine, Kitten. It’s just the mating in full swing. Gonna take me a bit to get used to the intensity and to keep in control."

"I don’t remember you being quite like this with Masaya?" she pointed out.

He chuckled, "Oh, I was. You were just too angry as well to fully notice. I was also more in control because you were at my side the entire time."

Fascination ruled over Ryou as he watched the silent communication between the pair. Though he was starting to get annoyed at being left out of the loop. Clearing his throat, he got the couple’s attention. “I’m not going to apologize, and I suggest you learn to control your anger. I will attempt to be mindful of what I say, but I can’t promise I won’t say something similar again. That’s just how I am, and Ichigo knows that.”

Nodding at Ryou, “As I just explained to her, it’s the mating. I’ve always been protective of Ichigo, but since mating, that drive to protect and defend her is through the roof. As long as you don’t say or do something too stupid, I can keep myself in check. Thankfully, Ichigo can sense me, so if I ever get pushed too far, she can calm me down.” Kish nuzzled his cheek against Ichigo’s before planting a quick kiss to her now flushed cheek.

“Now that everyone’s calmed down, can someone please explain why my fiancé is currently shirtless?” Ichigo questioned, ducking her head to hide her growing blush.

Kish chuckled, “Don’t act like you’re not enjoying the view, Kitten.”

Ichigo blushed harder and slipped out of Kish’s arms. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know. I’ve gotta get back to work. Ryou, try to be nice. Kish, try to behave.” She placed a soft peck to Kish’s cheek then hurried back up the stairs.

Glancing from the doorway to Kish, “Did you call her down here?”

Kish shook his head, “No, she felt my snap of anger and was worried about both of us.”

“So, it was this mate bonding that drew her? Your connection is that strong?” Ryou’s mind was once again flooded with questions. He was hoping he’d finally get some answers.

"Hey, Kitten? The Bastard’s asking about our bond. I promised I wouldn’t discuss anything about us without asking you first. What can I tell him?"

Ichigo sighed internally, "Tell him everything you’re comfortable with. It might be a good idea for him to know as much as possible. Having his medical knowledge may be helpful in case of any adverse effects of mating since I’m human and part cat. I don’t think there would be, but just in case."

Kish agreed with her. He still wasn’t sure what the full mating bond may change in her since she wasn’t a Cyniclon.

"But no sex details unless it’s absolutely necessary," she quickly added.

"Don’t worry about that, Kitten. What I do to that delicious body of yours is just between us."

"Ugh! Shut it!" she screeched.

Chuckling, Kish pulled away and focused on Ryou.

He relayed what Ichigo had said, and Ryou nodded thoughtfully. “It’s probably not a bad idea. And I will do my best to stay objective and not get too personal.”

Kish’s eyes trailed to the stethoscope in Ryou’s hands, “What’s that? And unfortunately, the nature of mate bonds is incredibly personal, so a little late for that, but I appreciate the thought.”

“It’s a stethoscope to listen to your heart and lungs. I wanted to take some timing measurements and compare them to human’s.” Kish allowed him to, and Ryou made some notes on his findings.

“I’ve noticed your skin is cool to the touch, what is your normal body temperature?” Ryou asked.

“Umm… What’s the freezing point in your system of measurement?” Kish needed to know to convert his system to what the humans use.

“Negative thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit. And humans are generally at ninety-eight degrees.”

Doing some quick mental calculations, Kish answered, “Around seventy-seven degrees I figure. No wonder Kitten always feels so warm.”

“Almost a twenty-degree difference from us. Not surprising you feel so cool compared to us,” Ryou stated, adding to his notes. “Your at rest heartbeat is also much slower than an average human’s, but still sounds like a normal two chamber heart.”

“Actually, we have three chambers, one is sort of like a backup, able to take over if one of the other chambers fail.”

“Fascinating,” Ryou muttered. “From what I understand of human biology, that’s our only significant difference. Aside from our outer appearance and abilities. However, our lungs are greatly evolved. I can survive on very little oxygen and can draw it from almost anything, including water. Our abilities allow us to create a permeable air membrane over our mouth and noses which filter in the oxygen.”

“So could you breathe in the vacuum of space?”

“For a while, yes. But even we can’t last long in the freezing temperatures and there isn’t enough oxygen to sustain us for very long. A few hours at best. Our metabolisms are also much slower and refined. We can last much longer on very little food. But our abilities greatly drain our energy if we aren’t careful. Before the Mew Aqua, you wouldn’t have seen many of my people flying or teleporting around very often because of the food shortages. But now it’s much more common. It was why we flew so much here. We had access to enough food to sustain us and it was freeing to be able to use our powers fully, not to mention a tactical advantage.”

A few moments later, Lettuce came down with a tray of sandwiches and two cups of coffee and a glass of water. “I figured you both might be getting hungry since it’s lunch time. I wasn’t sure if you liked or could drink coffee, Kish, so I brought you a glass of water as well.”

“Thanks, Fishy. And we can have caffeine, just in small doses. It affects us much more strongly. Do not let Tart have more than one cup of coffee or soda at a time. Believe me, it’s not pretty if you do,” he smirked.

“It can’t be worse than Pudding on a sugar high,” Lettuce giggled.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Kish winked.

A blush bloomed over Lettuce’s cheeks and chest when she realized what Kish was wearing, or rather wasn’t wearing. “I… I’m sorry. I uh… didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Kish smirked and cocked a brow, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Pai you looked.”

“Th…that’s not…,” she didn’t finish. Instead, she quickly fled back out the door and up the stairs.

Kish chuckled, “It’s just too easy to fluster those girls.”

Ryou just shook his head. “You’re still terrible. And really? Pai?”

Kish grinned, “Don’t tell me you never noticed how she used to stare at him? I may have been constantly distracted by my Kitten, but even I noticed that.”

“At least there were only three of you, otherwise it seems all five of the girls would have fallen. Just what is it with you aliens? You don’t release some kind of pheromone do you?”

A loud laugh broke from Kish’s lips, “Jealous? Not my fault girls are just naturally drawn to my endless charm.”

Ryou snorted, “And yet it took you over four years to win Ichigo over.”

Kish wanted to snarl because he knew the Blonde Bastard was mostly right. “Only three, but who’s counting? I did win her heart in the end.”

Taking a sip of his coffee, Ryou continued to jab at Kish. “And hated you for one of those.”

A knowing smirk flashed across Kish’s face. “Not quite. Fact, she admitted that she never hated me, just what I was doing. In fact, she even found me sexy, even back then.”

Ryou shook his head in defeat, “So, you going to explain this mate bond?”

As the two ate, Kish explained all the ins and outs of mate bonds, mating, and mate marks. How connected he and Ichigo were both emotionally and mentally. Even about the possibility of her gaining his powers.

Ryou occasionally took notes, but mostly he let the camera record everything Kish told him. It truly was fascinating. “I’ve got several questions. First, what would happen if either of your mate marks were destroyed through an injury?”

Pausing his coffee mug halfway to his lips, Kish contemplated Ryou’s question. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve only seen minor injuries happen to mate marks, but the area heals quicker than the rest of the body, keeping the mark clear of scarring. Though the area is also particularly sensitive. If either of us was wounded on our marks, the other would feel it. I’ve never heard of a mark being completely destroyed from a wound and would rather not find out. Marks are revered and respected amongst my people. Even many casual clothes are cut to expose our marks.”

“And what’s the range of your connection? I mean, I know you told us how you felt Ichigo’s suffering while still on your planet, but is that normal? That long of a distance?” If it was, that kind of bond was unbelievably incredible. To literally reach across time and space.

Cocking his head, Kish responded to the best of his ability, “Well, seeing as how I’m the first to have bonded to someone on another planet, I have no idea if it’s normal to reach so far. But, honestly, I don’t believe it is. Most bonded pairs I know of can only feel emotions from each other across the size of a small continent, they couldn’t reach the other side of the planet. And their telepathy range was around thirty miles max, Except for a dire circumstance when one couple reached just over one hundred miles. The female was in labor and close to death while her mate was out hunting. She called out to him in pain. I only heard Ichigo once while I was on my planet, and we haven’t really tested the range since I’ve been back. Nor do I plan to. I’m not leaving her side.”

“So, you’re saying you and Ichigo’s bond is unnaturally strong?”

Kish grinned. “I like to think so. Though, I wish I could say it was because we love each other so much, I have a feeling it’s because of the Mew Aqua. We’ve both been infused with it. She used it many times to both stop us and to heal the damage we caused. I was resurrected by it. I think it strengthened our bond because we already had such a strong connection.”

Ryou nodded. Kish’s theory did have merit. The Mew Aqua was an exceptionally powerful and pure natural resource. And you couldn’t get more natural or pure than a bonding through love. “This may be pushing the personal boundary, but what about offspring? Could you and Ichigo conceive?”

Kish blushed and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes flicked to Ryou’s before settling on a random spot on the wall. It was something he had wondered himself. Of course, he eventually wanted a family with his mate. But it was also something he was nervous asking her about. She had enough on her plate to worry about right now. And Kish was more than happy to wait at least a couple more years. He knew Cyniclon’s and human’s biology and anatomy was similar enough that children should be possible between the two, but he wasn’t one hundred percent certain. Even if they couldn’t conceive, Kish would love Ichigo to his dying breath. No matter how many times he may die. Though he truly hoped they could have children.

A warmth settled within Kish’s mind. A soft, "I hope that too. Someday," flitted through his thoughts. It took Kish a moment to realize it wasn’t just his wishful thinking, but Ichigo’s voice. Instantly, Kish disappeared from the room, leaving a startled Ryou. He reappeared at the top of the steps, hidden from view of the rest of the café. Ichigo turned the corner not a second later, having seen his intentions. Kish quickly wrapped the girl up in his arms, holding her tight and firmly to him. “You mean that, Kitten?” he whispered softly in her ear.

She nodded, then nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck, “If it’s possible and there’s no risk to the baby, then yes. But not right away. I’d like to enjoy being just your wife and mate for a little while first.”

Kish’s face lit up and split into a huge smile. "That’s four times now, Ichigo. Four times you’ve made me the happiest man between two planets."

"Oh? And what were the other three?" she giggled.

"When you accepted the mate bond, when we mated, and when you said yes to marrying me. And there’s still three more times I know you’ll make me just as happy, if not more so."

"And those are?" she prodded.

"When we actually get married here, when we announce that we’re mates and have our bonding ceremony at home, and when you give me our first child."

He pulled back just enough to look into her gorgeous eyes. His own golden orbs shimmering with love and happiness. "You will never cease to amaze me, Kitten. I love you so incredibly much."

Ichigo returned his bright smile, “I love you, Kish. More and more every day.” She giggled and flicked her hands back and forth, “Now shoo before I get teary eyed and before either Ryou gets mad at both of us or Lettuce drops a plate.”

As if on cue, a plate could be heard shattering in the dining area. Kish and Ichigo glanced towards the sound, Kish chuckling and Ichigo face palming. “Never mind. Too late. On both.” She gestured to a glaring Ryou at the bottom of the stairs.

It was Kish’s turn to face palm. “Back to the grind, eh Kitten?”

“Yup. And for the love of… Go put your damn shirt on.”

Kish smirked and stole a quick kiss. “I’ll get right on that, Kitten.” He chuckled all the way to the bottom of the stairs.

“I never thought I’d see the day when you would actually do as she says,” Ryou snarked as he watched Kish pull his shirts back on.

Kish laughed, “How’s that Earth saying go… ‘Happy wife. Happy life?’”

“You’re not married yet,” Ryou pointed out.

“Maybe not here, but we’re as good as married back home. Just have to make the announcement.”

“And, I’m guessing by that little disappearing act, that you can conceive?”

“Still not completely sure. But I just found out that we both want kids if it’s possible.”

“Ah. No wonder you look so stupidly happy. I guess Ichigo’s been listening in?”

Kish jumped up on the bed and sat down, his arms folded behind his head. “Just to bits and pieces. Really only when my emotions spike,” he said grinning like an idiot. There was nothing that could ruin Kish’s good mood. Or so he thought.

“Marriage, and already talking about kids. Have you even met her parents yet?”

Ryou’s question sliced through Kish’s happy thoughts. Sure, he’d met her mother and she had technically given them her blessing, but Ichigo’s father was a whole other subject. He’d seen his hatred of Masaya, and he was practically perfect, even if Kish cringed at that thought. How would her father react to him? He had tried to kill his daughter. Had tormented her for over a year. How in the Abyss was he supposed to face Ichigo’s father? And tell him he planned to not only marry his little girl but to also steal her away to another planet?

Ryou chuckled at the panic-stricken face of Kish. “I’ll take that as a no.”

Gaining some of his composure back, “Actually, I have met Ichigo’s mother. And she likes me.” A small smirk appeared for just a moment then disappeared. “But I haven’t met her father.”

Ryou’s chuckle turned into a laugh. “Yeah, good luck with that. You’re what? Just over six foot? Just so I know how big of a pine box I’ll need cause it’s going to be your funeral. Only met the man a handful of times. But I know where Ichigo got her temper.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bastard,” Kish sneered.

“On that note, I suppose we’re done for the day. I’ve got lots of data to go over. And I’ll make a list of questions for tomorrow. I would like to start learning more about your culture and planet life.” Kish only nodded and disappeared. Ryou sighed and hoped he not only stayed out of sight, but also refrained from bothering his staff.

Keiichiro nearly dropped the pan of fresh mini cheesecakes he was pulling from the oven when Kish suddenly appeared hovering just above him. Rebalancing the tray, he looked up at Kish, “I would really appreciate it if you didn’t just appear like that in my kitchen. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Kish bobbed his head, “Ah. Sorry…”

“My apologies, I don’t think I’ve ever actually introduced myself. I’m Ryou’s guardian and co-creator of the Mew Mew Project, Keiichiro Akasaka.”

Kish bowed in midair, “Kish Ikisatashi, at your service.”

Keiichiro cocked his head, “I didn’t realize you had a last name.”

“Of course, I do. But wasn’t like we were on good enough terms for me to tell you. And Kitten never asked,” Kish smirked.

Seeing Kish eye the fresh cheesecakes hungrily, Keiichiro shot him a smile. “All you have to do is ask.”

“Can I have one?” Kish quickly asked, but Keiichiro merely cocked an eyebrow and folded his arms. Kish looked at him funny for a moment, then it dawned on him, and he amended his previous request. “Can I have one, please?”

Keiichiro nodded, “That’s better.” He reached into the back of the refrigerated display case and pulled out one of the already chilled and plated cheesecakes. He handed it along with a fork to Kish.

Happily, Kish took the offered dessert and drifted into a corner out of the way, sitting cross legged in the air. “Thanks.” As he ate, Kish studied Keiichiro, having little to no interaction with the man last time he was here. He smoothly hustled about the kitchen, keeping all the desserts the café offered well stocked. Various bowls of batters and frostings littered the clean counters. As soon as an oven was empty, a new pan of sweets was quickly placed within. The man was in complete control of his kitchen, and Kish had to admit he was impressed. He was efficient and quick, not letting things fall behind even once.

Keiichiro felt Kish’s eyes watching him, “Was there something I could help you with?”

“Maybe. But mostly I was just studying you. A habit from before and from being a General. Not to mention just being naturally curious.”

“A General?” Keiichiro asked with curiosity and surprise coating his voice.

“You know, I’m starting to think I should take offense to how shocked everyone is when I tell them I’m a General. But yes, I’m the Commander General of my planet’s military forces. I was a General when I was here fighting. Pai and Tart may be my family, but I was their leader and outranked them. It was why I was the first to arrive. I had originally hoped to take care of the human problem on my own. Things didn’t quite go to plan,” Kish winked.

A soft smile played over Keiichiro’s lips, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. But to me you were still very much a child back then. And honestly seemed way too playful and easily distracted.” Though he didn’t outright say it, Kish knew Keiichiro was referring to his obsession and interactions with Ichigo. “It must have been tough. To be so young with that kind of weight on your shoulders.”

Kish shrugged, “A bit. But it’s what I’ve been trained for for nearly all my life.”

“With so much responsibility, how did you manage to come back? And I suppose that means you won’t be staying here permanently then?” Concern was clear in Keiichiro’s tone of voice and Kish was beginning to appreciate Keiichiro’s paternal nature. He reminded Kish a bit of his deceased father. Strict, but with a warm heart. And that he didn’t sugar coat the facts, but still remained soft and caring.

“Nothing could have kept me from making sure Ichigo was safe and alright. The pain I felt from her ripped my heart to pieces. I would have come back a lot sooner, but I honestly thought she was happier without me. It would have destroyed me if I had come back, and she was still with that tree-hugger. But her pain forced my hand, my safety be damned. I will always risk everything for her. And she knows I’d give up everything, but we haven’t really talked much about the distant future. So, for now, no, I won’t be staying at least for this trip. Ichigo is well aware of my responsibilities at home. But we’re enjoying the here and now while we can. But she’s also coming back with me for at least an extended visit. After, well, we’ll see.”

Keiichiro’s smile grew, “I may not know much about your bond, but I don’t have to. I can clearly see how much you both love each other. Just be sure to talk about things. Don’t jump to a decision just because it’s what you think it’s what the other wants. And don’t make a decision without discussing it with her first. Just because she likes it when you take charge, don’t remove all the power from her hands. She is still the leader of the Mews and a very bright and understanding girl. I know you both want to make the other happy, but don’t forget about yourselves while doing that.”

As Kish analyzed everything Keiichiro had said, the words struck him deeply. Though he was still willing to give up everything for Ichigo if she asked, could he really be happy here. He knew he could be as along as he had his Kitten, but he also knew he’d be constantly worried about his home and his responsibilities. He also knew he’d miss his friends and family. But so would she if she stayed with him. He decided to take Keiichiro’s advice and really talk to Ichigo about it. Even admit his reservations about staying here. But not yet. Ichigo was still dealing with too much right now to add that kind of stress to her. It would also give him time to think on it.

Kish floated over and set his dirty dishes in the sink then dropped to his feet in front of Keiichiro. Giving a small bow, “Thank you for the advice. I promise your words weren’t wasted. These ears aren’t just for decoration. I’ll talk to her once things have calmed down a bit more. Though I’m surprised at how well you seem to know both of us, especially me.”

Keiichiro chuckled as he mixed a bowl of batter. “I’ve watched Ichigo grow into a young woman these past five years. So, I know her pretty well. As for you, well you aren’t that hard to figure out. At least not when you know where to look, and that’s at Ichigo. From the past to the present, you revealed who you really were around her. You may be a trained warrior sent to kill us, but your true heart was revealed with Ichigo. You could never bring yourself to actually kill her, let alone harm her. You aren’t inherently evil or a cold killer. You had ample opportunities to kill not only her, but all of us, but you didn’t. If you had truly wanted us dead, we would have been, and the planet would have been yours for the taking. But the fact that you also never gave up showed how much you also genuinely cared about your people. You’re a good person at heart, Kish. Something I wish we had all seen sooner. And with as quickly as you always were to defend and help Ichigo, I know you’d still give up everything for her without thinking twice. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Just don’t forget about your own happiness. I know Ichigo doesn’t.”

Kish swiped a finger through the bowl of batter, much to the disapproving eyes of Keiichiro. “I used to think only Ichigo was worth saving. That only she was a good human. But maybe you aren’t all as bad as I used to think. Even that Blonde Bastard is starting to grow on me.” He grinned as he licked the batter from his finger.

Another soft smile crossed Keiichiro’s face as he shook his head at Kish’s childish behavior. Tapping his whisk on the side of the bowl to knock the excess batter off, he held the whisk out to Kish. The alien looked from it to Keiichiro quizzically. “To keep your fingers out of the bowl.”

Kish grinned and snatched the whisk up and began to lick it clean. “Thanks,” he mumbled around the whisk’s prongs.

Keiichiro nodded his head, “And thank you for what you said. Not all humans are good or bad. Just as I’m sure there are those on your planet that are good or bad.”

Continuing to lick the delicious batter from the whisk, Kish contemplated this. Sighing, “True. We do have lawbreakers, but nothing as drastic as some of your criminals. We don’t have mass murderers, not counting civil wars, assisted suicides, accidental deaths, or killing in defense. It’s incredibly uncommon for a Cyniclon to take the life of another simply for the sake of it. Most of our crimes are centered around thievery or emotions flaring, we tend to be a very passionate race. With so much natural death and hardships, it was one of the things we could control or use to escape the bleakness of our existence.”

An inquisitive and slightly worried look came over Keiichiro. Seeing this, Kish tried to elaborate. “We became very protective of family, loved ones, or anything that made us happy. It was part of why the three of us fought so hard for this planet. It went beyond just our mission. And even more than just because our race’s future was at stake. That protective nature is something ingrained in us. Our friends and family made us happy, so we would do anything to protect that. But it can also cause problems. For example: If someone made you happy, you would be protective of them, but if they got a mate, lover, or even became closer with their family, jealousy and fighting would usually occur. Even rape in some extreme cases, but that is an extreme offense and taken very seriously. For love was one of our few freedoms, and to take that choice away is unforgiveable in our culture. Even an item can become a coveted possession, causing quarrels if someone else were to even touch it.”

“Is that why you became so obsessed and protective of Ichigo initially? Because she made you happy?” Keiichiro teased to lighten the serious tone of the discussion.

Though a grin slid over Kish’s lips, a light dusting of pink tinged his cheeks. “Yes,” he softly muttered. Tossing the licked clean whisk in the sink, Kish kept his eyes downcast and hidden behind his bangs. Sheepishly, “That’s why I initially called her my toy. She was something I wanted to possess because playing with her made me happy. However, that obsession quickly turned to love. And I wanted to change toy to mate but it could have put us both in danger if the other’s had realized just how deeply my feelings went. My obsession was barely tolerated because they could understand my need for the happiness she gave me, but just barely.”

A gentle hand on Kish’s shoulder caused the green haired alien to look up in surprise, catching Keiichiro’s eyes as he did so. “I may not be that much older than you, but I know the girls see me as a big brother, or uncle, or even as a father figure in the case of Pudding. So, if you ever feel like you need to talk about anything, I’m here. To simply listen or offer advice, whatever you may need or want. Especially concerning anything of human nature,” Keiichiro offered kindly.

Kish was slightly taken aback by the kind gesture. Sure, he had his cousins, aunt, uncle, and even a few close friends back home that he could rely on or go to, but this was different. Kish was used to people trying to get close to him or gain influence over him because of his position and family’s status. But he had none of that here on Earth. Keiichiro’s offer was one of pure kindness with no strings attached. Well, besides the mutual understanding of Ichigo’s continued safety and happiness, of which he would have continued to ensure anyway.

On top of that, Kish was painfully aware that he wasn’t particularly well liked back home. Oh, he was respected for his position and abilities and revered as a hero for his accomplishments, but he knew that if you were to strip away those abilities, titles, and accomplishments, most would have little to nothing to do with him besides his family and few friends. Most were envious of him at best. And though he had plenty of girls clamoring for his attention, it wasn’t because of Kish himself, but rather who they saw him as. He was Kish Ikisatashi. The Commander General, member of the council, hero to Cynicla, attractive, highly skilled with many coveted abilities, and a member of one of the most prestigious and well-known families among the clans. But he was also arrogant, independent, cold, aloof, childish at times, had a temper, and didn’t seem to take things seriously unless they furthered his agenda.

No, most found Kish abrasive and not really worth their time. Only vying for his attention because of what he was, not who he was or is. But here on Earth, none of that mattered. Here, he wasn’t some big shot, and his titles and accomplishments meant little to nothing. In fact, he had been a hated enemy. And now with the war and fighting over, he was stripped back to just himself. Just a young man, albeit an alien man. He had no title here. No one knew his family name. He was simply Kish.

It was refreshing in a way, he had to admit. Even if he was still an oddity because he was an alien. He was accepted. Even though Blondie had turned him into a pet project. And even Ichigo had mentioned being a tad envious of his abilities. But he was being accepted not because of what he was, but because of himself, of who he is.

Blondie may see him as a project and still hold a grudge against his kind, but even he had opened up to Kish. They had found common ground through shared similar traumatic pasts. It was new, and strained, but an uneasy friendship was growing between the pair. And now Keiichiro had offered his hand in friendship. It was strange, but not unwelcome. Kish was more used to being fawned over or tolerated, not being treated with sincerity. And though Ichigo may have been the catalyst to help start building these bridges, Kish had tentatively allowed these bridges to continue building.

And Ichigo. His dear, sweet, fiery, Kitten. She had fallen in love with him. Not what he had, but with him. His brash, cocky, arrogant, perverted, and overly confident personality had filled her mind. Then his possessiveness, fierce loyalty, determination, and playfulness had seeped into her heart. And before either knew it, his unyielding love, devotion, and passion had taken root in her soul. She genuinely loves him. Loved and accepted the things about him that most at home hated or merely tolerated. But those traits are what had won over her heart. She couldn’t get enough of his sly arrogance or his cocky possessiveness. She loved all his faults and accepted them. Accepted him. It was something that baffled him, but he loved her even more for it.

A tiny soft smile lit up Kish’s face as he looked to Keiichiro. “Thanks. I may take you up on that offer. Ichigo helps when it comes to filling in the blanks about Earth things, but it might be nice to have a guy to talk to occasionally.” ‘Yes. Maybe not all humans were quite as horrible as he originally believed,’ Kish thought.

"Glad you finally think so," Ichigo giggled in his mind. "And now you have Keiichiro to help with human things just like I have Tart to go to about alien stuff."

Kish was hit with a small flash of jealousy. "But Kitten, you know you can ask or talk to me about anything."

"Relax, love," Ichigo sighed. "I know and probably will most of the time. But there will be times one of us is going to do or say something that angers, hurts, or confuses the other. So, it’s nice to have someone to turn to. Especially if they can stay objective when our notorious tempers flare," she teased.

He had to admit, she did have a point. "Ah, then I’ll just have to keep that delicious body of yours exhausted and well sated, so you won’t have the energy to fight with me. Hmm, Kitten?"

"God damned, cocky, perverted alien," she hissed before pulling away to focus on a customer.

His signature smirk graced his lips. Gods he loved riling up his Kitten. His only regret was not being able to see the fire dancing in her chocolate eyes, or that little irritated crinkle that appeared between her brows. She was just so damn adorable when fired up or flustered. Switching his attention back to the chef, who had started filling cake pans with the rich chocolate batter, “Actually, there’s something you could help me with now.”

Keiichiro glanced up at Kish who was now sitting cross legged, hovering a couple of feet above the kitchen island with his hands folded behind his head. “Oh? How can I help? And if you insist on flying, do try not to be seen.”

Kish nodded and drifted further from the door. “Well, Ichigo and Pudding requested that Tart and I take them some place nice for a date tomorrow night. And seeing as how we’re not exactly from around here, I was hoping you had some suggestions?”

Keiichiro blinked, “Did they now? Just how nice are we talking?”

Kish scratched the back of his neck, “I have no idea what Ichigo’s dress looks like, but if it’s even half as stunning as Pudding’s, then some place pretty damned nice.”

Keiichiro tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear, “Hmm. I see. Then I suggest Florilige. I know the head chef there so I can make a call and get you a VIP reservation. I’ll also arrange for the bill to be sent to me. Just don’t go wild. Consider this a thank you for what you, the others, and even the girls did for everyone during that last battle.”

“Do you have a picture of the place? I can’t teleport somewhere unless I’ve seen it.”

“No, but if you go down and ask Ryou, he can pull it up on the computer. And while you’re down there, ask him about Club Red. He’s a VIP member there and should be able to get you on the list. It’s just down the street from the restaurant. I’m sure the girls would be thrilled to be taken out dancing. And remember, you may be of legal drinking age, but the other three aren’t.”

“Thank you very much Keiichiro,” Kish said as he stood before the chef and offered a slight bow. “How can I repay you?”

“You already have.”

Kish gave the man a confused look.

“By helping to save this planet. And by the happiness you and Tart bring to Ichigo and Pudding,” Keiichiro smiled wistfully.

Though Kish was used to getting the royal treatment back home, it was still a bit of a shock at how much Keiichiro was willing to do for him. He honestly didn’t know what else to say. So, he just gave a quick nod of his head and disappeared back downstairs to find Blondie. Which wasn’t hard to do as he was sitting at his computer just inside the door to the main lab. Quietly, Kish appeared behind Ryou, “Hey Blondie!”

Ryou jumped to his feet, splashing coffee down his front. “What the hell, you long eared freak!?” he gasped as he dabbed at the coffee stain on his shirt.

Kish couldn’t hold back his wicked chuckle. “Keiichiro told me to ask you to bring up a photo of Florilige. Tart and I are taking the girls there for dinner tomorrow night. I need to see a place before I can teleport to it.”

Ryou eyed Kish as he settled back into his chair. “Well, you’ve certainly got good taste. What’s the occasion?”

“There wasn’t one initially. But I just realized tomorrow is Tart’s seventeenth birthday. And it’s also to celebrate Ichigo’s and my engagement. Originally, the girls just wanted us to take them somewhere nice. Oh, and Keiichiro told me to ask you about Club Red. Said you’ve got the pull to get us in.”

Ryou cocked an eyebrow, “Did he now? I suppose I could pull a few strings. But you better be on your best behavior. And just what are you going to do about your freakish ears?”

Kish gave Ryou a sly grin and waved his hand in front of his face. His appearance once again became the human guise he had used at the mall. Kish chuckled at Ryou’s shocked expression. “Got it covered as you can see.”

“Not too bad. You’d even fit in with some of the club goers in just that. But I suggest wearing something a bit nicer if you’re going to Florilige first.”

“Already planned on it,” Kish winked. “Thanks Blondie.”

“Don’t mention it, alien boy. And don’t get used to this. I won’t offer a favor again without getting something in return.”

Kish scoffed and folded his hands behind his head, “Wouldn’t dream of it, ya Bastard.”

Smirking, Ryou pulled up a photo of the restaurant, including a picture of the side of the building that faced an alleyway. “That would probably be the best place to teleport to, so you won’t be seen. And the club is just a block down on the right.”

With a nod and another quick thanks, Kish disappeared once again. He reappeared in the alley next to the restaurant. He wanted to make sure he had the location correct and to ensure they’d be hidden when they appeared here Saturday night. Thankfully, it seemed like the alley was well hidden and rarely used. It would be a perfect place to appear unnoticed. With a final look around, Kish teleported back to the café.

Ichigo’s day had gone fairly smoothly besides a few distractions from Kish and a couple of broken plates from Lettuce. Her feet hurt though, and she was ready for the day to be over. She couldn’t wait to discuss everything with Lettuce. Only one more table and she could finally begin closing up. However, this final table was proving to be a handful.

It was three guys and a girl. The boys had immediately begun leering at Ichigo, but she was used to that after working at the café for almost five years. But the girl had become overly jealous and turned into a real snob. Suddenly her tea wasn’t hot enough, her cheesecake too sweet, and Ichigo’s service too slow. Ichigo wanted so badly to snap at the whiny girl, but she kept up her smiling façade. But when the boys started to openly flirt with and make rude comments, she became awfully close to her breaking point.

‘Last table and I’m done. Last table, and we close,’ she repeated to herself over and over, trying to stay calm. Then, when she was refilling the boys’ sodas, one of them grabbed her wrist.

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing after work? I bet me and my friends could show you a real good time,” the boy winked.

Ichigo looked at him with disgust and tried to yank her arm away. “Let go! I’m not interested. I have a fiancé.”

“Aww. Well, he won’t have to know. Besides, I bet I’m much better than he is. At everything,” the boy whispered that last part with a seductive smirk.

Again, Ichigo tried to free herself, “I said let go! And you’ve got nothing on my fiancé.” At this point, Ichigo was starting to lose her temper. If things kept up, she risked exposing her cat ears and tail. She was beyond mad and disgusted by the whole thing. She couldn’t believe how brazen this punk was being. Worry at possibly losing her composure as well as anger at the boy’s behavior was starting to well inside her.

Suddenly, a cold wave of rage swept through her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Kish striding towards her. His mouth set in a hard line. Thankfully, he had his glamor on, but even then, she could see the intense anger and jealousy swimming in his golden pools. ‘Not good,’ she thought. This wasn’t going to be pretty. "Kish…. Calm down," she pleaded. But he didn’t say anything, just kept his dangerously glittering eyes trained on the boy that still held her wrist.

Coming up beside Ichigo, Kish glared at the boy that dared touch his mate. Swiftly he wrapped his hand around the boy’s wrist. “I believe my fiancé asked you to let her go.” Kish’s voice was low, cold, and flat. Squeezing the boy’s wrist hard enough to bruise, he finally let go of Ichigo with a wince. “Touch her again, and you won’t live to regret it.” Kish released the boy to circle an arm around Ichigo’s waist.

Ichigo sighed in relief. Kish had managed to keep his temper mostly in check. She was about to walk away, thinking everything was over, but of course that would have been too easy.

Both the other boys and the girl piped up. “I happen to be free tonight handsome. I’m sure you’d find my company more satisfying than that dumpy red head,” the girl cooed to Kish, forgetting all about the other boys at the table.

Without missing a beat, Kish released Ichigo and placed his hand on the back of the girl’s chair, leaning over in close to her. “You are very pretty. But her beauty outshines even the sun, both inside and out. Such a pity yours is only skin deep,” Kish said softly. And Ichigo didn’t know how he did it, but he sounded both cold and seductive at the same time.

Meanwhile, the other boys were trying to goad their friend into picking a fight with Kish over Ichigo. Ichigo glared at all three of them. “You do, and the three of you will be lucky to walk again when he’s done. A little bit of free information, he’s spent years in the military and knows more than one way to kill a man.” All three boys turned white. And the one that had grabbed Ichigo’s wrist offered a quickly mumbled apology before slamming some money on the table and high tailing it out of the café, leaving the girl behind.

The girl shot Kish a glare. “I can’t believe you’d turn down this for that,” she said flicking her thumb towards Ichigo.

Kish chuckled darkly, “Sweetheart, I’d turn down the planet for my Kitty-cat. In fact, I have.” Kish smirked as his arm snaked back around Ichigo’s waist, pulling her close. The girl turned red in anger or embarrassment, Ichigo wasn’t sure which, but she couldn’t help but smile triumphantly.

The angry and humiliated girl slapped her money on the table and stomped out of the café.

A giggle broke from Ichigo’s lips, “That was amazing! And thanks love, but I could have handled those punks on my own.”

Kish grinned and drew her closer, capturing her eyes with his. “I know you could have. They were simply humans after all. But no male touches my mate. Besides, the last time I got to play hero, it didn’t end particularly well for me,” he winked.

Ichigo rolled her eyes, “Though you played the part splendidly, being a hero doesn’t suit you. I’d say you’re more of an anti-hero.”

Confusion struck Kish, but with a quick search of Ichigo’s memories, he discovered what an anti-hero was, and his smirk grew wider, an elongated canine peeking between his lips. “I think you might be right. That does fit me better. And you can bet I’ll always come to your rescue, Kitten. Even though I know you’re perfectly capable of handling things yourself.”

Confidence and gratitude radiated within Ichigo. It felt good having Kish acknowledge her capabilities. That she wasn’t some weak damsel in distress. But at the same time, it was incredibly heart warming to know Kish would always be there for her. Would always come to her side. She loved that he allowed her to be both the fighter and the damsel. She was a fickle cat after all. “My knight in shining black armor,” she teased.

Kish swept down and planted a firm, but quick kiss to Ichigo’s lips before releasing her. The kiss was over much too quickly according to Ichigo and she aimed to fix that. Before he got far, Ichigo threw her arms around his neck and dragged his lips back to hers. She kissed him hard and licked at his lips teasingly. Just as he opened for her, Ichigo drew away, grinning.

“Teasing cat,” he growled.

Ichigo giggled and slipped from his grasp to gather the money the annoyances had left. “And you love it,” she winked at him.

“Oh wow! A whole dollar tip and after putting up with those annoyances for the last half hour,” Ichigo moaned sarcastically as she started clearing the table. Kish disappeared and reappeared with a tray and held it while Ichigo loaded it with the dirty dishes. “Thanks, love.”

“Anytime, Kitten,” Kish flashed her an award-winning smile. He took the dishes to the kitchen while Ichigo scrubbed the table. Just before he reached the kitchen, Lettuce came out with the closed sign for the front door.

Lettuce did a double take as she looked at Kish. “K…Kish?”

He shot her a toothy grin, “The one and only.”

“B…But how? You look h…human!” she stuttered.

“Can’t go about as my usual self without causing a bit of a stir. Figured I should try to fit in a bit more. And Pai and Tart came up with the idea. It’s glamor, or an illusion. I’m still the sexy alien underneath.”

Pink tinged Lettuce’s cheeks, “P…Pai came up with it?”

Kish smirked knowingly. “Yup. With Tart’s help. How else could we visit our girls without causing a commotion? And I’m sure Pai will want to try it out as soon as he’s able to come visit.”

“Yo…Your girls?” Lettuce questioned as her blush grew.

Kish’s eyes twinkled with mischief, “Mine, Tart’s and Pai’s of course.”

“So, Ichigo and Pudding, but wh…who’s Pai’s girl?” A mix of hope and worry shimmered in Lettuce’s eyes and Kish noticed.

“He doesn’t have one yet, but I know he’s got a very particular girl in mind. Someone that’s very special to him,” he winked before disappearing into the kitchen.

‘He can’t mean… Can he? No… No, there’s no way. It’s not like I’m special or anything. But who could be the girl? Kish made it seem like she was from Earth…’ Lettuce trailed off in her thoughts as she hung the closed sign outside on the door. She didn’t know why, but a tiny bud of hope was starting to bloom deep in her chest.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ichigo calling out her name. ‘Finally!’ she thought. She and Ichigo could start discussing what had happened with Kish’s return. As well as start planning her friend’s wedding. Locking the front door, Lettuce quickly joined Ichigo’s side as they cleaned up.

Kish sat on the edge of a nearby table as he listened to the girls. He had one leg drawn up, his arms crossed over his ankle, and his chin resting on his knee. A small smile played on his lips at how animated and excited his mate was while she explained everything to Lettuce. Well, mostly everything. She left out some of the specifics regarding their mating, including specific details of their love making. Although Ichigo did, once again, brag about his talented tongue, making him grin wickedly and Lettuce blush profusely. He had dropped his glamor, so his now revealed fang had slipped over his lip.

Though they were mostly whispering, Ichigo knew full well that Kish’s keen ears could hear every word. And that was only confirmed when she caught sight of his fanged smirk when she had bragged about his talented tongue. But she did appreciate the appearance of privacy he offered. It wasn’t like she was hiding anything from him. But she knew it would make Lettuce even more uncomfortable if it was obvious Kish was listening in. But once they shifted to the topic of the wedding, Kish perked up and floated closer to them.

Leaning back in midair with his hands folded behind his head, Kish joined the girl’s conversation. He was both curious about Earth weddings and, more specifically, what Ichigo wanted.

“If everyone invited is involved in the Mew Project, do you want the aliens as they are or to wear their glamor?” Lettuce asked.

Ichigo glanced at Kish for a moment before flicking her eyes back to Lettuce. “Well, honestly, I’d like them to be as they are. I fell in love with Kish as an alien, but if he uses glamor we could invite others. Plus, I could display our wedding photos without worry.”

“Wh…Why not both?” Lettuce offered.

Ichigo furrowed her brows, “Huh?”

“Marry him as he is for the ceremony, but have some pictures taken of him with his glamor. That way you can display those pictures but keep the real ones private. Remember, Zakuro’s photographer knows about us.”

“Ah! Lettuce, you’re a genius! That’s perfect!”

Lettuce blushed heavily and bowed her head in thanks. “Any colors in mind?”

“Pink and green,” both Ichigo and Kish answered at the same time. And both with a large smile. “I want the girls in soft pink dresses and the boys to wear green ties with black tuxes. I think Kish should wear a green vest as well as a tie. And the flowers should be pink, red, and white roses. The girls should carry pink and white bouquets, while mine will have all three. The boutonnieres should be white, I think.”

“Oh, Ichigo, that sounds beautiful,” Lettuce said dreamily.

Ichigo grinned, “With Keiichiro taking care of the catering and Zakuro’s photographer, maybe I can talk Tart into supplying the flowers. Then all I’ll have to worry about is my dress, makeup, hair, Kish and Tart’s tuxes, and the entertainment.”

“I’m sure we could convince Ryou to play DJ. I’m fairly sure the café has a sound system,” Lettuce offered.

“Great idea!” Ichigo exclaimed. “He does owe me for all those times he cut my pay,” she giggled.

“Don’t worry about Tart, Kitten. I know he’d love to help with the flowers for his big sister,” Kish winked at her. “Just let me know exactly what you want, and he’ll make it happen.” Ichigo pictured the bridesmaids bouquets, her bouquet, and the boys boutonnieres and sent the images to Kish. He smiled, “Consider it done, Kitten. And may I make a request?”

Surprise filled her voice as Ichigo answered, “Of course! This is our wedding.”

“If you’re going to marry me as I am, then I’d like to wear my military dress uniform. It’s tradition back home for special events such as this. You also wouldn’t have to worry about clothes for me and Tart. We can easily glamor ourselves in what you want for those few photos you mentioned. This way I can also be a bit more of myself.”

Ichigo beamed at him, “That sounds wonderful, love. Not only is it one less thing to worry about, but I love the idea of you showing more of your true self. A melding of cultures in a way. And I get to see you in your full Commander General’s uniform. A win all the way around.”

“Thanks, Kitten. This means a lot to me,” he said giving her a tender smile.

Lettuce smiled warmly at the couple. It was obvious they were both very much in love and she was incredibly happy for the two of them. Especially Ichigo. But she couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of jealousy. Again, her thoughts drifted to Pai. Though it had been four years, she had often found herself thinking of the stoic alien. He was just so different than the other two and she wondered what it would be like to have a conversation with him. Lettuce shook her head and shoved her jealousy and daydreams aside.

“So, other then finding your dress and finalizing your look, all that’s left to nail down are the bridesmaid’s dresses, the cake flavor and design, what kind of food, a song list, who’s going to marry you, and the actual date of the wedding.” Lettuce ticked them off on her fingers as she listed everything.

“Sounds about right. We’ll wait til all the girls are here to worry about me and my dress as well as the bridesmaids’ dresses. I think I’ll call them Tuesday or Wednesday. Kish and I can discuss the cake and food later tonight. And the songs we’ll also wait to discuss with all the girls. Although…. I’ll have to figure out a song for Kish and me. There were a few songs I listened to on repeat while he was gone that made me think of him, but I’ll have to see what he thinks. As for the date… Well…,” Ichigo glanced at Kish. “We should probably talk to my parents first. It’s time I formally introduced you to them. We should probably do that Sunday night. I’m off and we can go over early to introduce you, discuss everything, and hopefully stay for dinner.”

Kish blanched. “S…So soon?”

Ichigo giggled, “Afraid to meet your future in-laws?”

“Abyss! Yes! At least your father. That man could probably make even Pai nervous. Thankfully, your mother seems to like me. But I’ve seen how protective your father is of you. He could probably give me a run for my money with how overprotective he is of you. Even how much he hated that tree-hugger. I’m not exactly looking forwards to it,” Kish admitted grumpily.

“Just how often did you spy on me?” Ichigo grumbled.

Kish looked at her sheepishly, “Do you really want me to answer that?”

“God, you really were a perverted stalker weren’t you?” she teased.

“I prefer the term admirer. And it wasn’t like you were ever willing to talk to me back then. It was the only way to see you without a fight breaking out and to learn more about you.”

Without thinking, Ichigo reached up and flicked the tip of Kish’s pointy ear.

“Ouch! Kitten! That just finished healing. And you should know better then to touch my ears,” he gave her a sly grin.

Ichigo blushed, “Ah! Sorry, love. I didn’t think.”

Lettuce looked at them both with confusion clear in her eyes, “What’s wrong with your ear?”

Both Kish and Ichigo blushed this time, but Ichigo answered, “Well, first, I kind of caught the tip with a blast from my strawberry bell while we were having a spar yesterday.”

“Then hit it with the actual bell,” Kish interrupted.

“And I said I was sorry!” she huffed. “And his ears are incredibly sensitive, especially to me.”

“To you? Why to you?” Lettuce asked.

“Well… Erm….”

Kish smirked, though his cheeks were still tinged with pink, “What’s she’s trying to say is that for my race, when our mates touch our ears we get very passionate, for lack of a more polite term.”

Lettuce scrunched up her brows in thought before the realization hit her. Her cheeks flamed bright red, and her mouth formed an ‘oh.’ “Oh…Oh! I’m s…sorry. I…I didn’t mean t…to pry.”

Kish shook his head, “It’s fine. No need to apologize. It’s common knowledge back home.”

Lettuce dropped her eyes to the ground and fiddled with her fingers. “Umm… I…I know it’s pa…personal. B…But Ichigo sh…showed me hers and I’m cu…curious. But… Um… Can I s…see your mate mark?”

Kish grinned at the stammering and blushing girl. “Seeing me shirtless once wasn’t enough for you?” he teased.

Lettuce flushed even brighter and hid her face behind her hands, “It’s n…not like th…that!”

Ichigo rolled her eyes and elbowed Kish in the side, “Stop teasing. Lettuce is curious. She’s been doing a lot of research on you aliens since you left. I’m sure she just wants to see for her notes. Right, Lettuce?”

Lettuce could only nod.

“Alright, alright,” Kish said as he pulled his shirts off again. “Just don’t turn me into another project like the Blonde Bastard already has. If you’re that curious about us, I’m sure he would share his notes about me and my people with you. I don’t want to repeat everything. But I’ll ask you the same thing as I did of him, what you learn stays between those of the Mew Project only. And I’m sure Ichigo will answer what she can. She can learn most answers whenever she wants anyways,” he smiled at Ichigo with a flirtatious glint in his eye.

“Of co…course I’ll k…keep it secret! And I’ll do that,” Lettuce said as she finally lifted her eyes to Kish’s shoulder. All traces of her nervousness vanished as she switched to her science mode. Stepping closer to Kish, she examined his mark. “Extraordinary. They almost look like real chains and are nearly identical. Are lock and keys common for mate marks?” Hesitantly, Lettuce reached out to brush her fingers over the mark.

Ichigo smirked, “I asked the same thing. And no. The tokens are unique to the pair and individual. From what he’s told me, they take the form of something either important to the couple, or how each feels about the other. Red and green obviously represent us, but the tokens themselves are how we see each other. Kish was bound to me, so his heart was locked away. And he always made me feel like I could totally be myself. The key to set me free.”

Kish’s eyes softened as he gazed at his mate. “I couldn’t have explained it better myself, Kitten.”

“Interesting. Will they ever fade or disappear?” Lettuce asked. She couldn’t wait to pick Ichigo’s brain some more and look over all the data Ryou had gathered.

Pulling his shirts back on, “No. Not even if one of us were to die. The other’s chain would break, but the marks would remain. If the one left chose to find another mate, then a new chain would appear just below. Though I can say without a doubt, if I ever lost my Kitten, I’d never take a new mate. No one could ever come close to her in my heart.”

“Gah, stop it,” Ichigo huffed as her eyes got misty. “You’re stuck with me.”

Kish grinned, “Then it’s a good thing I’ve got lots of practice saving that tail of yours, cause you do seem to attract trouble.”

Ichigo glared at him, “I do not!” She stamped her foot. “But I do seem to attract wierdos,” she teased him.

He only stuck out his tongue in response.

“You three are still here?” Ryou questioned as he came up from the basement.

Lettuce looked at the clock, “Gah! I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten. I must hurry home. See you two tomorrow. Bye!” Lettuce shouted as she headed to the changing room.

Looking at Kish, “Mind helping me finish sweeping and mopping so we can head off too?” Ichigo asked.

He smirked playfully, “Anything to get you out of here quicker. Remember, tonight is my night.”

Ichigo blushed and scurried off to the broom closet.

Chapter Text

“Since when can you cook?” Ichigo teased Tart as she leaned her elbows on the counter in the mess hall. She and Kish had returned from the café nearly twenty minutes ago. Finding herself starving, she had made her way to the mess hall to find food while Kish muttered something about laundry. She had not expected to find Tart puttering around the kitchen making something that smelled highly reminiscent of spaghetti.

“Who do you think does most of the cooking back home? Kish?” he snarked. “Only if you don’t mind eating the same five simple dishes all the time,” Tart chuckled.

“Well, I hate to admit it, but it smells wonderful. What is it? Cause it smells like spaghetti but not quite.”

“Pudding said the same thing when I made it for her and her family back when I was still visiting. And from what I understand, it is spaghetti, just with ingredients from my planet. We call it lycopadip. Roughly translated, it means tomato pasta. Though our tomatoes are a bit different than yours. They are a touch sweeter and are a dark pink. It will be ready soon and there’s plenty for you and Kish.”

“Thanks a bunch, Brat. I’m hungry and I can’t wait to try food from your planet. Where’s Pudding by the way?” Ichigo asked as she watched Tart move about the kitchen.

Tart waved a hand and the sauce settled down to a simmer. Ichigo couldn’t figure out the stove at all. It didn’t have burners. It didn’t seem to have dials. But Tart moved the pots and pans around as though it did.

“She’s taking a shower, was a long day at the dojo,” Tart answered. Noticing the lost look on Ichigo as she stared at the stove in bewilderment, he decided to toss her a bone. “We don’t have individual burners like your stoves. The cook top is divided into quadrants. It’s more efficient than just a circle.”

Ichigo groaned, “I hope you and Kish have learned patience because I’m going to be so confused with all your different technology.”

Tart smirked, “Not much fun not understanding even simple things, is it?”

“How did you three manage to not get overwhelmed when you first came here?” she asked honestly. She really wanted to know how they had managed to stay so focused when everything must have seemed so new and strange to them.

"Who said we were always focused?" Kish interrupted.

"You don’t count. You were never focused on anything but bothering me," she teased him.

"Only because you were, and still are, so damn adorable."

Ichigo internally rolled her eyes at Kish before switching her focus back to Tart. Almost missing what he had to say.

“It wasn’t easy, especially for me and Kish. But, thankfully, a lot of your technology is very similar to ours, just much more basic. Our power sources are also very different. We don’t cause pollution. Your cars were really the only thing that truly baffled us. We never created anything like them. Closest thing are small hover carts that we use to transport goods. And your food stores amazed us. So much food in one place. We’d never seen anything like that before. Even Pai was shocked.”

“But things are better now, right?” Ichigo asked. A part of her wanted to change the subject because of the sad look that had crossed Tart’s face and because her own heart broke as she remembered the way Kish had described things so long ago. But part of her also wanted to know more. To be able to see how bad things had truly been for her alien friends.

Suddenly, she found herself bombarded with images of Kish’s home. Or what she suspected was his home. She saw what looked like Pai and Tart, but much much younger. They were huddled in a corner under a ratty blanket. Tart was crying and someone handed him what looked like a cracker. “Sorry Brat, that’s all I’ve got. I know you’re hungry. I’ll try and sneak out of the tunnels tonight and find some more food.”

Ichigo then realized it was Kish’s voice, but he sounded very young. She figured she was seeing one of his memories.

Pai then scolded the young Kish, “You really need to stop sneaking out. You’re going to get us all in trouble.”

Another memory flashed before her eyes. This time her vision was distorted as she looked through what appeared to be a blizzard. Everywhere was nothing but gray and white. “I know it’s around here somewhere,” she heard Kish mutter before she felt him fall to his knees. His hand clenched over his stomach and intense hunger pains wracked through his body.

Again, the scene shifted. She stood behind Tart in a long line of other aliens in a large dimly lit room. It looked like food rations were being handed out. Little Tart got his bowl filled with a measly half a ladle full and huddled in the corner to eat. She watched through Kish’s eyes as he received the same ration. He took two small sips of the odd soup and walked over to Tart. Little Tart’s bowl was already empty, and she watched Kish pour the rest of his rations into the child’s bowl.

Ichigo reeled. She couldn’t fathom how Kish had survived on almost nothing. Selflessly giving almost all of his food to the tiny Tart.

Another image swam into focus. Looking through a very young Kish’s eyes, she watched as he knelt at the bedside of a very frail looking alien girl. The girl couldn’t have been much older than eight. And by Kish’s height, he could only have been around four or five. Kish clasped the girl’s hand tightly, tears streaming down his face and vision blurry from them. “Don’t go, Sisa!” the young Kish pleaded. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have given me your food. Please! You can have all of mine for the rest of the week. Just don’t leave me.”

Her heart was breaking for her younger mate. He seemed so lost and scared. Suddenly, it was like a door had been slammed in her face. Everything became black and Ichigo trembled in fear. She could feel Kish’s extreme anger and it was directed at her. That coupled with the heavy weight of her sadness caused Ichigo to retreat into herself. Shutting everything out. Her mind had basically shut down to block out all her overwhelming emotions as well as Kish’s that were seeping into her. It was too much. She couldn’t handle it and she didn’t want to.

Tart had been watching Ichigo while he finished dinner. He recognized the unfocused and glazed over look in her eyes. She and Kish were communicating or sharing something, he figured. But then suddenly, her eyes rolled back, and she had fallen off her stool. Tart immediately teleported to her side just as Kish appeared next to them. “I don’t know what happened, I swear!” Tart hurriedly said as he felt the intense anger and concern radiating off his cousin.

“She’s a God’s damn curious cat! That’s what happened!” Kish cursed. “I told you, she’s terrible at shielding. She lost herself in my memories. They started to consume her mind. Then she just had to go poking somewhere she wasn’t welcome just yet. I forcibly shoved her out of my mind, and she felt my anger. So, now she’s run with her tail between her legs into her subconsciousness. Her mind couldn’t handle the overload of memories and emotions. She’s trying to shut me and everything else out!” Kish’s volume was all over the place and several times Tart winced at Kish’s loud words.

Kish kept swinging from being livid to scared and worried. Ichigo had accessed a memory he wasn’t ready to share, let alone even think about. He clenched his fists, “Gods damn her! Out of all my memories, she just had to stumble into that one.”

Tart looked back and forth between the two, worry clear on his face. “Kish, you need to calm down. Ichigo’s basically put herself in a coma and you’re the only one who can reach her. I don’t know what she found to piss you off so badly, but your mate needs you.”

Tart’s words struck right to Kish’s heart. Sinking to his knees beside Ichigo’s head, he took several deep calming breaths. His nose filling with the soft scent of rain washed strawberries. Filling with the scent of his mate. Gently, he reached out and brushed her bangs from her face, his other hand curling tight around hers. “I wish Pai was here, he’s better at this than me,” Kish muttered.

“Well, he’s not,” growled Tart angrily. “It was your memories, your anger, which did this. Ichigo needs you, not Pai. She needs her mate. Now help her already!” Tart was losing his patience. He understood the risks of what Kish had to do, but he was also the only one that could possibly bring Ichigo out of her self-induced coma. Kish could end up lost in Ichigo’s mind. Or he could further damage Ichigo’s brain and psyche with the fragile state they’re in. Pai may have been better versed at dealing with the mind, but Tart knew that Ichigo needed to see and feel her mate.

Guilt flooded Kish. He had done this to his mate. His anger drained out of him. Leaving only his guilt, worry, and fear. In his anger, he had forcibly severed part of their mental connection. That was what had ultimately caused Ichigo to shut down. The open connection with his mind had been offering her some stability to cope with the bombardment of his memories. But Kish had literally pulled the rug out from under her when he had slammed the link shut. And what’s worse, he hadn’t even meant to. He’d only wanted to push her out of that memory. But his pain and anger had caused him to lash out harder than he meant. Now, his mate was once again paying the price for his temper.

Taking another deep calming breath, Kish turned his watery eyes to Tart. “You’re right. I need you to watch over us. Make sure we keep breathing. I don’t know how deeply she’s retreated or how long it will take me to find her. If it takes more than a few hours or we stop breathing, you’re going to have to move us both to the infirmary and keep us monitored. But make sure we continue to touch. I don’t know what could happen if we lose contact while I’m so deep.”

Tart could only nod as he watched Kish get more comfortable and pulled Ichigo’s head into his lap.

Placing both hands firmly on Ichigo’s temples, Kish closed his eyes and opened wide both their mental and emotional link. He could feel the turmoil she was in. Feel her fear and pain. His painful memories had affected her deeply. Kish had had years to come to terms with that pain, but it had been a shock to Ichigo’s system. The pain fresh and new for her. But it was an ultimately good sign. She was still there, somewhere. However, her mind was unnaturally quiet. The silence like a knife to Kish’s heart. Guilt started to gnaw at him again, but he pushed it aside. Concentrating solely on his mate, Kish delved into her subconsciousness.

Panic struck Tart for a moment when Kish’s body slumped forwards over Ichigo, but he quickly realized Kish had fully entered Ichigo’s mind.

At that moment, Pudding came through the door. She took one look at the three of them on the floor and raced to their side, sliding the last several feet on her knees until she reached them. “What happened?! What’s going on?” she nearly yelled, tears starting to gather in her eyes.

Tart quickly wrapped his arms around the distraught girl. “Shh… It’s alright. Ichigo mentally shut down after accessing too many of Kish’s painful memories. It became too much for her brain to handle. Then, to top it off, that idiot got pissed at her which scared her. Kish has gone into her mind to ‘find’ her. But if anyone can find the Old Hag, it’s him.” Tart tried to lighten the seriousness for Pudding’s sake, but he couldn’t fool her. He could still feel the deep fear and worry radiating off her.

Pulling back, he looked Pudding in the eyes, “I promise they’re going to be alright. Kish is too stubborn to let anything happen to Ichigo. And the Old Hag’s too stubborn to ever give up. I have to take them to the infirmary so I can keep them monitored, but I need you to finish dinner. They’re both going to be starving when they wake up. Think you can handle that?”

Pudding could only nod for she didn’t trust her voice. Tears were beginning to trickle down her cheeks.

“Good,” Tart said softly. “It’s your ‘pink spaghetti.’ You remember it right? And how to make it?”

She only nodded again. But a tiny, almost imperceptible, smile made its way to the corners of her lips as she remembered when Taru-Taru had taught her how to make the ‘pink spaghetti’ as she had called it.

“It’s almost done,” he smiled at her. “Just need to chop up the final herbs and add them to the sauce. When you’re done, place it in the oven and press the last button on the front. Can you do that for me?” Pudding nodded and hurried into the kitchen. “Thanks, Pudding. Come to the infirmary when you’re finished,” he called out to her. Tart placed his hands on Kish and Ichigo and teleported them to the infirmary.

Kish and Ichigo appeared on one of the beds, Ichigo’s head still tucked protectively in Kish’s lap and Tart appeared standing beside them. Quickly and carefully, he hooked them both up to several computers to keep their vitals monitored. Dragging a stool over, Tart settled in beside the bed. He really hoped Kish found Ichigo soon. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep being strong for Pudding. As it was, he wanted to break down in tears with his worry. But he didn’t want to scare his Pudding more than she already was.

Kish found himself in the café like waiting room and raced through the big red doors. He needed to find some clue as to where Ichigo was hiding. He came up to the pedestal where her current memory would be recorded. The quill seemed frozen at first glance, but Kish noticed that it was moving. Just incredibly slowly. Like it was having a hard time processing what to write. Placing his hand on the book, Kish understood why.

Instantly, he was transported to his memory that was now becoming one of hers. He saw himself when he was four standing at the side of a pale girl who was seven. She had soft lilac hair and, though her eyes were dulled by her imminent death, they glittered a bright gold. A perfect match to his own. His heart was engulfed in pain at seeing the girl again, but what really pierced his heart, was Ichigo.

She was huddled on the floor against the wall. She appeared to be around four years old, the same age as Kish in this memory. Tears were streaming down her face as she watched the frozen scene in front of her. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled repeatedly.

Kish started to move to her, but as soon as her eyes saw him, she scrambled away. Pressing herself into a corner and curling up even tighter. Kish’s heart broke. It was like she was rejecting him all over again. “Kitten,” he whispered softly, tears welling in his eyes. She didn’t even respond. Walking over slowly, Kish knelt before her. “Kitten, please look at me,” he pleaded gently.

She only shook her head and cried harder. Her muffled, “I’m sorry,” growing louder over her hiccupping.

Having enough of being ignored, Kish carefully picked up the trembling girl and tucked her protectively in his lap, his arms gently cradling her. “Shh… I’m the one that’s sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry or shut you out. I scared and hurt you. Something I never wanted to do ever again,” he whispered as he stroked the small girl’s hair. “Please, mate. Talk to me.” A tiny spark of recognition began to glow at the end of his mental connection with her. He was starting to get through to his mate.

Gently, he placed his fingers under her jaw and drew her face up. His liquid golden eyes caught and held her tear filled chocolate orbs. “Come back to me, mate. I promise I’ll never shut you out again. I’ll even tell you about this… About her…,” he trailed off.

Ichigo’s tears began to slow as she lost herself in Kish’s eyes. Something about those golden eyes were familiar. They made her chest warm and her heart beat faster. She felt safe in this man’s arms, even though his presence had initially scared her. His warm honeyed voice called to her through the thick fog shrouding her mind. But the worry in his eyes and the tears seeping from them shot straight to her heart. This man was special to her, she could feel it. Suddenly, her mind zeroed in on one word. “M…mate?” she stuttered through her sobs.

A soft smile appeared on Kish’s face. “Yes. I’m here, Kitten,” he whispered.

A name drifted through her thoughts, “K…Kish?”

Kish’s arms tightened around Ichigo’s small body. “Yes, it’s me, Kitten. It’s alright. I’m right here.”

Suddenly it was like the fog had lifted and Ichigo could remember everything. Pain and fear were still prevalent, but they were being chased away by the comfort of her mate’s arms. All of a sudden, Kish had his older mate tucked in his arms as she buried her face against his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Kish. I never meant to. I didn’t mean to make you mad. You told me not to go looking at things you didn’t want me to. I swear I didn’t try to.” Her words ran together between her sobs as she tried to apologize. She could remember his intense anger and how it had scared her. It still scared her.

“Kitten… Kitten. It’s alright. I may be upset, but I’m not mad anymore. I’m just glad to have you back. I’m sorry I scared you. This memory is incredibly painful for me and the shock of it suddenly surfacing made me snap in anger at you. Please forgive me, mate,” he pleaded into her hair as he clasped her tighter.

“Only if you can forgive me,” she whispered into his chest.

A soft chuckle flowed over her ears. “This sounds familiar,” he said.

Ichigo couldn’t stop her own smile, though tears still fell from her eyes. “The last time our conversation went like this we ended up mates.”

Kish’s chuckle grew louder, “That it did, honey. And of course, I forgive you. I love you Ichigo.”

Wiping her eyes, Ichigo pulled back to look up at him. “Promise you’re not still mad?”

Kish rested his forehead against hers, “Maybe a little. You and your damn curiosity. I swear.” Though his words were a bit harsh, he said them with a smile.

Ichigo grinned, “Then I forgive you too. Gotta keep things interesting, somehow.”

“And being mated to an alien isn’t interesting enough?” he smirked.

She lightly punched him in the arm, “We started this relationship by trying to kill each other, can’t let things get too boring now.”

Kish laughed and cupped her cheek. “Life with my fiery Kitten is never boring. And admitting we had a relationship back then, now are we?”

She hmphed, “As if.”

Kish rolled his eyes and caught her lips in a passionate kiss, his love and relief flooding their bond.

Ichigo’s arms circled his neck and pulled him closer. Parting her lips, she traced her tongue over his. Hungrily, he complied, opening to her and tasting her deeply. Ichigo gasped for breath as she pulled away. Then her eyes caught the frozen memory over Kish’s shoulder. Dropping her eyes to their laps, she tried to figure out how to broach the subject.

But Kish could once again read her like a book. Standing up, he brought Ichigo to her feet. With a sigh, he turned them both to face the frozen scene before them. A teary smile slid over Kish’s face, “Her name was Semolina. But I had a hard time pronouncing it when I was little, so I called her Sisa.”

“Short for sister,” Ichigo interrupted softly.

Kish nodded. “Even though father had a good job and brought home more food than most families, it still wasn’t much. She was an incredibly gifted healer, even with how young she was. She would push herself to heal everyone she could. It was hard on her and left her drained. She needed more food to sustain her abilities. I had gotten sick, and she had given all her rations to me to help. But she never stopped healing. The toll became too much for her body. By the time my father realized what she had done, her heart was already failing. She died when I was four and she was only seven. I don’t like to think about it because it was my fault she died.”

Ichigo’s hand found his and she intertwined their fingers. Her eyes never strayed from the heartbreaking scene in front of her. “It wasn’t your fault. She did what she did because she loved you. It was her choice. Just like I’m sure if the roles were reversed, you would have done the same thing.”

Kish turned his tear stricken face to his mate. He could feel her warm compassion flowing through him. His heart softened. “Thank you, mate. I… I never thought about it that way. Was always too consumed by my guilt and hatred of myself.” A deep rooted weight lifted from his heart. He could finally let go of the pain. Kish wrapped an arm around Ichigo’s waist and drew her to the side of the bed. He placed his free hand on Semolina’s shoulder. “I miss you, Sisa,” he quietly whispered.

“Tell me about her,” Ichigo asked softly, her eyes resting on the beautiful young girl.

Kish gave her a sad smile. “She was one of those people that instantly brightened a room. You couldn’t help but smile when she was around. She used to scold me all the time for my tendency to break rules, but she always encouraged my playfulness. Said I always made her laugh with my antics.”

“She sounds like she was an amazing big sister. I’m sorry you had to lose her and while you were both so young,” Ichigo said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“She was. Father was working most of the time, so she took care of me mostly.”

“Is she why you gave Tart almost all your food?”

Kish looked down at his mate, “You saw that too, huh?”

Ichigo nodded.

“That wasn’t long after my father had been executed and before I went into the military. That year was exceptionally bad. The storms had been terrible and food reserves had hit an all time low. No one was getting enough to eat. Though he was very young, he was the only one who never looked at me with pity. He was too young to remember my sister and didn’t really understand what had happened to my father. Not to mention he was and still is a brat. And Pai, well he’s Pai. Always silent and rule abiding. So, Tart attached himself to me and me to him. Tart liked to pull pranks and pout until he got his way. I didn’t exactly follow the rules and was a bit too arrogant for my own good. We caused a lot of havoc, much to the annoyance of his parents and the other adults.” A slow grin was making its way across Kish’s face as better memories swam behind his eyes.

Ichigo smiled up at him. “I’m sure you were both hellions.”

Kish chuckled softly, “That’s putting it mildly. I’m sure we caused more than a few gray hairs on my aunt and uncle.” Kish placed a soft peck to Ichigo’s forehead. “Come on, mate. We need to wake up. I’m sure Tart’s beside himself with worry.”

“Why?” she asked in concern.

“You managed to put yourself in a coma. Everything was too much for your mind to handle so you retreated deep into your subconsciousness. I’m using up a lot of energy to stay focused, so I don’t become lost in your mind. This isn’t exactly my area of expertise. And it can become dangerous for both of us if we stay too long.”

“Then how do we leave?”

“Just relax and focus on your mental library.” The world around them slowly faded and dissolved until it was replaced with her magnificent library. Kish smiled when he saw the quill once again flowing quickly over the blank pages of the open book. Carefully, he pulled most of his consciousness back into his own mind. “Now you simply wake up like usual, Kitten. And I promise I won’t keep anything else from you or get mad if you stumble across anything. I know you couldn’t control it this time. You weren’t focused when you started looking at my memories, so they rushed into you. Just what were you thinking about anyways?”

“Tart had brought up how surprised he was at our grocery stores. Said he’d never seen so much food in one place. It got me thinking of that day at Tokyo Tower when you spoke about how bad things were on your planet. I wanted to see, to learn more. Then your memories started to bombard me. But your anger scared me when I found the one of your sister. Then the loss of our mental connection scared me even more. There was just emptiness where I usually felt you. It hurt. The fear and pain was the last thing I remember before seeing your eyes.”

Kish slipped his finger under her chin, “I really am sorry I lost my temper. And even more sorry for shutting you out. I promise I’ll never do that again. I was scared too. Scared of losing you. You remind me of my sister in a way. Everything is much brighter when you’re around.”

Ichigo flashed him a warm smile before tugging her face out of his grasp. She tucked her head under his chin and wrapped her arms around his waist. “That might be the best compliment you’ve ever given me. Can we talk more about what you went through growing up and about your sister later? I’d really like to know more about her and about you.”

Kish smiled as his arms slithered around his mate’s body. “Of course, Kitten. It’d actually be nice to talk about her again. And maybe I can even tell Tart about her. He doesn’t know about her at all. Everyone knew how I felt, and my sister became a taboo subject. But speaking of Tart, time to wake up, Kitten.” He placed a kiss atop her head and vanished.

Pudding had joined Tart not too long ago and sat on the next bed behind him. She had her arms around his shoulders and her chin resting atop his head. He, in turn, was leaning back against her, his hands clasped in worry as he watched over his family. He drew comfort from the girl wrapped around him, even though he could feel every bit of her worry and despair. Some color had returned to Ichigo, but neither had moved an inch since Kish had entered her mind.

Without warning, Kish suddenly sat up. His bright eyes blinking in the harsh lighting of the infirmary. He turned towards Tart and shot him a triumphant grin. Looking back down at the girl in his lap, he lightly tapped her cheek. “Come on you scaredy cat, no more hiding.”

Ichigo growled and opened her eyes to small slits. “I’m not a scaredy cat,” she grumbled.

Kish grinned down at her, “So you weren’t just hiding in your subconscious because you were scared of me?”

Ichigo sat up and punched him in the arm, “Shut it, you!”

Ichigo suddenly felt two pairs of arms around her. Blinking, she looked at a very relieved Pudding and Tart.

“You’re ok!” Pudding squealed as tears fell down her cheeks.

“Don’t scare me like that again, big sis,” Tart said blushing darkly.

Ichigo hugged them both. Before she could say anything, Kish opened his mouth.

“Don’t I get a hug too?” Kish pouted.

Tart glared at him, “This was your fault, so no.”

“Don’t be so hard on him, Brat. It was my fault just as much as his, but we worked it out,” she shot Kish a wink. “Now, I seem to recall you were making dinner. There better be some left because I’m famished.” Ichigo’s stomach chose that moment to let out a growl. She blushed and covered her belly.

Kish laughed, “Seems you are, Kitten. I am too.”

“We’ve been waiting for you two to wake up. Come on, it’s in the warmer.” After unhooking the monitors from the pair, Tart led the way out of the infirmary and to the mess hall.

“This is absolutely delicious!” Ichigo exclaimed. “It tastes so bright and full of flavor. And you’re right. It is a lot like our spaghetti only pink and so much better.”

Tart beamed at Ichigo across the table from him. They had shoved two tables together so the four of them could eat comfortably together. “That’s because the ingredients are pure. No chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, or whatever else you humans subject your food to,” Tart explained.

“It tastes even better than the last time you made it for me,” Pudding added happily.

“So… You gonna tell us what the Old Hag found that pissed you off so bad?” Tart asked, breaking the silence.

Kish was about to growl at Tart for calling his mate that name yet again, but instead he dropped his fork, and his eyes became glassy and distant for a moment.

“Tart! That’s none of your business. And I don’t think Kish wants to talk about it,” Ichigo scolded the boy.

“It’s fine, Kitten. He has a right to ask. I did put his sister in danger. And I promise I will tell you Tart. I just don’t feel up to talking about it right now.” Kish sighed and poked at his food, his appetite having diminished.

Tart looked long and hard at Kish, “It was about Semolina, wasn’t it?”

Kish’s head snapped up at Tart, “How? You were too young to remember her. And how did you guess that was what Ichigo had found?”

“Who’s Semolina?” Pudding asked curiously.

Ichigo looked from Pudding to Kish, “You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to.” Her voice was full of concern and understanding and it was a balm to Kish’s wounded soul.

“Pai told me about her when we were here the first time. It was after the girls had broken in to steal back that fluffball. I was messing around with the transfer sphere to make sure they hadn’t damaged anything. I accidentally came across some of your personal files. I got nosey and snooped. Saw a picture of you as a kid with a girl I’d never seen before. So, I asked Pai. He explained about her and made me swear to never mention her in your presence. As for Ichigo. Not hard to guess since I had mentioned how bad things had been which probably got her wondering about your past. Then with your reaction… Not hard to make the leap.”

Sighing, Kish pushed his plate away and glanced up at Pudding. “Semolina, Sisa as I called her, was my big sister. She died when she was seven and I was four. Up until today, I had convinced myself that her death was my fault. If it wasn’t for Ichigo, I still would. If not for her, I would probably have kept all memories of my sister buried and locked away.”

Though his voice trembled slightly, and his pain was still clearly evident, Kish’s words were strong and profound. And Ichigo couldn’t have been prouder of her mate or more humbled by him. It made her warm inside as she realized just how impactful she’d been on Kish’s life.

"Kitten, since the moment I laid eyes on you, you’ve impacted my life. And always for the better."

Ichigo blushed and reached under the table to squeeze his knee gently. "Thanks for saying that, love. But I find it unfair that while I’ve been a good influence on you, you’ve been a terrible one on me," she teased, trying to lighten the heavy mood.

Before Kish could retort, Pudding spoke up. “I’m so sorry I asked. I shouldn’t have pried. I couldn’t even imagine losing one of my siblings. I’m so, so sorry, Kish.”

“Thanks Pudding. It still hurts to think of her, but with Ichigo’s help, it’s not so bad anymore. I still miss her and always will, but now I can finally look past my guilt and remember all the happy times with my sister.” Kish turned to Ichigo and caught her chocolate eyes with his, “Thank you, too, Kitten. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you for everything.”

Ichigo could only smile and nod as she scooted closer and wrapped him in a tight bear hug.

The rest of dinner was a fairly quiet affair. Then Tart announced he’d take care of the dishes since everyone else had worked in some form or fashion today. As Tart cleared away the dishes, Ichigo thanked him, “Thanks for dinner, Brat! It was amazing. And thanks for doing the dishes.”

“I’d say don’t get used to it, but as I said earlier, I’m usually the one that does the cooking back home,” he replied, shaking his head.

When Tart headed into the kitchen, Kish got the girls’ attention. “Pudding, don’t squeal with what I’m about to tell you.”

She looked at him funny for a moment but nodded her head.

“Tomorrow is Tart’s seventeenth birthday. I almost forgot and it seems he has. We have reservations tomorrow at six-thirty, so if you need to get him something, you have until then.”

Pudding clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from shouting. She had completely forgotten Taru-Taru’s birthday was coming up and she had to work at the café tomorrow. She wouldn’t have a lot of time to find him a gift.

Ichigo was thinking along the same lines, but she at least had an idea of what she wanted to get him. She just wasn’t sure when she’d be able to get it. Then she glanced at Kish. ‘Maybe my teleporting fiancé could help me out tomorrow after work before I have to get ready,’ she thought.

"Of course, I’ll help, Kitten. And I just know Tart’s going to love that idea," Kish offered.

"You’re the best! Can your computers access our internet? And, if so, is there a way to print out information?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, but we don’t print, but I can save it to a memory disc that Tart can access."

"Perfect! Thanks so much, love. Can you show me how to do that now? That way all I have to do tomorrow is go to the store after work," she pleaded.

"Sure thing, Kitten," he said, shooting her a toothy grin.

“Thanks for taking care of dinner, Twerp. Remember, you and Pudding need to be ready by six-thirty tomorrow night. Ichigo and I have some things to take care of in the lab. So, old rules apply. Stay out,” Kish hollered to Tart.

“What?! But I’m not a kid anymore!” Tart pouted, crossing his arms.

“Could have fooled me,” Kish chuckled at the pouting boy. “Just stay out. I’m not giving you the entry passcode and your genetic marker hasn’t been entered yet. So, you can’t teleport in. Besides, you might see something you really wouldn’t want to,” Kish smirked mischievously.

Tart grimaced, “In the lab, really? Gods you two are terrible.”

Ichigo blushed crimson and punched Kish in the arm. “Pervert,” she muttered under her breath.

Kish laughed as he stood and drew Ichigo to her feet. “Night you two, see ya in the morning,” Kish said, pulling Ichigo to the door.

“Night Pudding! Night Brat!” Ichigo hollered over her shoulder.

As soon as Kish had entered his passcode into the lab’s lock, he scooped Ichigo up into his arms. The lights flicked on just as Ichigo began to struggle. “Kish! You can’t be serious about what you said to Tart!”

Kish grinned down at the struggling girl in his arms, “Absolutely, though not tonight. However, that just so happens to be another of my fantasies.” His grin turned wicked as he shot her an image of her naked and sitting on the edge of his desk.

Ichigo’s blush returned in full force. She huffed and crossed her arms, giving up her futile struggling. “I think you’re becoming a sex addict.”

Kish laughed out loud. “Nah, I’m just addicted to you. But I do have over four years of lost time to make up for.” His voice, though still bright with laughter, softened as he whispered in her ear and nuzzled against her cheek.

Ichigo found she had no response to that and only blushed deeper.

Sitting down in his chair, Kish nestled Ichigo into his lap, so she was facing his desk. With a flick of his hand, the computer screen lit up and came closer. Reaching around Ichigo, Kish tapped in several commands. The language shifted from his to Japanese and he brought up her internet. “Just tap on the search bar and a keyboard will pop up. To bring up another window, tap the blue square in the top right corner. Once you’ve found everything you’re looking for, just call me and I’ll copy the information to a memory disc. I have something to finish in our room. And don’t let your curiosity get the better of you. Don’t touch anything other than the screen. Especially on Pai’s side of the lab,” he said, flicking his thumb to the other side of the room. “And don’t try to access anything else on the computer.”

Ichigo shot him a glare as he stood and placed her back into his chair. “I’m not a child,” she pouted.

He chuckled down at her, “No, but you are my curious little Kitten.” He leaned down and gave her a quick peck to her cheek. “Call me when you’re done. Love you.” And with that, he vanished.

It didn’t take long for the red head to find everything she was looking for. She had about a dozen windows open with all the information she wished to include in Tart’s birthday present. Now all she needed was to save it all. "Kish, I’m done," she called out to him.

A second later, he appeared at her side. “Find everything you needed?” he asked, floating around behind her.

“Yup,” she said, popping the ‘p’.

Kish leaned over her, his arm sliding over her shoulder to access the computer. Quickly, he saved each window she had open. A small mechanical box popped open to Ichigo’s left. Inside was a tiny two-inch golden disc. Kish floated over to a nearby cabinet and rummaged through its contents. He returned with a small clear case. Placing the small disc into the case, he handed it to Ichigo.

“Thanks again, love,” she said, taking the case.

He smiled warmly at her, “Anything for my Kitten.”

“So, what did you have to do anyways?”

His smile shifted to a grin as he picked her up, “You’ll see. Now, close your eyes and keep them closed until I say.”

She smiled up at him before nuzzling her cheek against his chest. “Okay,” she said as she closed her eyes.

Kish quickly shut down the computer and teleported to their room.

The first thing she noticed when they arrived was the soft delicate smell of honey and vanilla.

Setting her gently on her feet, Kish stood behind her with his hands resting lightly on her hips. “Open your eyes,” he whispered softly in her ear.

Slowly, she lifted her eyelids and gasped. The room had been cleaned and there were at least a dozen small, flickering, ivory candles placed around the room. The lights had been dimmed low, so the candles filled the room with a soft glow. “Oh, Kish. It’s beautiful,” she whispered in awe.

His smile lit up his face and he gave her waist a gentle squeeze, “ You haven’t even noticed everything yet.” Gently, he nudged her to her left.

Then her eyes caught what he meant. To the right of his wardrobe, angled in the corner, was a large cream colored dresser with two pink knobs on each of the five drawers. Along with a few candles, three photo frames, a small vase of pink roses, and a tiny black box sat on top. Slipping from Kish’s arms, Ichigo hurried over to investigate. She delicately sat the case containing the disc atop the dresser and examined the photos. The first photo was held in a large heart shaped frame. It showed them from four years ago. Kish was hovering above Ichigo with his famous fanged smirk as he gazed down at her. She wasn’t in her Mew Mew costume, but her ears and tail were out, and her cheeks were stained pink as she glared up at Kish. It could have been taken at any of the dozens of times Kish had surprised her back then.

The next photo was held in a rose gold frame that looked like twining vines threaded with blooming roses. The photo was of Kish as he was now, and he had that soft genuine smile that was usually only reserved for her. It was his rare smile, and it caused her eyes to shimmer with tears. But the final photo caused those held back tears to slip down her cheeks.

It was a simple gold frame, and it held a very young looking Kish. His hand was clasp tightly by a young lilac haired girl with bright amber eyes. They were both smiling wide for the photo. Kish came up behind her and replaced his hands on her waist. His words were soft and full of love when he finally spoke, “This is my engagement gift to you. And my way of saying thank you. For accepting me and making me the happiest man between two universes.”

Ichigo wiped away her tears and leaned back against her strong and amazing mate. “Kish… It’s beyond beautiful. Thank you. And the photos… They’re perfect. But how did you get the first one?”

“From Pai’s old battle footage again. That was just before a fight and before you transformed. I told you, you tended to blush when our eyes met back then,” he answered.

She could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you, it was just hard to admit you were right. There was just something about you back then that drew me to you. You confused me and threw my world off tilt. Even when I tried to ignore you or reject you. I was in love and repeatedly convinced myself that he was the one. But you managed to make that conviction waver occasionally. It was part of why I was always so mad at you. But now I guess we know why I was confused. Because you were really the one. I was just too young and blind to see it back then. But I do now.”

Kish’s arms tightened around her. “I’m beyond happy that you finally see what I always did. That you belong to me, and I belong to you. And there’s still a few more surprises.” He reached around her and picked up the small black box that was nestled on a bed of pink rose petals. Turning her around, he held the box between them. Capturing her eyes, he dropped to a knee before her. “I know I’ve already asked, and you said yes, but… Ichigo Momomiya, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” Carefully, he flicked open the box.

Ichigo’s tears of happiness were back in full force. She dropped to the ground and flung her arms around Kish’s neck. “Oh, you silly wonderful alien. Yes!” she blubbered against his throat.

Gently, Kish pulled the teary eyed girl away from him and plucked the ring from the box. Taking her hand in his, he slipped it onto her ring finger. Ichigo fought back tears and gazed lovingly down at her ring. “That’s what I was working on last night,” he said quietly. “I had promised to have the perfect ring for you yesterday and I always keep my word.”

“You… You m…made this?” she stuttered, her eyes growing wide as she examined the ring.

He nodded, “Yeah. A beautiful and one-of-a-kind ring for my beautiful and one-of-a-kind mate.”

Ichigo blushed once again as she wiped her eyes then brought her hand closer to inspect her new ring. It shimmered and sparkled in the flickering candle light. As she turned her hand, she smiled wide. The gems took on the appearance of a cat paw. She laughed, “It’s purr-fect and beyond beautiful. Thank you so much, Kish. I love it!”

“There’s also a secret inside,” he whispered.

Instantly, she slipped it off her finger and stood up to hold it near a candle. Words appeared inside. ‘My Kitten,’ and something else in strange markings. Using her link with him, she searched his knowledge, and the weird symbols became readable as ‘My Mate.’ She was in awe as she returned the ring to her finger. Standing near the candles and the photos atop her dresser, she noticed something else. The rose gold frame was a match in style to her ring. Again, she was in shock. Her mate was incredibly amazing. That he had made something this beautiful and special just for her rendered her speechless. Unimaginably, her love for the alien grew once again.

Rising to his feet behind her, “And though you didn’t bring much, your dirty clothes have been cleaned and all your clothes have been put away in the dresser. And, depending on how things go Sunday with your family, I was hoping you could pack the rest of your things and put them away here. What I’m trying to say, is that I’d like you to stay with me until we leave.” His voice was slightly unsure as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Spinning around, Ichigo threw her arms around his shoulders again. Looking up into his glittering golden eyes, “You mean it, Kish? I can stay here with you?”

He grinned, “Of course, Kitten. We are mates and soon to be married. Besides, I meant it when I said I want you next to me always. I want you here. Though it’s only been three nights, I’ve gotten used to sharing a bed with you. It would be too empty and lonely without you in it.”

“Then yes! A thousand times, yes. I don’t think I could sleep without you now anyway. And, though I hope my parents approve, even if they don’t, I’m staying here. My life is wherever you are.”

Kish gave her that secret smile that was only for her, “I love you, Kitten.”

“And I love you, mate.”

Kish’s smile became mischievous as he took her hand. “One last surprise then I’m going to fully enjoy my night,” he said, his voice turning seductive as he tugged her into the bathroom.

Again, the scent of honey and vanilla filled her nose., but the scent was much stronger here for there were glowing candles placed everywhere. But what really took her breath away was the tub. Steam rose from the hot bath water and rose petals littered the surface. The light had also been dimmed here to allow the flames to glow warmly. But it also allowed the bright lights of Tokyo to be easily seen through the large window behind the tub. Ichigo made her way to the tub and trailed her fingertips through the water. It was hot, but not scalding. Just the way she liked it. She glanced over her shoulder at Kish, “You’ve really outdone yourself tonight.”

He stood just inside the doorway with his arms crossed as he watched her with warm honeyed eyes that had desire dancing in their golden depths. “You like it then?”

She nodded enthusiastically, “I love it.”

He grinned wickedly, “Then strip.”

Her smile turned a tad seductive as she obeyed his command. Tentative hands came up and slowly began to unbutton her blouse.

Hunger flashed in his amber eyes as he continued to stand perfectly still and watch her. His eyes following every inch of skin she exposed.

Placing her blouse on the counter, she began to slowly unzip her skirt, letting it fall down her long legs to pool around her feet. Stepping free, she picked it up and put it with her shirt. Sitting down on the edge of the tub, she slipped out of her shoes and socks and nudged them to the side with a foot. Her eyes locked with his as she slowly stood up in nothing but her pink cotton bra and panties. When she reached around to undo her bra, she suddenly found Kish standing right in front of her.

He tugged her hands away and reached behind her, “Allow me.” His voice was like warm silk, and it was heavy with desire. Ichigo dropped her arms and let him take over. He skillfully unclasped it and, using just his fingertips, pushed her straps slowly down her arms. Just before it fell, he caught it and placed it with the rest of her clothes. Eyes moving up and down, Kish drank in the sight of his mate.

Her body glowed with a soft warmth in the flickering candlelight. Glittering soft chocolate eyes filled with love and passion, watched on as his fingers hooked the band of her underwear at her sides. They followed his body down as he pulled the pink cotton down her toned legs. He lifted one foot then the other, finally freeing her from the last piece of her clothing. Tossing her panties onto the counter, Kish remained kneeling in worship before his fiery red headed goddess. He wrapped a hand around both of her ankles and drew his palms up her warm flesh. His hands continued to glide over her smooth skin until they reached her thighs. Slipping to their backs, he gently coaxed her legs further apart. Raising fully up on one knee, Kish placed a soft kiss to the inside of each thigh and one just above her womanhood. He then nuzzled his cheek against the sensitive skin of her inner right thigh. "Gods, you’re beautiful," he murmured. Reverence and love were heavy in his tone of voice.

Ichigo could only blush as she gazed down lovingly at the alien knelt before her. He truly loved her with every ounce of his being. And Ichigo’s heart fluttered at the sheer weight of that love. He was hopelessly devoted to her. She trembled under the force of that devotion.

Tilting his head up, he slowly dragged his tongue up her damp seam, savoring her rich flavor as his hands gripped her legs to keep her steady. But it was just a quick taste that left her wanting. He had other plans, other ways to worship her tonight. Other ways to deliciously enjoy both his night and her body.

Smoothly, Kish rose to his feet. His eyes taking their time as they traveled up his mate’s body until he stood tall and captured her eyes. Picking her up, he carefully placed her on this side’s inner step within the tub. As she sank down into the steamy water, he stepped back. “My turn,” he uttered thickly. Going just as slowly and taking just as much care as she had, Kish stripped for his mate. His eyes never leaving hers as he removed each article of clothing.

Heat danced in her eyes. He was truly breathtaking. So handsome with his pale skin and chiseled features. The way he moved was all fluid grace and his devilish eyes caused her breath to hitch. Not only was he handsome, but that knowing glint in his eyes and the growing smirk made him incredibly sexy. Ichigo drank him in. For a moment she was appalled at herself. That she could have ever rejected a being such as him. Someone who seemed to only live for her. But then her smile grew as he became fully revealed to her hungry eyes. Everything that they had been through had led them here. Had bound them closer than anyone else could ever imagine. What they each had endured had only caused each of their loves to grow for the other until it had consumed them both. She watched as he slipped into the water next to her and drew her into his lap.

His arms circled her body and held her close possessively. “Regretting your choices all those years ago?” he asked, tone smooth and with a small trace of a chuckle.

Ichigo tucked her head under his chin, her ear over the strong thumping of his heart. “For a moment, maybe,” she sighed.

He shifted her so she sat straddling his lap and hooked a knuckle under her chin. Once their eyes locked, he spoke. “You’re right, you know. If you had agreed to be mine back then you would have been filled with regret and pain at hurting who you thought your heart belonged to. And I was too immature to love you the way you truly deserved. I wouldn’t have known how to offer you a life like I can now.” His hand slipped up to cup her cheek, “We had to grow up. For me to understand that I’m yours just as much as you’re mine. For your heart to truly open to me. It may have been a long hard road for both of us, but what we have now is better for it.”

Before she could even think to form a response, he had swooped down and captured her lips. The kiss started off slow and sweet but grew in force as Kish’s hunger intensified. His hand moved to bury in her hair as he tilted her head for deeper access.

Her lips parted at his coaxing and his tongue swept in to plunder the depths of her mouth. She couldn’t help the soft moan that came when he delicately nibbled her bottom lip with his fangs. Taking a quick breath, Ichigo slid her hands up his smooth chest and buried them deep in his hair just before crashing her lips back to his. His hunger and need coursing through her and driving her own desires higher.

One of Kish’s hands slid down to cup her rear while his other wrapped around her back. With both their need flooding through him, he hastily rose from the water and sat her on the back edge of the tub. The lights of Tokyo twinkled behind her as he knelt on the high seat within the tub. This put him at almost perfect eye level with her. His hands traveled hungrily over every inch of flesh he could reach. Memorizing every curve he felt under his seeking hands. He felt one of her hands wrap around his already throbbing member and gently begin to pump him. But when he felt her ankles hook behind him and she used her legs to pull his hips closer to her scorching heat, he growled into their kiss and pulled away.

Wrapping his long fingers around her wrist, he tugged her hand away. Rising up on his knees, he loomed over her and captured her other hand. Bringing them both up, he pressed her wrists to the cool glass window behind her. She hissed when her warm skin made contact with the cold glass. “Such an impatient kitten,” he growled. “Tonight is about my desires and fantasies. But don’t worry, Kitten. I’ll make sure you’re more than satisfied,” he said huskily just before he ducked down and wrapped his lips around a pert nipple.

Ichigo moaned and arched into him. His tongue and lips were like magic as they worshiped her sensitive peak. The flames of desire were licking hungrily within her core and Kish was fanning them into an inferno. His possessiveness and dominance was back in full force, and she shuddered in their presence. Her breaths became pants and gasps as his mouth worked across her body, occasionally leaving small red love bites in his fang’s wake.

When he was satisfied that both her breasts had been thoroughly lavished by his tongue and teeth, he pulled back to admire his handiwork. Her skin was flush from both the warm bath and his ministrations. Her breathing was shallow, breaths escaping her softly swollen lips. Eyes were heavily lidded and glassy with desire. In short, she was breathtaking. Releasing her left hand, he used his now free one to push her legs further apart. Spreading her wide for his hungry gaze. Slowly, he drew her right hand down her body and gently slid her fingers between her damp folds. She gasped when she felt him brush her fingertips over her swollen nub. He guided her hand back and forth a few times until she understood his want and took over. “Good girl,” he purred as he pulled his hand away. He then pushed her back until she was leaning against the cool glass. The lights of Tokyo were now framing her.

Leaning back, he coaxed both her legs out of the water until her heels were firmly planted on the edge of the tub. She was now completely spread before him. Giving him the perfect view of her hidden flower as she stroked herself. “That’s it, mate. I want to watch as you pleasure yourself. To know it’s me you’re looking at and thinking about as you push yourself to that peak of release.”

Embarrassment took hold of Ichigo, but only for a split second. The way Kish gazed at her with both love and desire chased that feeling away quickly. He made her feel so incredibly beautiful and completely wanted. Not just wanted but needed. Like she was the very oxygen that sustained him. That without her, he would cease to live or even exist. It was an incredibly powerful feeling. Her fingers fluttered faster in response. Simply looking at him while he watched her do something so intimate made her heart race and her insides quiver. It was almost ridiculous how much his simple act of watching her could turn her on so thoroughly.

Kish settled onto the low underwater bench. The warm water coming high on his chest as he draped both arms leisurely along the rim of the tub behind him. His glowing eyes never leaving Ichigo’s fluttering fingers except to flick up to her face occasionally. Gorgeous, beautiful, amazing, and sexy. These words floated through his mind, but none of those could do his mate justice. Not now, not ever. She was beyond words and just watching her pleasure herself solely for him made his heart pound. A burning fire raged within him, but he stayed patient. Closely staying attuned to her both physically and mentally. He was waiting for just the right moment. But he was a male. Even he couldn’t resist some temptation from the scene before him. Absentmindedly, his right hand drifted below the water. He stroked himself leisurely as he watched his mate with rapt attention. It was all he could do to hold out.

A deep blush bloomed on Ichigo’s cheeks when she saw the ripples in the water caused by his shifting hand. She knew exactly what he was doing, and it wound that coiled spring tighter. Heat surged through her body. She was turning him on so completely that he couldn’t resist touching himself. The pace of her fingers intensified. She was so close to that peak of desire. Her abdominals were starting to clench as that coil wound impossibly tight.

A mere moment before she crashed over the edge, Kish surged forwards. He placed his hands flat on the smooth marble just behind her heels. His sudden movement caused Ichigo to falter for a second, but his intense eyes locked with hers. “Don’t stop,” he commanded roughly, his voice low and gravelly in tone.

Her fingers picked up speed once again. She was so very close now. Just another second or two and that coil would snap. A split second before Ichigo found her release, she started to moan Kish’s name. But before she could finish it, Kish aligned with her entrance and slammed his hips forward. “Kish!” she screamed as the damn broke and a white hot ecstasy flooded her system as soon as Kish had entered her. Her inner muscles clamped down tight around his throbbing member. Normally, he’d slow and let her regain her breath after she shattered. But this time, he didn’t relent. In fact, his hips moved faster. Almost instantly, her body raced back up to that heart stopping peak.

Kish’s body trembled in pleasure as his mate clamped down around him. He drew out and pushed her current orgasm higher. Wrapping his hands around her hips, he pulled her ass to the very edge of the tub. Her feet, having lost purchase, slipped around his hips until her heels dug into his lower back, pulling him harder to her. He replaced his hands on the marble to either side of her hips, not once slowing down or pausing his movements.

Ichigo’s body felt like it was on fire. Like it was burning from the inside out. Kish had set a new orgasm aflame within her before her first had finished cresting. And with the intensity of the first wave, this new orgasm was building quickly. “Kish! Kish, please!” she begged. Small tears started to gather at the corners of her eyes. It was too much. Too much for her body to handle. That burning pleasure was starting to consume her.

Kish’s right hand came up and buried deep in her hair, fisting within her fiery locks. Harshly, he yanked her head to the side, exposing the line of her throat. Fangs gently clamped around her pulsing artery before dragging down her slick skin to her mark. With one final hard thrust, Kish buried himself and his fangs deep into her body. Instantly, they both shattered, finding their release.

Trembling hands wrapped around his upper arms as Ichigo held on tightly. Her body shaking and vibrating. The sheer intensity of her orgasm pushing her beyond pleasure that it bordered on painful.

Kish’s own body trembled as he fought to stay upright. His muscles were weak from his release and wanted to give out on him. But he locked his knees and elbows, keeping him supported. Gently, he removed both his fangs and his hand from his mate and lapped at his bite. "You alright, mate?" Kish whispered within her mind, still too weak to even find his voice.

"Yeah. That… That was intense. You’ve never done that before. Forced my release to keep going and to build on top of itself. Everything feels extra sensitive. Like there’s so much pleasure it almost hurts"’

Kish chuckled weakly, "Told you I’d make sure you were well sated."

"So, I’m guessing you enjoyed the show?" she teased.

"Absolutely. You, my mate, are exquisite," he praised happily.

"And did I meet your fantasy’s expectations?"

"Nope," he stated flatly.

"What!? Really? Even after that!?" she exclaimed. A bit of hurt could be heard in her voice.

A slow smirk etched its way across Kish’s features and his eyes caught hers. "You, Kitten, greatly surpassed it."

Her eyes blinked sheepishly. "Oh."

Giving her another soft chuckle, Kish finally found he had regained enough energy to move. Gently, he gathered Ichigo into his arms and pulled her into the water with him. She hissed slightly when the hot water made contact with her throbbing womanhood. “You sure you’re alright, honey?” Kish asked looking down at her. Both his eyes and his voice were full of concern.

She nodded, “I’m fine. Things are still just very sensitive.”

Kish eyed her carefully before relenting. He drifted them back to the lower bench and cuddled Ichigo into his lap. “I’m sorry if I hurt you or pushed you too far,” he whispered after a long silent pause.

She could tell he was deeply worried about her, so she raced to assure him. “Kish, you really didn’t hurt me, I promise. I’m just a bit sore and tender. I’ve never experienced such a drawn out pleasure high. It was both amazing and terrifying. And though it probably shouldn’t be too regular of an occurrence, I’d love to experience it again. As I said, it was intense. But I also trust you with my body and soul. Even my life. I know you would never hurt me. I can feel the warmth of your presence in both my heart and my mind. You’re always watching over me.” She gave him a warm dazzling smile and pecked him on the cheek.

“Gods, I love you, Kitten.”

Her arms circled his neck, and she flashed him a bright smile, “I love you, too.”

“Kish?”

“Hmm?” he sleepily responded, his hand lazily stroking up and down her spine. They had shifted to the far end of the tub where there was a built in incline. Kish was currently laid back on it, the water coming up just under his shoulder blades. One arm was folded under his head and the other was taking turns running through Ichigo’s damp locks, tracing random patterns across her back, or moving up and down her spine as he currently was.

Ichigo was contentedly sprawled over and along his body, enjoying his touch and the soothing warmth of the water. But it was getting late, and she was growing sleepier by the moment. And they had yet to actually bathe. “Come on love. We still need to wash up. And you sound like you’re already half asleep. Where’s your soaps?” Ichigo looked around the tub, but all she saw were candles.

Kish grumbled, making Ichigo giggle. Stretching an arm out, he ran his fingers over a small silver indention to his right. A small shelf rose out of the black marble that held several bottles of what Ichigo figured were body soaps and shampoo, along with a soft scrub brush. Kish lazily stretched both his arms over his head and released a jaw cracking yawn, both his fangs glistening in the candle’s waning glow.

Again, Ichigo couldn’t stifle her giggle.

His arms came back around his mate. “Something amusing you, Kitten?” he drawled.

“Just that you’re adorable when you’re sleepy,” she teased.

Kish shot her a mischievous look through the slits of his eyelids. “Is that so, Kitten? Well, I must admit,” he paused and in the blink of an eye, Kish had switched their positions. His eyes caught her full of surprise ones, “that I find you very adorable when you look all startled and flustered. Just. Like. Now.” He finished by tapping the tip of her nose as he said those last three words.

She batted his hand away, “Let me up so we can get clean. I’m tired and you most definitely seem to be as well.” As she struggled to get out from beneath him, a sudden unbidden moan crossed her lips. Her womanhood had brushed against his member, and though it was currently soft, her womanly parts were still slightly swollen and overly sensitive. Plus, just feeling that there, made her body react almost uncontrollably.

Kish’s eyes darkened the instant her moan reached his ears. He trailed his hand down her side and cupped the back of her thigh, drawing her leg over his hip. Gazing down at her, he smirked. “I suddenly don’t feel so tired.”

“K…Kish,” she stuttered when he rolled his hips against hers. Her legs involuntarily spread to accommodate him.

He growled languidly, “Doesn’t seem like you are either. Hm, Kitten?” He caused her to gasp when he pressed his now hardening member against her sensitive bud. Shifting his hand from her leg, he slipped it between them and skillfully stroked her tingling clit. She moaned again and moved her hips against his hand, seeking more friction. Kish chuckled and withdrew his hand, “I’ll take that as a no, then.” With that, he slid his fully erect shaft deep inside with a single slow rock of his hips.

“You’re insatiable,” she gasped.

He smirked and pushed deeper, causing her to hiss in both pleasure and a slight bit of pain. “I could say the same thing about you.” ‘But she is right,’ he thought. He really couldn’t get enough of her. How many times had he fantasized about making love to his Kitten? Abyss, how many were specifically about taking her in this tub? Too many to count. On both counts. No, he was hopelessly addicted and devoted to Ichigo Momomiya, or as she would soon be called, Ichigo Ikisatashi.

Kish had to work to hold back an extremely satisfied grin at that thought. Instead, he focused on the feeling of her heat wrapped around him. She was still deliciously tight. It thrilled him to the core that he was the only one to have touched her so intimately. That he would forever be the only one to know what she felt like both outside and within. Kish shuddered at her warmth. It felt a thousand times hotter than the still warm water around them. Igniting his burning desire to a level that was impossible to ignore. Impossible to resist.

Collapsing onto his elbow beside her shoulders, Kish used his other hand to lovingly cup Ichigo’s cheek. Leaning down, he captured his second greatest addiction, her lips. The kiss was soft, sweet, and passionate, just like his current lovemaking. He knew she was still overly stimulated. Her body writhed and twitched below him. So, he took his time pushing her slowly to that peak. Giving her body plenty of time to build naturally towards her release. Kish nibbled tenderly at her bottom lip before slipping his tongue in for a swift taste. Breaking away from her lips, he gazed down at her through hooded eyes. The gentle movements of his hips caused shallow ripples to glide across the water’s surface. He watched as tiny waves lapped at Ichigo’s breasts as they rose and fell with each labored breath. The ends of her hair swayed in the water just below its surface. He memorized everything. The vision before him better than any fantasy he could ever conjure up.

Ichigo’s hands found purchase at the back of his neck, her fingers toying with his damp emerald strands. Her body was trembling. Her sensitive nerve endings reacting to every movement from Kish, no matter how small or subtle. When her eyes locked with his, she lost herself in their warm shimmering depths. His soul was laid bare before her as he gave her everything. Again, it was as though they melded perfectly into one mind and body.

Each of his concerns and worries were revealed to her. In turn, all of her fears and doubts were made known to him. A soft knowing smile was shared between the pair. The rapid beating of their hearts fell in sync as a calmness settled in their souls. Everything would turn out fine as long as they were together. For he had seen her doubts at being able to fit in and be accepted on his home. To be accepted by his people as not only herself, but as his mate as well. He’d also seen her fear that he would come to resent her if they chose to live on her planet. Fear that he’d never be able to truly give up all he had for her again. While she saw his worry at not being able to provide the life he wanted to give her if they chose her home. Along with his concerns over her safety and well-being on his planet. That she would feel alone without her family and friends and would end up suffering because of him.

They didn’t have to even say it this time. They could see it in each other’s thoughts plain as day. Two sides of the same coin. Their worries and fears almost mirror images of each other. Neither could help it as their smiles grew. They both felt relieved and yet foolish. Of course, they’d both have concerns over their futures. But they knew no matter what, they’d make things work. For neither could live without the other. A glowing warmth spread through them both at this realization. Faith in each other was all they needed. Everything else would fall into place in due time.

Kish’s movements suddenly became stronger. His thrusts deeper. His hand more desperate as it roamed her body. A sharp gasp left Ichigo’s lips at his sudden change of pace. He sought that sweet release and pushed hers higher in his search. Hearts and minds connected, they finally crashed over that cliff together. Both bodies shivering with the intensity. Nuzzling his nose into the curve of her neck, Kish collapsed atop his mate.

Ichigo kept one hand buried in his hair while her other arm encircled his back, holding him close. After a moment or two, Ichigo giggled, “I suppose it shouldn’t be a shock our thoughts have been echoing each other’s. I told you, you were a bad influence on me.”

Kish’s bright laughter filled the room as he drew up to look at her with eyes dancing with mirth, “And I’m sure I’m to blame for how easy it is to tempt that body of yours?”

“I’m glad we understand one another,” she grinned playfully. Both their hearts felt lighter, and they couldn’t help but revert back to their old ways.

Kish’s deep chuckle reverberated through her body, “Admit it, Kitten. You were just playing a long game of hard to get. You wanted me from the start. No one can resist my devilish charms.”

Ichigo snorted and pushed him off, though Kish noticed the distinct lack of force behind her hands. “You wish. And I have no idea what these so called charms you speak of are.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder and turned her face from him.

Kish caught on to her game immediately. Reaching under the water, he wrapped his hand around her ankle and yanked her into the deeper water with him. Quickly, he curled his fingers around her jaw, “Kitten, Kitten.” He shook his head, tsking with his tongue. “Lying doesn’t suit you. I told you long ago that I wouldn’t lose. I just had the wrong goal in mind. But I did win, Kitten. I won that golden heart of yours. You became mine in every possible way.” That notorious fang flashing smirk crossed his lips.

She tried to glare at him like old times, she really did, but she just couldn’t. That sexy smirk of his had endeared him to her. Even if she enjoyed wiping it off his smug face occasionally. Instead, she shot him her own smirk, “Just like you’re completely mine.”

His cockiness grew for a moment before his features shifted to his secret smile full of tenderness, “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” In the blink of an eye, he had stolen a kiss and dunked her underwater.

She came up spluttering, “God damned cocky alien.”

“Mmm… Always so feisty,” he purred. “But be careful, Kitten. You know what your feistiness does to me. And we both know how easily I can entice that delicious body of yours beneath me,” he warned playfully. The tip of his tongue slipped between his lips and slowly traced a fang.

Face and chest flushed as brightly as her hair, “Correction. God dammed cocky, teasing, perverted alien!”

He grinned, “You know it. And you love it.” He tossed her a wink and drifted over to his soaps. “You going to play around in the tub all night or are you going to come get cleaned up? I’m tired and have work to do at the café tomorrow,” he mocked teasingly.

This time, Ichigo couldn’t keep from glaring at him.

Snapping his fingers, Kish removed the last of the candles as he slid into bed beside his mate. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. However, he could feel her waiting for him, Kit’s tail twitching impatiently within his mind. Snuggling in behind her, he wrapped an arm over the curve of her waist and gently pulled her closer until she was tucked against him. Kish nuzzled his nose into her hair and breathed deep. Past the scent of his shampoo, he found her strawberry scent mixed with his woodsy one. Their combined scents soothed him, and he finally closed his eyes and joined her within her mind.

“You were waiting for me, Kitten?” he cooed once he found himself in the café like area and took a seat beside her on the small couch.

Ichigo huffed and slid into his lap, straddling him. She was in her pink pajama shorts and a white tank top, and, quickly, she snapped her fingers so that Kish was back in the green pajama pants. “Yes,” she grumbled, crossing her arms. “I wanted to talk to you about earlier.”

Kish smirked lazily. “Hmn? About which part? The sexy and mouthwatering show you put on for me? Or maybe when I took you against the window? Or when I made love…,”

“Kish!” she interrupted him.

His eyes twinkled, “Yes, Kitten? I was merely trying to figure out which part you wanted to discuss.”

Ichigo’s eye twitched. He was clearly still in a playful mood. “I meant what happened when we made love in the water.”

“Oh. I’d be happy to explain. First, I oh so easily pinned your beautiful body beneath me. Then I masterfully stroked your hidden pearl until your body craved more.”

“Kiiiish!” she interrupted again drawing out his name and smacking him on the shoulder.

He knew he was pushing her buttons and he also knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. But it was just so easy to mess with her. And so much fun. Besides, she looked damned adorable pouting in his lap with that little scrunch between her brows. But if he kept teasing, he’d rile her up. And though he loved it when she got feisty, he was in too good a mood to calm a hissing cat. “Alright, alright,” he placated her. “What do you want to know?”

Ichigo hesitated. She was unsure of how to bring it all up. She wanted to discuss the deep connection they had made earlier and about each other’s fears, but she didn’t know where to start. And she suddenly didn’t want to spoil his good mood or the lightness to the air between them with a heavy discussion.

Kish, sensing her apprehension, beat her to it. “Everything is fine, Kitten. I told you our bond is just growing stronger and faster. Soon, we’ll be able to read each other without even trying. But don’t worry. You’re still you and I’m still me. I’ll never be able to see everything unless you want me to. Your thoughts and feelings are still your own.” He caressed her cheek tenderly, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. Warm golden eyes pierced her own as he filled her with a reassuring warmth. “As for our futures, of course we’re both going to have concerns. It’s a big change for both of us, no matter where we choose to live. And we will have to eventually decide, because there’s no way we could live without the other. At least I know I couldn’t. But we don’t have to decide now. Come back with me. See my home and what things could be like there. Then we can discuss it further. Until then, don’t let it worry you too much. Everything will be just fine, I promise.” His arms wrapped tightly around the worried girl in his lap and held her close for a few moments.

Her soft voice broke the silence. “I really, really hate it when you’re right and being so reasonable. Sometimes I miss the crazy hot headed youth from before. It was easier for me to ignore you and get my way.”

A bark of laughter left Kish’s lips. “I never thought I’d see the day when you actually missed how I was back then. And I seem to recall it was me forcing what I wanted on you.”

She giggled, “Sometimes. When you’d steal kisses and get a bit too handsy, but it usually ended with me kicking your butt until you finally left.”

Kish’s eyes twinkled as old memories surfaced. “You only thought I left with my tail between my legs,” he teased. “Most of the time I doubled back and followed you. Partly to make sure you were alright after our battles, but mostly just to watch you. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t stay away from you.” He nuzzled his cheek against her crown.

“Remind me to be mad at you for that later. For some reason, right now I’m finding it kinda cute,” she grumbled.

Kish chuckled, “Seriously, never thought I’d see the day.”

“Oh, shut it,” she grumbled again.

His chuckle only grew, “I always knew I’d win you over eventually.”

Ichigo tilted her head and nipped at his throat. “Always with the cockiness. And I may thank your persistence now, but back then you were damn annoying.”

His hand slipped under the back of her shirt and his fingers lazily traced up and down her lower spine. “Maybe, but we both know you wouldn’t have me any other way. I believe you even began to count on my persistence back then. I’d even go so far as to say you began to rely on me.”

She leaned back and cocked a brow at him.

“You began to realize my weakness for you and used that to your advantage. Any time there was a battle, you made sure you were the one I was facing off against, effectively removing me from the fight. I wouldn’t actually harm you, but I didn’t have the same reservations about the other girls.”

Cocking her head to the side, Ichigo thought about that. “To a certain extent, you may be right, but that wasn’t the whole reason. As their leader, you were the biggest threat. And since I was our leader, you were my responsibility. Besides, you usually wouldn’t even join the fight unless it was against me. Always floating up high in arrogance as you watched the others and your chimeras do all the fighting, until either I got hurt or separated myself from the others. Then you’d finally come down just to toy with me.” Once, there may have been hatred or animosity in her words, but now there were none. She finally understood how her mate had felt back then, so she could easily tease him about it now.

“Hey! I spent months dealing with you annoying Mews before my cousins showed up. I deserved a little reprieve. And as the leader, it was my duty to assess the battlefield to better direct things for the next fight if we lost. But I couldn’t help it if the beautiful leader of the Mews had captured my heart and kept me distracted. I was an adolescent male after all,” he argued. But he gave her a sly grin in the end.

“I wonder what things would have been like if I had said yes to you back then,” she mused idly.

He shook his head, “Probably not as wonderful as they are now. I meant what I said about taking you and running away. I didn’t care about your people at the time. Humans were nothing but a nuisance to me back then, besides you of course. Deep Blue would probably have destroyed everything, and my people would have either ruled your planet or been destroyed as well. If we had stayed and tried to make it work, well, I don’t know. But Deep Blue would probably have manifested earlier because of his, the Blue Knight’s, and the tree hugger’s possessiveness over you would have pushed him to it. And without you, that damn ex of yours would probably have fully given in. So, as much as I wanted you back then, things played out as they should have.”

Ichigo leaned back and caught his eye. “It still catches me off gaurd when you talk like that. To see that hidden intelligence at work. Even how we talk to each other. Sometimes I find it so weird compared to how we used to be.”

Kish yawned and cuddled her closer. “We grew up, Kitten. Nothing weird about that. And you’ve finally accepted me. Letting me sit and talk without you trying to fight me every step of the way.”

“Well, if you would have stopped trying to kiss or kill me every time you saw me,” she started to argue.

“Hush, Kitten. See, we’re still the same as we’ve always been. Me trying to keep you in my arms and you still trying to pick a fight with me.”

Ichigo snapped her mouth shut. He was right. Damn him, but he was right. She didn’t even try to hide her smile. Yeah, they were the same old Kish and Ichigo, and it made her feel so incredibly happy as that realization sunk in. “I love you, Kish,” she whispered as she snuggled back against his chest.

Kish’s cocky smirk returned, but his eyes glowed in happiness, “I love you, Kitten.”

The next day, work at the café flew by for Ichigo. She was on cloud nine. Her and Kish’s conversation from last night had put a lot of her worries out of her mind for the time being. And she couldn’t wait for their date tonight. She practically skipped to each of her tables.

Both Lettuce and Pudding couldn’t help but notice Ichigo’s happy mood. “What’s gotten into her?” Lettuce whispered to Pudding.

Pudding smiled wide, “That ring on her finger probably has something to do with it. Plus, I bet she’s excited because Kish and Taru-Taru are taking us on a fancy date tonight.”

“How romantic,” Lettuce gushed. “Where are they taking you?”

“No idea, but it’s also Taru-Taru’s birthday today and I still have no idea what to get him,” Pudding sighed. She’d spent half the night trying to think of something, but she just couldn’t come up with something good enough.

Lettuce studied Pudding for a moment. She was obviously concerned. “I don’t know Tart as well as you do, but I’m sure he’ll love anything you give him because it came from you,” Lettuce said softly.

Pudding looked up at the older green haired girl, “But I want it to be special. He’s my boyfriend now and we haven’t seen each other in almost three years.” He had visited her off and on the year after the battle but had then suddenly stopped coming. He had told her it was because they forced him to become a council member and couldn’t sneak away from the planet easily anymore. Not to mention, he had damaged the ship on his last return when he had hit a stray asteroid. Which was why Pai and Kish had been repairing it.

“Then it should be something that means a lot to both of you. Something that will also make him happy. Just make sure it comes from the heart and I know he’ll love whatever you decide on,” Lettuce advised with a warm smile. Pudding had quickly become like everyone’s little sister since almost day one. Each of the Mews never hesitated to help the young girl whenever they could.

Pudding’s eyes lit up as an idea began to take form and a light blush dusted her cheeks. “Thanks Lettuce! I think I have the perfect idea,” she beamed.

“Glad I could help,” Lettuce said blushing a bit as well.

Kish had watched and listened in on the two girls from Mint’s old table without them noticing. When he saw Pudding’s blush, he had a sneaking suspicion what Pudding’s idea had been. He grinned mischievously as he took another bite of his vegetable soup. He had just finished up in the basement with Ryou and was enjoying a late lunch. He had written the extra encryption codes into Ryou’s computer, and the rest of the day had been spent discussing Kish’s planet and society. Of course, he had pulled on his glamour while he had spoken to Keiichiro for a moment in the kitchen and gotten his lunch before heading into the dining area. As he sat at Mint’s table, he smirked to himself. He just knew the stuck up, bratty, Birdie would throw a hissy fit if she saw him sitting at her table.

His eyes shifted back to his Kitten. He watched her basically float from table to table. Gushing every time someone noticed or mentioned her ring. She couldn’t seem to help moving her hand subtly so the lights would catch it, causing it to sparkle. Her heart was light, and she seemed incredibly happy. In fact, both their hearts were lighter today. Last night’s revelations had temporarily freed them from their worries. Sure, they both still had a multitude of concerns, but right now, they were both simply enjoying life together.

Kish paused for a moment as the surreal reality struck him again. They were together. He and his Kitten. They were mates. Sometimes he still found it hard to believe. He had tried to gain her affection for over a year. Had clung to his memories of her for four. Almost giving up hope a few times. Had even tried to forget about her more times than he cared to admit. But he had loved her too much to ever truly move on. She had never left his mind for more than a moment. And he was damn glad he hadn’t succeeded in forgetting about her because she was now his. His lover, his mate, his fiancé. The woman he had thought was beyond his grasp was now truly and completely his.

And on top of that, he had seemed to fit into her world with ease. He had a growing friendship with both Ryou and Keiichiro. He would also call Pudding a friend and possibly even family now. Even the Fishy had spoken to him as a friend and not an enemy. Though he had teased her, she had smiled at him and fully accepted him and Ichigo. Even young Tart had found his place amongst the Mews. He’d help at the dojo with Pudding, but today, since Pudding was working at the café, he had discovered his place here.

Tart had taken to the kitchen like a fish to water. Had seamlessly slid in beside Keiichiro and had helped in the kitchen. Quickly picking up on recipes and how things worked. It turned out Tart had a knack for baking and Keiichiro gladly accepted the help once Tart had learned the ins and outs. Things seemed to just fall into place for both aliens.

At least Kish knew that if they did choose to stay here, he at least had a jumping off point to try and build something for he and Ichigo. He now had friends here he could rely on to help him provide for his mate. To help him achieve whatever he wanted. It was a greatly comforting thought. But just as he had told Ichigo, he pushed those thoughts aside for now. They still had plenty of time to make a decision and she had yet to see his home. The pros and cons list was incomplete until she did.

A soft giggle escaped Ichigo as she snuck a glance at Kish. He had a goofy smile on his face and appeared completely lost in thought. She took a peek at what he was thinking about. Her heart melted as he thought first about her then the possibility of starting a life here with her. He was just so sweet and unpredictable. It was that unpredictableness and his quick changing moods that had originally piqued her interest in him. And though he had certain traits or habits that she could predict easily, he himself always kept her guessing. It certainly kept things from ever getting boring.

Kish smirked to himself as he caught her listening in to his thoughts. "I am certainly never boring," he teased.

She giggled again, "That’s an understatement."

Kish chuckled at her and swept his eyes across the room until they caught hers. "Just one of the many things you love about me," he winked at her.

"Yup!" she answered cheerfully before focusing back on work.

Kish grinned. He loved the easy and playful banter between them. It reminded him a bit of their past selves but without the fighting.

Ichigo’s feet pounded up the steps from the basement. A huge smile graced her lips. She didn’t know how she’d managed it, but somehow she had convinced Ryou to let her off two hours early. She couldn’t believe he had agreed. She saw Kish leaning against the wall as she crested the steps.

“You seem awfully pleased,” he commented.

“He said yes! I’m gonna go change and we can head out.”

As she walked by him, Kish slipped behind her and snaked an arm around her waist. He halted her and tugged her back to his chest. Leaning over her shoulder, he placed a quick kiss to her cheek. “I’ll be waiting,” he whispered in her ear before releasing her abruptly and slipping out the back door.

Normally, Kish would have found a tree to hide in while he waited for his Kitten to come out of the café, but, with his glamor on, now he could wait sitting on the back steps. His ear twitched as it caught the sound of footsteps and two giggling girls. Not coming from behind him where the café sat but coming up the path to the café.

“Look! It’s that really hot guy from yesterday. I was hoping I’d get to see him again. He’s the one with those gorgeous golden eyes I told you about,” one of the girls giggled to the other.

“I wonder if he works there now?” the other, taller girl asked.

The short blonde giddily replied, “I hope so! I saw him come out of the back kitchen area, so I think so.”

“But didn’t you say he was with that red headed waitress?”

“No idea. He looked upset that some guys were bullying her and went to help. My friends and I had to leave before he got to her table. If they are together, then that is one lucky girl. He’s gotta be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”

The other girl giggled harder. “Well, if he does work there, maybe you can ask him if he’s single. Besides, I want to see these golden eyes you’ve been gushing about.”

Kish waited until they were just about to pass him as they followed the path to the front of the café. He stood to his full height and casually leaned against the railing at his side. Looking up, he acted like he had just noticed the girls and shot them a bright smile, letting the sun catch his shimmering eyes. He tossed them a slight wave before relaxing against the railing. He heard them squeal and giggle before racing past him.

“Oh my gosh! Did you see that?! He waved at us!” the short blonde shouted in a raised whisper.

“Those eyes! You were right. They’ve got to be the most gorgeous eyes ever,” the tall one almost stuttered.

Kish grinned to himself, ‘Yup, still got it.’

“Still got what?” Ichigo asked coming out of the café.

“Oh, nothing to worry about. Just that your mate can still make girls swoon with just a look,” he boasted. His sly grin slipping over his lips.

Ichigo rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “You better not be flirting with other girls while my back is turned,” she scolded.

“Aw, Kitten. It was just a smile and a wave. I heard them talking about me as they headed to the café. Said you were one lucky girl to have me,” he defended.

Her look softened. “Damn right, you’re mine.”

Golden eyes darkened and he quickly wrapped Ichigo in his arms. His voice became coated in huskiness, “Mm… Kitten. You know I love when you get possessive of me.”

Ichigo shoved him off shaking her head. “Down boy. We still have to get the rest of Tart’s present then I have to get ready for this evening.”

“Fine,” he pouted. But when he pulled her back into his arms, he stole a quick kiss. “So where to, Kitten?”

Ichigo blushed and couldn’t resist snuggling into his arms. She envisioned the store she wanted to go to, including a safe place to teleport to.

He nodded, “Got it.” With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, the pair disappeared.

Ichigo slipped her hand into his and tugged him to the front of the store as soon as they reappeared. Stepping through the door, Ichigo grabbed a basket and quickly made her way down the aisles, dragging Kish along behind her.

Kish’s eyes grew large as he looked over all the goods. “Tart would love this place,” he muttered in awe. Everywhere he looked there were different kinds of plants, gardening tools, seed packets, and anything else that had to do with plants.

“Maybe I’ll bring him here one day, but for now I need to get his gift,” Ichigo answered, half paying attention. She gathered up about thirty or forty different seed packets. Ranging from a myriad of flowers to all kinds of vegetables. She even threw in a few fruit tree seeds and, of course, some strawberry seeds. Walking further down the aisle, she nearly jumped for joy. They had the two things she specifically wanted. Grabbing two packets each of those, she made her way to the register.

Kish chuckled when he saw why those two particular seeds had been her focus. “You get to deal with him when those plants grow and he figures out how to refine them,” he snickered.

“I’ll make sure he knows moderation. If he’s half as bad as Pudding, this may be a bad idea,” she muttered.

Kish placed his hand on her shoulder. “Mate, it’s a wonderful idea that I know Tart will love without a doubt.”

She gave him a soft smile. “Thanks.”

Kish slipped into the shower behind his mate. They had returned a few minutes ago and Ichigo had arranged her gift in a bright red bag. The seeds and disc carefully wrapped in yellow tissue paper. As soon as she was done, they had both headed to the shower. It was already four, but they still had roughly over two hours to be ready. Kish rested his hands at the curve of Ichigo’s waist and drew her back against him. She relaxed into his arms, her head resting on his collar bone as the warm water cascaded down around them. “Excited about tonight, Kitten?” he whispered into her damp hair.

Ichigo nodded enthusiastically, “I’ve been dreaming about it all day. Wondering where we’re going, what you’re going to look like, and seeing your reaction to what I’m gonna wear.”

Kish chuckled and tugged her closer, so her body was flush to his. His right hand slid up the smooth curve of her ribcage and gently cupped a breast, his thumb caressing her peaking nipple. He drummed the fingers of his other hand across her hip bone. “No matter what you wear, you’ll always look beautiful to me. Or even when you don’t wear anything at all.” That cocky look was back on his face and there was an impish glint in his eye. His voice had also become low and sultry.

A shiver ran up Ichigo’s body. ‘How does he do that?!’ she thought. ‘How can he turn me on so thoroughly without even trying?’

Kish snickered and licked the rim of her ear, "Because we’re mates, Kitten. You crave my touch just as much as I crave yours. I can feel what your body wants, what you need. Besides, who said I wasn’t trying?" His fangs found that sensitive spot just behind her ear at the same time the hand at her hip slid down and slipped between her trembling legs.

A deep moan escaped her lips followed by a loud gasp as his talented fingers found her hidden pearl. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she fully surrendered to her mate’s capable hands.

Kish was once again reveling in the power he had over her. That she allowed him to take control so easily. Her trust and blind faith in him astounded him. His hand slid lower until his searching fingers found her entrance. Tenderly, he pushed two inside and pumped them leisurely. Setting her build to a very slow burn. He grinned against her neck in satisfaction when her legs parted ever so slightly to give him better access. Soft moans and whimpers started to cross her lips, but Kish continued to take his time. He wasn’t in the mood to rush things and wanted his mate to savor what he was doing to her.

Ichigo’s head fell back further atop his shoulder as she arched sharply. Seeking more friction and further contact wherever they touched. His talented hands were fanning the coals of her desire. That coil in her abdomen burning as it wound incredibly slowly. She rocked her hips against his hand needing more. Needing to feel that pressure build faster.

In turn, Kish’s fangs found the junction of her neck and shoulder and softly bit down. "Always such an impatient kitty," he growled low.

Another shiver wracked Ichigo’s body. The way his low timbre thrummed through her sent tingles coursing through her system. Just the sound of that low cocky tone was enough to push her higher.

Letting his fangs prick harder against her delicate flesh, Kish sealed his lips over her skin and sucked hard. At the same time, he pushed a third finger inside her. Her hips bucked wildly at the intrusion and a loud moan in the form of his name fell from her lips.

"Mm. So tight and so wet. You like that, Kitten?" he purred huskily.

Ichigo nodded then a sudden gasp broke from her throat. The heel of Kish’s hand was now rubbing across her sensitive bud with every push and pull of his fingers. Her hands came up, each gripping his forearms and held on tight. Her chest rose and fell quickly with her labored breaths. Kish’s other hand began to sharply knead her breast, a thumb and forefinger tweaking her now sensitive nipple.

“Kish, please,” she moaned, her eyes still clenched shut.

“Please, what?” he breathed against her neck when his lips finally released her bruised flesh.

“Harder, mate. More… Please, Kish… Nya!” she panted.

Kish smirked but complied to his begging mate. “As you wish, Kitten.” Immediately, his fingers doubled their pace. Filling her deeply on every push. When a loud, “Yes!” broke from her mouth, Kish grinned wickedly. Pushing as deep as he could, he stroked that hidden button within her. Her reaction was instantaneous.

Her knees started to buckle, and she held on tighter to Kish’s arms. He quickly wrapped his right arm around her waist, securely locking her in place. His name tumbled from her lips in a breathless moan. A quiver ran through her tense muscles, and they all simultaneously relaxed as the warm wave of her orgasm crashed through her system. “God, Kish. That was…,” she trailed off, unable to come up with the correct words.

Kish slowly pulled his hand from her depths, and trailed it up the side of her body, letting the water rinse off her release. Continuing up, he delicately brushed his fingertips along the sharp line of her throat. “Hm? Enjoy that did you?” he husked, satisfaction and smugness coating each word.

Humming her happy response, Ichigo nuzzled her nose into the side of his neck, “Mmhmm.”

Kish smiled proudly and kissed her temple. “Always a pleasure to please my mate.” Keeping his arm locked around her waist, Kish reached for his shampoo. Stepping back, he squirted some into her hair and began to massage it into her scalp.

“God, that feels wonderful,” Ichigo sighed. Then a thought struck her, “Wait. What about you?”

A knowing smirk flitted across his lips, “Hmm? Don’t worry, Kitten. I’ll get mine tonight,” he promised.

A small shudder traveled through her. “Once again, I can’t tell if that’s a threat or a promise,” she teased.

He snickered, “Maybe a bit of both.”

Ichigo giggled softly, “With you, most likely.”

After they finished bathing, Ichigo quickly gathered her dress and other things from their room, making sure Kish kept his back turned, and returned to the bathroom. “I’ll meet you in the mess hall in about an hour,” she called through the door. “And no trying to sneak a peek,” she quickly added.

Kish rolled his eyes from the other side of the door, “You know. For someone who says they trust me completely, you sure don’t seem to trust me.”

Ichigo laughed, “Not when it concerns my body, I don’t.”

Okay. So, he had to give her that one. Kish huffed in defeat and started to get dressed. Doing his best not to think about his naked mate on the other side of the door. ‘Ichigo’s right,’ he thought. He really was becoming a sex addict. At least only for Ichigo.

"Told ya so," she sing-songed.

"Oh, hush. It’s your fault. You’re just too damn sexy," he snarked back as he pulled on his new pants.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she teased.

Kish growled, "Dammit, Kitten. You know that’s not true. Since I first saw you, you’ve been my one and only."

"Calm down, mate. I was only teasing," she quickly apologized.

Kish sighed, "No. I’m sorry, mate. I didn’t mean to snap. Just the thought of being with another woman turns my stomach and raises my hackles. You’re mine. Only mine and my one and only."

Ichigo’s brush paused and she placed her hand against the bathroom door. "I’m sorry, Kish. I didn’t mean to upset you. I know your mine and mine alone."

Unbeknownst to either of them, Kish had placed his hand on his side of the bathroom door, directly in front of hers. "It’s alright, Kitten. I know you were only kidding. Just maybe don’t use that to tease me with in the future. For both our sanities."

"I promise," she answered, pulling away from the door and getting back to fixing her hair.

"Thanks, love," he whispered, tugging on his dark green mesh undershirt.

"Anything for you, mate," she replied, copying what he usually told her.

Kish chuckled, "No stealing my lines. Or I just may have to punish you in the name of Cynicla."

Laughter erupted from inside the bathroom. "Cheeky alien. But that’s completely the wrong catch phrase. After hearing it so many times I would have thought you’d remember it. It’s: For the Earth, I’ll be of service. Nya!"

A bark of laughter left Kish’s lips, "You just posed didn’t you?"

Ichigo blushed. "Shut it," she squeaked.

Kish laughed even harder, "Gods, you’re adorable." When nothing but silence followed, Kish shook his head. "Just because I can’t see you doesn’t mean I don’t know you just stuck your tongue out at me."

Ichigo stared at the back of the door, "Damn. You really do know me well."

"Probably better than you know yourself," he added.

"Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. You were my personal alien stalker for over a year."

"Admirer. I prefer admirer. And again, your fault. You stole my heart and my sanity," he shot back.

Ichigo applied the finishing touches on her makeup, "Oh no you don’t. I may have stolen your heart, but you were crazy from the second I met you."

Kish chuckled as he buttoned up his shirt, "Yeah. Crazy for you."

Ichigo rolled her eyes, "Oh great. You’ve discovered cheesy one liners."

Kish quickly scanned her memories for what she meant. Finding the answer, he laughed, "Maybe, but at least I never used them to try and pick you up back then. And I don’t have to now since you’re already mine."

Carefully, Ichigo shimmied into her dress, taking care not to mess up her hair or smudge her makeup. "And it’s a good thing you didn’t. You were creepy enough back then."

Kish huffed in indignation as he pulled his boots on. "Creepy? I was cute, romantic, and maybe a bit cocky, arrogant, and a tad crazy. But I was certainly NOT creepy."

Ichigo snorted, "Says the one that stalked me and tried to get me to run away with him. Not to mention the whole “I’ll kill you if I can’t have you,” thing as well as asking a thirteen year old to be your bride. So… Creepy."

Kish shot the bathroom door a glare, "We’ve been over this. A) I was desperately in love with you. B) I was trying to save you. C) I’ve admitted I was a tad insane. And D) We were both old enough in my culture to marry. So again. Not. Creepy."

Ichigo sighed, "Fine. But you were weird at the very least."

He bit his lip. He couldn’t really argue with that. He is an alien after all.

Running a comb through his hair, he tied it back behind his neck. Kish took a look at himself in his wardrobe mirror. ‘Not too bad,’ he thought to himself. His mesh undershirt was just low enough that it only peeked out from where he’d left the top three buttons of his shirt undone. He then remembered something he’d seen in the back of one of his drawers. After a minute search, he finally found it. It was a bottle of cologne, and it was a gift from his aunt on his last birthday when he turned twenty. It had been her way of subtly hinting that he should get out and date and hopefully find a wife or mate. Other than his cousins, no one knew about his love for Ichigo. Oh, he had talked about her constantly with his family, but had kept his true feelings hidden. He hadn’t even remembered packing the small glass bottle, but, he figured, if there were ever a time to use it, it would be tonight.

Uncorking the bottle, Kish took a sniff. He had to admit, his aunt had excellent tastes and knew his well. It had a deep woodsy scent with a hint of spice. It smelled clean and fresh and would only enhance his natural scent. That pleased him because Ichigo had mentioned that she loved his scent and found it calming. Though he knew that part of the reason she found it calming was because they were mates. Each other’s scents had a soothing effect on the other. It was part of why he liked to tuck his nose into her hair or against her neck. He couldn’t get enough of her scent, especially with his tied just under it. Carefully, he dabbed a drop or two on each side of his neck and on the pulse points of each wrist. Stoppering the bottle, he replaced it within his wardrobe. “Ready, Kitten? It’s about time to go,” he hollered through the door.

Ichigo was just slipping into a pair of golden strappy heels. They were identical to the ones Pudding had picked out, but she had swapped the silver for gold at the checkout counter. She thought they would match better with the gold in Kish’s jacket. “You’re still here? I thought I told you to wait in the mess hall?” she yelled back.

“And miss being the first one to see you all dressed up? I don’t think so.”

She snapped a gold bangle around her thin wrist and slipped a pair of gold hoops into her ears. With a large smile, she carefully replaced her beautiful engagement ring onto her finger. She gave herself a once over in the mirror. ‘Perfect,’ she thought. She spritzed on a bit of perfume and reached for the door.

Kish had been sitting on the bed looking at the floor when he heard the bathroom door click. His eyes caught her golden shoed feet and slowly traveled up her body. Following the curve of her body line before hungrily traveling the smooth expanses of her revealed flesh. Particularly, the long line that plunged between her breasts. Continuing up, Kish finally reached her face and was dumbstruck. She was an absolute vision. A beauty beyond compare. His throat worked to form words, but he found he was unable. The second their eyes locked, Kish moved to her faster than lightning. He pinned her roughly to the bathroom door, his body molding against hers.

“K..Kish?” she stuttered. She was lost in his intensely glittering gold eyes full of lust and passion.

Suddenly, his lips found the bruise he’d left earlier on her neck and licked at it. "Gods and Goddesses, Kitten. You’re stunning. I don’t know how I’m going to contain myself around you all night. Let alone be able to stand to see any male so much as glance in your direction with you looking like that." His fangs slid over her heated skin. His mouth desperately looking to claim, to mark, her. "Fuck, Ichigo. If we weren’t on a time table, I’d take you right now against this door."

A small moan slid from her lips, "Kish… We need to get going. And why should I care how many guys look at me when my eyes will be glued to my mate. Who looks sexy enough to eat, I might add." She flashed him a wicked smile.

The jacket she was holding fluttered to the floor as he pinned her wrists next to her head. A low growl rumbled deep in his chest, "I’m not the only one, Kitten. As fucking gorgeous as you are in that dress, all I want to do right now is rip it off and lick every inch of your body before having my way with you."

A heated shudder zipped through Ichigo and pink dusted her cheeks. His possessiveness and obvious need and want of her were fanning those flames of desire deep within her abdomen. But she shook her head to clear the haze. They didn’t have time for this. As badly as they both wanted each other, it would have to wait. When his lips trailed up her neck and to her lips, she set them in a hard line. Not giving in to him. She knew how much he hated it when he didn’t get any kind of reaction.

And it worked. He pulled back with a slight scowl and a look of desperation in his eyes. “Ichigo….,” he growled.

She shook her head, ‘No. We don’t have time. As much as I want to continue, we have people waiting on us and a reservation to keep.’ She put her foot down.

He glared at her for a split second then relented. “Fine, I’ll behave but only if you kiss me.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“I promise. Just a kiss and I’ll let you go.”

Slowly, she parted her lips.

He wasted no time. His lips slammed down upon hers. The kiss forceful and so full of passion it made her knees weak and her toes curl. Once he had kissed her breathless, he pulled away and freed her arms. Reaching down, he scooped up his jacket and practically threw it at her. “Put that on while I try to calm down.” He started pacing the room while he tried to calm his racing heart, boiling blood, and burning desire.

Ichigo slid into his jacket then slipped behind him. She snaked her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his back. "Calm down, mate. I promise as soon as we get back you can make love to me all night. I’m off tomorrow, remember."

Kish took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting her scent envelop him. Slowly, he relaxed. "Gods, you have no idea what you do to me, woman. You’re the only one that can literally drive me insane one moment then turn around and reduce me to an obedient puppy in the next."

Ichigo giggled and gave him a light squeeze, “Like I said, never boring. Now come on, mate, or we’re going to be late.”

Taking one last deep breath of her scent, Kish turned around and waited for her to gather her purse and Tart’s present before he wrapped his arms around Ichigo and teleported them to the mess hall.

Tart noticed right away that Kish had barely taken his eyes off Ichigo since the pair had appeared. The three sat at a table while they waited for Pudding to finish getting ready. Tart shot Ichigo a knowing grin and nodded his head towards Kish.

Catching on, Ichigo giggled. “You were right. He couldn’t keep his hands off me. I barely got him to let me leave the bedroom.”

Tart snorted, “Told ya. Though I don’t blame him. For an Old Hag, you look beautiful tonight.”

Ichigo blushed, but before she could thank him, Kish shot a growl at Tart. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. It’s our thing. He calls me Old Hag and I call him Brat. It’s become a term of endearment so let it go.” Kish only shot her an odd look before turning away, but she felt his eyes return to her a moment later.

Glancing between the two, Tart giggled. “That’s not why he was growling at me.”

Ichigo cocked a brow.

“It’s because I complimented you and that I agreed that if I were in his position I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you. If you were my mate and looking like that, I’d be growling at any male near you too.” A soft blush dusted Tart’s cheeks, but he rolled his eyes when he heard Kish growl again. “Urgh! I get it, but enough already. I’m not interested in the Old Hag. Not only do I think of her as my big sister, but Pudding is my chosen!” Tart shouted crossing his arms. Ichigo smiled brightly but Kish looked shocked. Tart glanced at Ichigo, “You didn’t tell him?” His voice had fallen to just above a whisper.

Ichigo shook her head, “I told you I’d keep what we discussed a secret. Even from him.”

Kish finally found his voice and managed to tear his eyes away from Ichigo to look at Tart. “No, she never said a thing. Though I had already suspected. I’m just shocked that you’d come right out and say it. Maybe I have been rubbing off on you.”

“Gods I hope not. I don’t wanna turn out to be a cocky pervert,” Tart snickered.

“Why you!” Kish growled.

Ichigo giggled but sobered up when Kish shot her a halfhearted glare. “Be nice, Brat. Kish has plenty of amazing qualities too,” she defended.

“Oh yeah? Name one,” Tart retorted.

Ichigo started ticking them off on her fingers, “He’s strong, brave, loyal, dependable, honest, intelligent, cunning, funny, loving, and many more.” In her mind she continued just for her mate. "Not to mention handsome, incredibly sexy, amazing in bed, and has an extremely talented tongue."

Kish couldn’t help but sit up a little taller in pride and boast a smirk full of smugness to what Ichigo had said only to him. “Thanks, Kitten,” he beamed at her.

“Pfft. Whatever,” Tart grumbled.

Just then, Pudding slipped into the room blushing.

Tart’s blush was ten times as red as he stared at Pudding, and he swallowed. Hard. His mouth fell open as he looked her up and down. She was not only gorgeous, but she looked downright hot. He’d never seen her like this before. And he had to admit, she looked damned good. The short dress showed off her athletic legs and the dress hugged her small curves in just the right way. She had pulled her hair up into an intricate Chinese bun and had two red hair sticks stuck in it. They had little silver bells dangling from the ends that tinkled when she walked. A few loose strands fell around her face, framing her soft round cheeks. A light dusting of makeup completed the look.

Ichigo reached over and closed Tart’s jaw. “This is where you compliment her,” she teased him.

Tart swallowed thickly, “Oh umm… Erm…”

Ichigo smacked him upside the head.

“Ow!” he groaned, jumping up. But it thankfully worked because it had seemed to shake something loose. Tart grabbed Pudding’s hand with one of his and scratched the back of his neck with the other, “You uh… You look beautiful. Even better than beautiful. You… You look amazing, Pudding.” Both of the young couple blushed crimson.

“Thank you, Taru-Taru. And you look very very handsome.”

Kish and Ichigo’s hands sought each other’s, and they couldn’t help but smile at the budding romance before them. “You look incredible, Pudding. I can’t believe how quickly you’re growing up,” Ichigo said softly.

Kish nodded, “She’s right. Tart’s a lucky brat because you look fantastic. I’d even say hot.” Kish shot her a playful wink.

Tart caught that and growled at Kish.

Kish chuckled loudly, “Welcome to the club, Brat.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes at the two posturing males, “Come on, we’ve got three minutes until our reservation. Thank God you two can teleport or we’d never make it.”

Kish slung his arm around Ichigo’s shoulders, “That’s because you girls have superior taste in men, or rather I should say, aliens.” He tossed her a wink and glanced at Tart, “Follow me.” The four promptly vanished.

To say the girls were impressed would have been a huge understatement. In fact, they were downright awe-struck. And Ichigo was not only impressed with the restaurant, but with Kish as well. As soon as they had appeared, he had smoothly taken charge of their little group and led them confidently through the deep mahogany doors. She watched as he walked over to the podium and told the hostess that he had a reservation for four under Ikisatashi. She furrowed her brow. She’d never heard that name before. She quickly skimmed his memories and gasped. Spinning on Tart, “You never told me you guys had a last name.”

Tart shrugged, “You never asked.”

Ichigo spluttered. He was right. She hadn’t. The thought hadn’t even occurred to her.

As soon as the hostess had heard the name on the reservation, she immediately became flustered. She had no idea who these people were, but they had to be important because the head chef himself had arranged the short notice reservation. And judging by their looks, they could have been young up and coming movie stars. Especially, the young man that she had spoken to. He had the most unique eyes she’d ever seen. ‘If not an actor, then surely a model,’ she thought. “Oh! Right this way, please,” she offered, gathering four menus and the alcohol list. They were shown to a semi-private corner booth near the back of the restaurant. The girls slid in with the boys protectively taking the end seats on either side of the rounded booth. The hostess passed out the menus, “Your waiter, Kenji, will be with you in just a moment. I hope you have a wonderful evening.”

As soon as the hostess left, Ichigo spun on Kish, “Ok, spill. How?”

Kish’s eyes twinkled, “How what, Kitten?”

“Oh, don’t play innocent with me mister. How did you manage all this,” she gestured wide to the restaurant around them. “First you get us a reservation at a place that’s virtually impossible to get into except for months in advance. Then you seem to know exactly what you’re doing. And since when have you had a last name and why is this the first I’m hearing about it?”

Kish chuckled, a sly grin slipping over his features. “Let’s just say I have my ways. And no peeking. Let me enjoy tonight for a little while before you spoil my fun. And since I was born, and you never asked.”

Pudding looked at Ichigo confused, “Wait. You didn’t know Kish’s last name? Even I knew it years ago. Taru-Taru told me one of the first times he visited. Granted, at the time I didn’t know it was Kish’s as well. He only told me they were cousins when they came back.”

Ichigo shot Kish a glare, “See! Tart told Pudding. She didn’t need to ask. You’d think you’d have at least told me when you asked me to marry you.” She crossed her arms and pouted.

Kish reached under the table and gave her knee a soft squeeze, “Come on, Kitten. It’s not like I was trying to hide it from you. Our name carries a lot of weight and strings back home, so I don’t mention it very often, even if the point is mute now with our fame.”

Her demeanor softened at his explanation. “Ichigo Ikisatashi… Hmm… Actually, has a pretty nice ring to it.”

Kish instantly perked up, “Like music to my ears.”

The waiter came up to their table at that moment, “Good evening. I’m Kenji and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get your drink orders and any interest in something from the bar? Or any questions regarding the menu?”

Kish gestured for Ichigo to go first. “Iced tea, please.”

Pudding followed with her order, “Hot green tea for me, please.”

“I’ll just have water, thank you,” said Tart.

Kish looked up at the waiter, “I’ll take a bottle of your house sake, warmed and an ice water please.”

“May I see your ID please?”

Kish nodded and reached into his pocket, from his personal subspace, he summoned the ID Keiichiro had helped him create. It was basically a copy of Keiichiro’s, just with the name, dates, and photo changed. Kish handed it to the waiter.

Taking a quick glance at the card, he handed it back to Kish, “Very good sir. I’ll get those drink orders taken care of.”

Ichigo reached over to Kish, her hands opening and closing, “Gimmie, gimmie. I wanna see.”

He chuckled at her childish antics but handed her the card.

“This looks seriously real. And really? February fourteenth? Of course, you were born on Valentine’s Day.” She had muttered that last part, but of course Kish had heard her.

“After doing some calculations on the ship’s computer to convert our calendar into yours, yeah, that’s the day of the year I was born, but what’s Valentine’s Day?”

Pudding giggled and answered, “It’s only the most romantic day of the year. It’s all about love and getting gifts for your significant other and spending time with them.”

“So of course, the most perverted guy I know would be even technically born on a day meant to celebrate love,” Ichigo added.

A smirk lit up Kish’s face, “You don’t say? No wonder romance comes so naturally to me.”

“Oh, shut it. And sake? Really?”

Kish gave her a sly look, “Shut it or talk? I can’t do both, Kitten.”

Ichigo groaned in exasperation and kicked him under the table.

“Cripes, Kitten. Those heels are pointy, and your kicks are nothing to scoff at,” he winced.

“Then stop being so difficult,” she argued.

Kish shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve been wanting to try some alcohol from Earth but hadn’t had the chance til now. I enjoy a drink now and then back home and wanted to see how your stuff measured up.”

“Now and then, my ears,” Tart put in. “There was almost a year where all you did was drink, so you’d forget…” Tart was cut off by a sharp kick from Kish under the table.

“Not another word, Brat,” Kish growled, danger glinting in his sharp golden eyes.

Tart gulped. He knew that look well. Kish meant business. “Uh… Yeah, and what about you and Tek? You two love to live it up,” Tart said, quickly covering up what he was originally going to say.

“Eh, that’s only every couple of weeks or so to let off some steam. Though we have had a few wild nights,” Kish admitted.

“I’d say so. The last one I remember, you two had every girl in the place hanging off not only you, but your every word.”

Again, Kish shot Tart a cold glare before quickly turning to Ichigo, his eyes instantly shifting to apologetic. “It’s not what you think, Kitten,” he defended quickly.

She raised a brow, “Oh really? Mister I wouldn’t even dream of looking at another girl that wasn’t my kitten.”

Kish was saved from any further ire from Ichigo for the moment as the waiter returned with their drinks. “Have you decided what you’d like to order or have any questions?”

Pudding spoke up, seeing as how Kish and Ichigo were currently distracted, “I’m terribly sorry, but we need some more time. We’ve been a bit busy talking and haven’t even looked at the menus.”

“No problem, Miss. Take your time. Just give me a wave when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Pudding said.

The waiter bowed and left.

As soon as the waiter was gone, Ichigo glared at Kish, “Well?”

“It was nothing. I swear. Tek and I have this thing. I told you I’m popular with the girls, but I’ve never really been interested in them. So, when they come on to me, I’d subtly shift their focus from me to Tek. People always assume I’m the player, but it’s actually him. He’s the one who gets around. Not me.”

“Promise?” Ichigo asked softly.

Kish nodded quickly, “I promise. You’re the only girl I truly see, Kitten.”

Ichigo melted at his tender words and scooted closer to him.

Kish draped his arm over her shoulder, “I love you, Ichigo. You and only you. Always have and always will.”

Ichigo looked up into his warm golden eyes, “I love you too, Kish. Now, let’s figure out what to order cause I’m starving. And Brat, you try getting Kish in trouble again and he won’t be the only one you have to worry about. Things are still fresh, too new. And there’s still a lot of concerns and unknowns, especially on my side. Having access to his thoughts and memories helps, but after last night, I’m hesitant to look too deep without him holding my proverbial hand.”

Kish’s cold eyes caught Tart’s once again and the young boy gulped. “And if she didn’t get through to you then maybe I can. If you ever intentionally hurt Ichigo or what we have then you’ll get to experience first hand just why I’m the head of disciplinary. Why I’m the last stop when all other actions have failed to iron out insubordination.” Kish’s voice held a mix of arrogance and cold indifference. It was the tone he commonly used when commanding and Tart knew to take him seriously and to immediately fall in line. No one challenged the Commander General’s authority. Not even family.

Seeing the tension between the three, Pudding cleared her throat. “So, Ichigo, any idea what’s good here? I’ve never been someplace so fancy.”

Ichigo smiled warmly at the young girl, glad for a reprieve from the intensity. She hadn’t really meant to call Tart out. She had meant it to be more teasing, but Kish had run away with it. But then again, when it came to protecting her, he always went overboard. “No idea, Pudding,” she said, glancing at the menu. “But everything looks amazing.”

Thankfully, with full access to Ichigo’s memories, Kish was able to understand each of the things listed on the menu. Tart, on the other hand, was having a much harder time. Pudding had scooted closer to him and was walking him through the items. Explaining each as best as she could so he could liken it to something he was familiar with. By the time the waiter came back to check on them, they had each made a decision. “What can I get you, Miss?” he addressed Ichigo.

“I’m going to start with a sunomono salad and then I’ll have the red salmon, please.”

“I’ll have the sashimi plate with white asparagus,” Pudding added next.

Tart stuttered a bit, “I’ll… I’ll have the oyster risotto.”

Kish looked up at the waiter, “I’m going to start with a cup of miso soup and then I’ll have the eggplant tarte.”

“Very good. I’ll get your order in right away.” He gave another soft bow and swiftly left.

Tart glanced at Kish, “A tarte, really?”

Kish grinned at him. Pouring a cup of sake for himself, he lifted his cup. “A tradition that both our cultures know. Here’s to new beginnings and new relationships. And,” he glanced at Ichigo, “here’s to my beautiful mate and fiancé. The woman who was not only what brought about this reunion, but who also made me the happiest man across two universes.”

Ichigo blushed deeply and joined her glass with the others with a soft ‘clink’.

“I second that!” Pudding cheered.

Ichigo raised her glass again, “And one more thing. Here’s to Tart. Happy seventeenth birthday, Brat!” Everyone clinked their glasses again happily as Tart looked on stunned.

“I completely forgot,” he mumbled.

“I figured you did with everything going on. But that’s what family’s for,” Kish winked. “You’ll receive my present when we get back home. And no, I won’t tell you. It’s a surprise,” he smirked at the pouting Tart. “However, Kitten has something for you.” Reaching under the table, Kish summoned the red bag from his pocket subspace. Keeping his hand under the table, he handed the gift off to Ichigo.

She smiled wide at Tart and pulled out the red bag with bright yellow tissue paper.

Tart greedily snatched up the gift and carefully moved the tissue paper aside. His eyes lit up when he read what the little packages were.

Ichigo began to explain, “There are all kinds of flower seeds, vegetable and fruit seeds. I figured you might be able to bring a little bit of Earth back with you. And, I may regret this, but I also included sugarcane and cacao seeds. On the memory disc are instructions on how to refine the sugarcane into sugar and the cocoa into chocolate. Along with a few candy recipes. There’s even a recipe for dark chocolate because I don’t know if you have access to milk. With your sweet tooth, this way you’ll have access to sugar. Just don’t go overboard.”

The smile on Tart’s face grew larger and larger as Ichigo explained. “This is incredible, Ichigo. It’s perfect! I can’t wait to start experimenting with the plants as soon as we get home. And to try making chocolate. You’re the best, Ichigo.”

Ichigo giggled, “Wow! Not a single Old Hag. You must really like it. And you’re very welcome, Tart.” He blushed deeply but his large smile never faded.

Pudding waited for Tart to repack his gift and subtly dismiss it to his pocket subspace for safe keeping. Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “Your present from me is in your room. I’ll give it to you tonight when it’s just the two of us.”

Tart’s imagination flew in all directions. But one thing was for sure, he blushed even harder. ‘Gods, I have been around Kish too much if I’m thinking of Pudding that way,’ he thought to himself.

Kish smirked at the young couple. ‘Damn lucky brat,’ he thought grumpily.

"And why’s that?" Ichigo asked, cutting into his thoughts.

"Because of what Pudding’s going to give Tart tonight," he answered.

"Huh? How do you know what it is?"

"From what she just told him, her conversation with you at the mall, and what she said to the Fishy earlier today. Not hard to figure out."

"I still don’t know what you’re talking about and why do you think he’s lucky?" she continued. Still very confused.

Kish just stared at Ichigo for a moment before cocking a brow. "Really?... Sex, Kitten. Sex. At his age, my love wouldn’t give me the time of day let alone that. I had to wait years for that experience. That’s why he’s lucky."

Ichigo’s lips formed an ‘oh’ shape as it all finally clicked into place. "I just hope they talk to each other like I told the both of them to do. Especially with Tart wanting to bond with Pudding," she finally answered as she eyed the couple.

"Don’t worry. Tart’s been in love with her almost as long as I’ve been in love with you. He’ll take care of her, and I know he’ll explain everything."

Ichigo hmphed, "Yeah, like you explained everything to me?"

"Hey! I explained everything about bonding. I just may have skipped a bit ahead when you accepted the bond. But you did accept it. And I sure as Abyss wasn’t going to let you slip through my fingers again. And I don’t remember a single no or you trying to stop me that night, Kitten. Besides, the Brat’s too shy and compassionate. He won’t be able to do anything until he’s talked to Pudding about literally everything."

Ichigo giggled, "Yeah, you’re right. He’s way more mature than you ever were at that age."

Kish smirked slyly, "How would you know? I left Earth when I was still sixteen."

A snicker entered Kish’s mind, "Because, he’s still more mature than you."

"Oh really?" he snarked.

"Yup. And I can prove it."

"Then be my guest," he shot right back.

Ichigo’s eyes locked with Kish’s as she slowly let his jacket slip off her shoulders and pool around her waist as she pulled her bare arms out of the sleeves.

Kish swallowed thickly and his eyes glowed with barely contained heat. "Gods dammit, Kitten! That’s not fair," he growled.

She grinned wickedly, "Let’s see just how long you can keep up the maturity act, shall we?"

Kish shot her a glare but couldn’t keep his eyes from drifting down her chest, particularly the center between the exposed inner curves of her breasts.

Ichigo teasingly leaned forwards and toyed with the straw in her tea. "My eyes are up here, love."

Kish tore his eyes from her chest and caught her warm chocolate ones that were swimming with mirth. "Conniving cat. And damn teasing kitten," he grumbled.

"Mm… You love it," she winked.

"I’d love it even more if I had that scrumptious body of yours pinned beneath me as you shuddered in pleasure," he shot back.

Already giving up on trying to stay mature?" she teased.

"Oh, I’ll show you just how mature I can be later tonight. You can count on it," he promised darkly.

A shiver traveled up Ichigo’s spine and Tart started sneezing. He shot Kish a glare, “I told you, I’d end up in a sneezing fit.”

A wicked laugh escaped Kish, “And I told you to get used to it. And it’s her fault this time.”

“Oh really?” Ichigo asked sweetly. She scooted closer to Kish and ghosted her hand up his thigh. “What’s my fault, love?” she asked with feigning innocence as she batted her eyes up at him.

Kish bit his lip and closed his eyes. Counting to ten, he then poured a full cup of sake and downed it in one gulp. Swallowing hard, he looked down at Ichigo and wrapped his fingers around her jaw, “You’re playing with fire, Kitty-cat. Keep it up and you’re going to be burning all night.” "As in burning with need for my touch, because two can play this game. And I have much, much more experience my naive little kitten," he added just for her. Suddenly, his left hand fell from her jaw and settled onto her thigh.

A heavy crimson blush settled over Ichigo’s chest and cheeks. She was already burning for him with just those words. That dark seductive promise causing something behind her navel to clench in need. The darker side of Kish was apparently coming out to play tonight. It both terrified and thrilled her. She’d only caught glimpses of this side of him. But tonight, she had apparently pushed him to the edge, and he was now pushing back.

Tart sneezed several more times and Ichigo pulled her eyes away from her seductive mate and looked at Tart apologetically. “I know it’s your birthday, but it’s also our night too. But still. I’m sorry, though it’s probably not going to get any better. Not with how I’m dressed and how he’s currently acting.”

Tart waved his hand towards Ichigo, “It’s fine. I had already suspected this would happen as soon as I saw you in that dress.”

While Ichigo spoke, Kish’s hand on her thigh had been stealthily working her dress up her leg. His fingers were moving so skillfully, so masterfully, that Ichigo hadn’t noticed a thing. At least not until she felt his cool hand on the warm bare flesh of her inner thigh. And his hand was still smoothly moving up. "You wouldn’t dare," she hissed.

"You sure about that?" he challenged.

Suddenly, she felt his fingertips ghost closer to her apex.

Teasingly, Kish brushed just the tips of his fingers up her seam through her panties. He groaned internally. "Lace?" he said licking his lips. "A seductive little minx tonight, aren’t we?" he purred as he drummed his fingers against her dampening underwear.

"Kish!" she hissed. A white hot burning need was starting to grow low in her abdomen. And he’d barely even touched her, was merely teasing her. It was like his hands held the switch to her libido. Like he could flip it on with a mere flick of his talented fingers.

‘It’s not fair!’ she thought desperately. That he could cause her body to so thoroughly need him that it nearly ached and with hardly any effort on his part. He just kept up that infuriating soft drumming against where she wanted to feel him most of all. And all the while, to her horror, she realized he was steadily holding a conversation with both Tart and Pudding. As if there wasn’t a damn thing going on under the table. As if he wasn’t currently turning her into a quivering mess of want and need. She didn’t know how it was possible, but she had clearly underestimated his wicked and sly nature.

"Yes, Kitten?" he drawled out, sounding almost bored with just a slight hint of teasing to his words. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. Could feel her heat through both his fingers and burning on her end of the bond. Knew her body was craving more of his touch. He stoked those flames a little higher, both preverbally and physically, his hand becoming just a fraction firmer. Pressing against her dampening panties just a touch harder. When he felt a throb of pleasure course through her system and her legs shift slightly further apart, he grinned wickedly to himself. Withdrawing his hand from her apex, he wrapped it around her leg, just above her knee. Deftly, he maneuvered her leg over his knee and tucked her foot behind his calf, pinning her leg in place. The movement had caused her dress to hitch even higher. Idly, he stroked along the smooth bare flesh of her inner thigh where it was partially draped over his lap. Thankfully, the long white table cloth kept everything hidden from view.

Ichigo gripped the table to hold back a whimper at the loss of his hand against where she needed it. "How? How can you do that? Act like you’re not currently driving me insane."

He chuckled low, just for her ears, and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her body was tense, and a light dusting of pink bloomed on her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell a touch quicker than normal. But these were all subtle changes that only he would pick up because he was so perfectly attuned to her. "Practice, my love. Practice."

"You mean you’ve done something like this with another girl?" she spilled before she could stop herself.

Something dark flashed in his eyes. "I thought you didn’t want details?"

Ichigo bit her lip as a twinge of jealousy shot through her. A part of her masochistically wanted to know exactly what he’d done with those girls in the past, but the saner part wanted nothing of the sort. Knew that, even if it was long before he met her, it would still undoubtedly hurt to think of him with someone else intimately. She took a deep breath. ‘Best to leave that alone, at least for now,’ she thought to herself. She wasn’t sure if she could handle those details with their relationship still so new. And she didn’t want to tarnish tonight with those kinds of thoughts either. Taking a long swallow of her iced tea, she worked to cool her racing blood. The gentle movement of his hand over her skin actually helped to calm her down, even if it kept that deep seated burning need for him in her abdomen alive.

As always, Kish was reading her like an open book, even with his focus split between her and the others. He had spent years training his mind precisely for this type of thing. That even while his mind wandered with thoughts of his precious Kitten, he could still stay focused on whatever task was at hand. A skill he had ultimately perfected, for his thoughts of her were never far from his mind, not even during those four excruciatingly long years without her.

Secretly, he was relieved she wasn’t going to ask for details. For he too didn’t want to spoil tonight, but, more importantly, he didn’t want to hurt her. He knew it would. She may be a strong and resilient woman, but that information would cause harm to her heart. He knew because he’d already been through it. He had had to watch as his chosen had run repeatedly into the arms of another man. See her kiss him and be held by him. And though it was nothing overly intimate, it had still ripped his insides to pieces. So, how could he do that to her?

He wouldn’t. If she honestly asked, he would, of course, tell her, but until then he wouldn’t spill a thing. He was committed to his promise of never hiding things from her, so even this he’d tell if she asked. But hopefully that was a long time off if ever.

His demeanor softened just a touch as he glanced down at his mate again. He knew he’d been borderline cruel to her. But damn. She was just too damn tempting in that delicious dress. And though he’d had his hands on every inch of her body since they’d mated, he hadn’t realized just how perfectly her curves had filled out over the years he was gone. But that seductive thing she called a dress made it agonizingly apparent as it hugged every soft curve of her body and accentuated her full breasts. It was only fair that she felt even a taste of the delicious torture he was currently suffering. Right?

Ichigo was about to attempt rejoining the conversation at the table, when the waiter appeared with her salad and Kish’s soup. She eagerly tucked in to the delicate cold crab, shrimp, and cucumber salad. “Mm… So good,” she praised around her fork. Kish chuckled at her while he sipped his soup. “Pudding! You’ve got to try this. This crab is divine,” Ichigo said, nudging her plate towards Pudding.

Pudding giggled and swiped a small bite. “You’re right, that’s amazing,” she beamed at Ichigo.

Nonchalantly, Kish picked up his fork and quickly snatched one of her shrimps. “Definitely better than your store food. Tastes much more fresh, more natural.”

“That’s because it is fresh. Nothing here is frozen. It’s all fresh and completely organic. Meaning no preservatives or chemicals. It’s natural,” she explained.

“All food should be natural,” he added sharply.

“While I agree to an extent, it’s just not plausible with Earth’s huge population. Some foods need to be preserved to make it to the masses.”

Kish cocked his head in thought as he slid through her mind, garnering as much information as she had on the subject. “I can see your point. I never realized just how many humans there really were. No wonder Earth has so many problems.”

Ichigo looked at him incredulously, “You only just now realized how large Earth’s population is? And you were planning to wipe us out with only three of you?” She’d lowered her voice so only those at the table could hear the conversation.

He rolled his eyes, “It wasn’t like we were planning to hunt you each down. We were simply going to wipe the surface with massive decimation then basically terraform it with Tart’s abilities.”

Ichigo stared at him hard for a moment before looking over at Tart. “But I thought using your abilities for too long or too much was incredibly draining? How were you, a kid, going to change the whole planet?”

Tart grinned, “I may have been a kid, but my plant abilities were and still are second to none. It would have taken at least a couple of months for our people to arrive. And I only needed to stimulate the plant growth, not fully control it. I would have let the plants run wild, growing as they saw fit.”

“You had that kind of power back then?” Pudding asked in shock.

Tart’s grin grew larger, “Yup. Technically, if you compared the three of our abilities, I’m actually the strongest. However, mine’s much harder to control, it’s wild. It’s raw power. Because of that, those two never let me really cut loose. Kish because I wasn’t allowed to hurt his precious cat. And Pai because he didn’t want me sapping all my strength if I lost control or giving you Mews more ground cover from us in the air. You saw a small taste of my true power when I grew those trees around that building to save you, Pudding. Though that did take a lot out of me because I was controlling all of them to grow where I wanted.”

“That was one of the best days of Pudding’s life!” she said happily.

“But you almost died!” Tart snapped.

“But if I had, it would have been with you. But then you saved me, and you finally showed that you cared. That you weren’t evil like you pretended. Just like I always knew you were. And though you had always been my friend, I finally became your friend.” Pudding smiled wide and leaned over to peck his cheek. “Thanks for saving my life.”

Ichigo giggled, “I’m noticing a pattern here. You boys were sent here to kill us and yet you both saved our lives numerous times.”

Kish smirked down at her, “That’s because there was no way we could resist those adorable and short costumes you girls used to wear. Not to mention you five weren’t what we expected of humans at all. You were unselfish, caring, and always seemed so happy. And even while fighting, there were times you girls even showed us your compassion. Though we were enemies trying to kill you. Pudding with her friendship towards Tart. Fishy by trying to reason with us and find a peaceful solution. And you… You stood in front of the Blue Knight and protected me. Even when I told you to let me die because it would have been easier for me. But you didn’t budge. You saved my life that night. Even after I had been selfishly cruel to you. So, no. You girls were nothing like what we had expected.”

Both Pudding and Ichigo blushed deeply at Kish’s high praises.

“He’s right. You girls were a shock to us. Even Pai couldn’t figure you out. You should have hated us. But Pudding wouldn’t stop trying to hug me every chance she got and then this idiot fell hopelessly in love with one of you. Nope, nothing went as it should have, but it all went perfectly,” Tart added, glancing between the girls and flicking his thumb at Kish.

“Again, not my fault. I even tried to kill her. But I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it, even after convincing myself that I had to for both the mission and my sanity. Then, when I recognized her as my mate, well, it was truly over for me. I belonged to her,” Kish defended causing Ichigo to smile warmly at him.

"You can be so sweet when you want to be," she whispered.

"It was just the truth, Kitten. And don’t think I’ve forgotten our little game," he warned. His hand shifted an inch higher up her thigh, but his fingers just continued to trace random patterns along her warm skin. In fact, he hadn’t stopped since his hand had settled on her leg.

Ichigo took a gulp of tea to hide that little bolt of electricity that had suddenly shot through her at both his reminder and the shift of his hand. Gods he could play her like a fiddle. But, then again, so could she. She had started this little game after all. With her teasing and flirting. Had had him so thoroughly distracted that he couldn’t keep his hands and eyes off her. Until she’d pushed him too far and his mood had snapped. Now he was calm, cool, and in control. She thought maybe she was getting another glimpse at his Commander’s persona, but a snicker from him said she was probably wrong about that.

"Close, mate. But I tend to be much colder when I don that mantle. And what I feel right now is anything but cold. It’s down right scorching. Oh, no, mate. This is just a taste of how I used to be. I told you I was distant and cruel. That I took what I wanted. Only difference is, is that I actually care about you. And what I feel from you is what drives me. Before, I wouldn’t have cared what they felt. Only what I was getting. Oh, I never failed to satisfy, but I simply didn’t care. And definitely not like I do about you."

Though his words were calm and collected, Ichigo still had to bite her lip at the husky seductive tone they carried. As she took another sip of tea to try and temper that soft burn low in her belly, the waiter arrived with their dinner. He carefully placed each of their plates before them as well as quickly refilling their water glasses and her tea. Before he left, he gathered her and Kish’s empty dishes.

“Oh wow. This almost looks too beautiful to eat,” Pudding whispered in awe. Even Tart had to agree. Each of their plates were masterfully arranged to enhance the simple beauty of the fresh food. Without another word, the four dug in. And though it slowed a bit while he ate, Kish’s hand still didn’t quit stroking Ichigo’s thigh.

“This has to be the best fish I’ve ever tasted,” Ichigo praised suddenly.

“Aww. Even better than mine, Kitten?” Kish teased her.

“Yours was good, but we didn’t exactly have seasoning on the island. Sorry love, but yes. This one’s much better.”

Kish shrugged, “Got me more than a kiss, anyways.” He gave her a sly wink before tucking back into his meal.

Pudding glanced up at Ichigo, “Island?”

At the same time Tart looked at Kish, “Wait, you cooked for her?”

The older couple looked at each other and shared a secret smile. “It’s a special secret spot just between us,” Ichigo answered before finally looking from Kish’s molten eyes to Pudding.

“Aww! How romantic,” Pudding swooned.

Kish looked over at Tart, “And yes, I cooked for her, not like I don’t know how.”

“Since when?” snapped Tart. “You can only make five things and fish isn’t one of them.”

Kish only grinned slyly. His golden eyes twinkling in the dim lighting.

Tart narrowed his eyes, “You bastard! You only made me think you couldn’t cook so I’d take care of it.”

Kish chuckled, “Ding, ding. Though you are a better cook then I.”

Tart grumbled, “Well, you better pitch in at least sometimes when we go home. There will be four of us now at least for a while.”

Pudding bounced in her seat, “Oh! I can help. I’m a really good cook.”

“Pudding, you’ll be our guest, you shouldn’t have to cook,” Tart said softly to Pudding.

“But I want to. It will be like we’re actually a couple living together.”

Tart rolled his eyes, “Pudding. We are a couple and will be living together. We told you, it will be at least a couple of months before we can bring you back.”

“That actually reminds me of something. A few things, actually,” Ichigo said, speaking up. “First, if you need to have seen a place to teleport to it, how did Tart follow you here and at the mall? And how come, if he was following you, he didn’t arrive in the exact same spot as you?” she asked looking at Kish.

Tart actually answered, “Because if you follow someone quick enough into a portal you can trace their path. Though it’s easier with people you know well because you can recognize their unique signatures. As for appearing near where he did, that’s a little harder to explain.”

Kish took over the explanation, “Just before we exit a portal, we get a split second glimpse of a small radius of where we’ll appear. It keeps us from teleporting into something. Like, I’ll use your room for example. I’ve been there many times and can easily teleport to it. But, let’s say, you decide to move your furniture around. Where I would usually appear at now has your desk. But that flash of the area would allow me to adjust my portal so I wouldn’t appear in your desk. Tart did the same thing so he wouldn’t appear on top of us.”

“Oh! I didn’t know you could change your path while in the middle of a teleport,” Ichigo said in surprise.

Kish chuckled, “You should have, because you’ve made me do it before.”

She looked at him in confusion.

His chuckle only intensified, “When I was trying to get to the wolf before you. I was slipping into a portal when you grabbed me. We slid through but didn’t make it to my original destination because you broke my focus. Although, how we ended up will always be a favorite memory of mine.”

She blushed as the memory surfaced. Of how she had ended up straddling him with his arms pinned beside his head. He had looked so shocked at first then that infuriating smirk had appeared when he asked her if she wanted another kiss.

Kish watched on through Ichigo as she replayed that scene. "Yup. Will always be one of my favorite memories. Even if I do prefer you beneath me. Pretty sure I had to take a cold shower that night. Couldn’t stop thinking about those soft hips pressed to mine," he teased seductively.

Ichigo shook her head, "You haven’t changed at all."

"And yet you love that. That I’m still who I always was. Perverseness and all," he pointed out.

"Possibly," she grinned.

"You can’t deny it, Kitten. I see your heart and your mind. I know just how much you love me. And I love you just as much. More even."

She couldn’t stop the smile that tilted the corners of her mouth.

“What were the other things, Old Hag?” Tart asked, interrupting the lovers.

“Oh. Umm… I was wondering how Pudding and I were going to fit in. I mean like, do you all fly everywhere? And are Pudding and I going to have to rely on you boys for everything, even traveling? I’ve got this mental image of buildings with no stairs or elevators. Just entrances on each floor because you can fly.”

Tart busted out in laughter and seeing this, Kish tried to explain over his own amused chuckle. “No, Kitten. We don’t have any buildings as tall as yours. Our tallest is only four stories. And we may not have elevators, but we do have stairs. Not all of our kind can fly. And most not well or for long.”

“But you three do it all the time,” she quickly added.

Kish shared a look with Tart, “Well, we were three of the best warriors and best ability users our planet had to offer. So, of course, our powers are much stronger than our average citizen. But this also ties into what I said earlier about our family name.”

“How so?” Pudding interjected.

“The Ikisatashi bloodline has always produced exceptionally strong individuals. Whether fighting prowess, powerful abilities, or exceptional minds. It’s why our name carries weight. The Ikisatashi name is well known across all the clans. Most of our family hold positions of power. And though I’m their cousin, you’ll hear most refer to us as the Ikisatashi Brothers because we grew up together. And because even before we became heroes, we were a touch notorious in our own ways.”

“I can easily see you and Tart being handfuls, but I can’t imagine Pai being anything less than a perfect child and student,” Ichigo said around a mouthful of fish.

Tart snickered loudly, “He was the worst one out of the three of us!”

“Pai!? There’s just no way,” Ichigo exclaimed.

An undignified snort came from Tart, “Kish and I may have driven our instructors and elders nuts with our antics, but Pai made them question their jobs and their sanity. Teachers didn’t know what to do with him. He could flawlessly recreate any move, technique, or piece of information our instructors showed him. Usually before they even explained it to him. He would grow angry and impatient because he excelled so quickly they didn’t have new things to continue to teach him.”

“Yeah, it was Abyss following after him at the Academy, even though I was a prodigy. When they realized I wasn’t like Pai, they acted like I was some kind of disappointment. I was better at him in both Chimera creation and manipulation. And he may have more technique when it comes to fighting but I can easily beat him every time. And everyone knows that. He has no creativity or improvisational skills which are essential in battle. Plus, he only joined six months before I did when he turned ten. I was two and a half years younger, better then him in so many areas, and yet I was still treated with disappointment because of him.”

“Wow… Touchy subject, hmm, love?” Ichigo teased.

Kish looked up sheepishly, “Maybe. It just got frustrating being compared to him all the time.” He grumbled as he shoved a bite of his dinner in his mouth.

“Well, you didn’t have to follow the two of you. Both prodigies in multiple things while I only had my raw power over plants and was empathic. The Academy wasn’t a walk in the park following you two,” Tart added with annoyance.

“I bet the instructors had no idea what to do with you after me and Pai. Pai with his cold stoic logic that followed every rule to the letter. Then me, who broke and rewrote half the rules,” Kish smirked.

Tart grinned wide, “Not a clue.” He laughed, “But we sure gave them Abyss, though didn’t we?” Tart said holding his hand out flat towards Kish.

“We sure did,” Kish laughed as well, slapping his hand down on Tart’s before they drew back and fist bumped.

Both Pudding and Ichigo smiled warmly at the display of affection between the two brothers.

Dinner continued on with small random conversations ranging from some crazy stories of the cousins in the Academy, to what some of their duties now entailed. Tart discovered he was not a fan of raw fish when he stole a piece of Pudding’s sashimi. And Ichigo had found it odd that Kish had once again gone vegetarian.

"Not odd at all, Kitten. I just prefer to only eat meat if I’ve caught it. Meat was scarce back home and a privilege. I got used to hunting for it on my own, illegally I might add. My aunt and uncle highly disapproved, but they stayed quiet. I’d kept Tart and I from starving several times."

"I still can’t believe how hard things were for you all back then," Ichigo responded sadly.

He gave her thigh a squeeze, "Things are much better now. And you heard Tart and I, we have plenty of good memories too."

"Well, I can’t wait to make new memories on your planet with you and your cousins," she sighed dreamily.

"Neither can I, Kitten. Neither can I."

The waiter stopped by soon after to check on them and clear away any empty plates. “Here’s a dessert menu if you’re interested. I’ll return shortly to see if you’ve made a decision.”

Pudding squealed in glee and snatched up the menu. “Let’s split something Taru-Taru!”

“Sure thing, Pudding.”

“Ooh! The chocolate raspberry torte sounds amazing. Can we get that?”

Tart smiled at her and waved his hand, “Of course, Pudding. That sounds great.”

Having made their choice, Pudding handed the menu to Ichigo. Taking it, she cuddled against Kish’s side and held the menu between them on the table.

Kish snickered as he read the menu, “I bet I already know which one you want.”

Ichigo lowered her eyes behind her bangs, “I’m not that predictable.”

‘Gods, she’s adorable when she pouts,’ Kish thought. “Tell me you don’t want the white chocolate strawberry crème brulee and I might believe you.”

Ichigo huffed and sheepishly pushed the menu away.

“I knew it,” Kish chuckled.

She went to kick him, but momentarily forgot her leg was wrapped around his. So, instead, she only managed to jostle her leg, which caused his hand to slip an inch or two higher, putting his fingers dangerously close to her most intimate place.

"Hmn… Getting impatient for my touch, Kitten?" he said in a smooth, warm tone.

"N…No," she squeaked, not sounding at all sure of herself.

He let a single digit brush against the edge of her panties, "One dessert at a time. Hmn?"

Ichigo shivered, that slow burning knot in her belly growing.

Any more movement from Kish’s hand was halted by the return of the waiter. “Any questions? Or have you made your decision?”

Kish glanced at Ichigo knowingly, “We’re going to have the white chocolate strawberry crème brulee. I’ll also take another half bottle of sake and she’ll have a vanilla cappuccino.”

Pudding ordered for her and Tart and got a mocha latte for the two of them to split as well.

When the waiter left, Ichigo looked at Kish, “How in the hell did you know I wanted a cappuccino?”

Kish’s eyes sparked slyly, and he tapped the corner of his eye, “I saw your eyes light up when you saw the coffees listed on the side of the menu. And that was your favorite drink back then.”

“You know, it’s sometimes scary just how well you know me.”

He laughed, “I better. Not only have I spent almost five years hopelessly devoted to you, but I basically live in that intriguing mind of yours.” "Now, where was I? Ah, yes…," he trailed off as he slipped the tip of his finger just under her panty’s edge.

She sucked in a breath. "I thought you said one dessert at a time?" she groaned.

"I never said what order," he quipped back. Suddenly, his fingers gripped the thin strip of lace and pulled up.

The sudden friction of the rough lace against her throbbing bud caused Ichigo to gasp. She quickly covered it up with a fake cough.

“You alright?” Pudding asked.

Ichigo blushed and waved her hand, “F…Fine. Just swallowed wrong.” Her hand fastened around the bicep of the hand that was currently between her legs and dug her nails in. "Kish!"

Golden eyes blazed with heat as he looked down at his flustered mate, "Hmn? You need something, Kitten?" He drawled in a smooth, sultry voice. Before she could respond, Kish gave her underwear another harsh tug.

She squeezed his arm tighter when another electric jolt shot straight to her core. "S…Stop," she pleaded.

He let his fingers brush down the front of the taut lace before settling his hand back along her thigh. "As you wish, I-chi-go."

"God, you make my head spin with your quick change moods," she grumbled.

He smirked at her internally, "That’s kind of the point, love. Keeps everyone guessing. Even you, who’s constantly in my head. Gotta keep you on your toes."

“Finally,” Pudding sighed happily as the waiter appeared with their desserts and after dinner drinks.

Ichigo took a long sip of her cappuccino, letting the warm liquid soothe her frazzled nerves.

Kish’s eyes gleamed wicked when he spotted the two dollops of whipped cream on either side of their plate. And an even more wicked idea crossed his mind. Without warning, Kish’s hand shot up her thigh and he slipped a finger inside her panties and into her damp folds. He swiftly ran it up from her entrance and circled her pulsing bud once before flicking across it. Then, just as suddenly, he pulled his hand completely away. Slowly, he trailed his finger through a dollop of whipped cream and slid it into his mouth.

Ichigo nearly spit out her coffee when she felt his finger. But she did blush darker than her hair when she realized the finger he was currently licking cream off of was the one he had just had between her legs.

"Absolutely divine. Just a quick taste for what’s to come for both of us," he moaned in bliss.

Ichigo’s core was ignited to a raging inferno at his teasing action. She couldn’t understand how that one simple act of his could cause her body to clench desperately in need or to quicken her pulse like she had just run a marathon. Ichigo squirmed in her seat. The heat in her abdomen almost unbearable. ‘Damn him,’ she thought. She needed his touch more than ever and he chose now to completely remove his hand.

Kish kept a simple smile on his face while he enjoyed the cool custard. But, inside, he was smirking like the cat that ate the canary. He was highly enjoying driving his mate insane. She was so close to begging him for his touch. For him to soothe that burning ache between her legs. But he didn’t come to her aid. At least not yet. He simply watched her squirm out the corner of his eye as she tried to cause some friction against her tender bud.

Ichigo huffed and finally gave up. Choosing to live with the burning ache while she tried to focus on her dessert. He certainly didn’t seem to be offering any help. Finishing her half of the custard, Ichigo eyed the plump fresh strawberry garnish. She snatched it up and took a bite. Shifting it to the side of her mouth, she tugged on Kish’s arm to get his attention.

He glanced at her. Of course, he’d seen her swipe the strawberry. And with the way she was looking at him with those big doe eyes, he figured she wanted to give him a kiss as an apology. Who was he to deny her? Eh, who was he kidding, he could never say no when she looked at him like that. He leaned down slowly, and she wrapped an arm around the back of his neck. He was certainly surprised when his lips met hers.

She waited for him to seek entrance between her lips. When he did, she shifted the bite of strawberry until she held it between her teeth.

He quickly understood and bit his half off. Their kiss not breaking once. As soon as his tongue had pulled his bite into his mouth, he nipped her bottom lip before slowly drawing away. His eyes slowly slid open, and they locked with hers. They both slowly chewed their bite and swallowed. He noticed a small trickle of strawberry juice at the corner of her mouth. He leaned down and quickly swiped his tongue over it. “Delicious,” he murmured, his glowing eyes still locked with hers.

“Wow!” Pudding exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

Kish and Ichigo came back from their little world and looked over at Pudding and Tart, who were both staring at them. They both felt the rise of heat on their cheeks as they realized they had had an audience.

“You guys… That was just wow!” Pudding sighed again. “So hot and steamy.”

Tart whistled, “Damn cousin. There are going to be a lot of jealous females when we get home if they ever see you kiss her like that.”

Kish snaked his arm around Ichigo’s shoulders and drew her closer to his side. His finger drawing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder while he spoke. “They’ll just have to get over me. Because they’re bound to see me kiss her many times if I have my way. Besides, she’s the only girl for me. Always has been.”

“I’m sure Raika will have something to say about that,” Tart pointed out, grinning.

Kish groaned and ran a hand over his face, “You just had to mention her of all people. Didn’t you, Brat?”

“And who’s Raika?” Ichigo asked flatly.

Kish shot Tart a cold stare. “See!”

Tart snickered but decided to cut his cousin some slack. “Raika is a girl Kish dated before he met you. I’ll let him explain the sordid details, but she basically acts like she owns Kish.”

“Even though I ended things with her months before I left for Earth,” Kish cut in.

“Yeah, but she was convinced you’d make her your mate when you returned. Said you only called it off because you didn’t know how long you would be gone and didn’t want her to suffer alone.”

Kish ran his hand over his hair in frustration, “I know. I’ve heard. I’ve tried setting her straight, but she just won’t listen. She keeps telling everyone, especially any girls I work with, that I’m just so busy with work, the council, and rebuilding our way of life that I’ve put relationships on hold. That when I’m free, she’ll be ready to be my mate. Bleh, as if. Even if I wasn’t mated to Ichigo. I’d have nothing to do with that crazy bitch.”

At first, Ichigo had felt the sting of jealousy. But it had quickly morphed into anger. Kish was her mate. How dare another female try to lay claim to what was hers. But she was suddenly taken aback by Kish’s harsh words. She’d never heard him speak so derogatorily about someone before, except maybe Masaya, but certainly not a female. “Wow! What did she do to make you dislike her so much?” Ichigo asked.

Kish sighed, “Dammit Tart. Remind me to kick your ass later for bringing that bitch up in front of Ichigo.”

“We don’t have to talk about it now,” Ichigo offered.

Kish shook his head, “Yes. We do. I know you, Kitten. If we put it off you’ll be thinking about her nonstop. Coming up with ridiculous conclusions about she and I. You’ll drive yourself sick with worry when it’s nothing. But it is a long and frustrating story.”

Ichigo blinked. He was right. In fact, her mind was already conjuring up images of Kish and some exotic alien beauty that was making her stomach turn sour.

Kish’s eyes filled with concern as he looked at his mate, but there were flecks of anger sparking in them as well. “Stop it, mate. Stop that right now,” he commanded.

“Then tell me everything already,” she pleaded. Tears were starting to gather in the corners of her eyes. She really was making herself sick from the images her mind was manifesting.

Kish’s arm tightened around Ichigo’s shoulders, and she buried her face against his side. With his free hand, he downed the rest of his sake. Turning cold angry eyes to Tart, he glared at his cousin.

Tart quickly defended himself, “I’m sorry I brought her up, but she does need to know about her before we go home.”

“But you didn’t have to bring her up tonight!” Kish snapped.

“I didn’t think, okay?! And I especially didn’t think she’d get this upset over something that happened before you two even met!”

“That’s the problem, Tart, you never think! She may have been before I met Ichigo, but she’s also been in my life since I returned. While Ichigo wasn’t. Get it? And while I knew I was bonded to Ichigo, I couldn’t tell anyone else that. Now my mate is making herself sick with worry over images that are further from the truth. Not to mention, with what was said, she’s freaking out that Raika may have tried to bond with me, leaving it frozen. But if that’s the case, mate,” he said looking down at Ichigo, “then as soon as we became mates, Raika’s bond would have broken. She’s also worked herself up into a tangle of jealousy and rage. Ichigo is my mate. The mate bond is driving her to protect me just like it drives me to protect her. And now she sees Raika as a threat thanks to us.”

Quickly, Kish picked up his jacket and draped it over Ichigo’s shoulders. “We’ll be right back. I need to calm her down and explain things in private.” Gently he unhooked her leg from his and reached under the table to smooth her dress down. Taking her arm, he coaxed her out of the booth. “Shh. Come on, mate. Let’s get some fresh air and I’ll tell you everything.” Kish wrapped his arm securely around her waist and quickly led her out of the restaurant. As soon as they reached the deserted alley, Kish teleported them to the roof.

They appeared hidden between a large metal housing of some sort and the back wall of the rooftop access door. Kish pulled Ichigo’s dress up to the tops of her thighs. Quickly, he picked her up and pressed her back against the cool brick wall. He smiled when her legs automatically circled his waist. “You know, I had originally planned on sneaking you up here to satisfy your hunger for my touch,” he offered seductively. His smile grew when he saw the slight upturn at the corners of her lips and heard the softly muttered, “Pervert,” against his shoulder.

Keeping one hand under her for support, he used his other to tuck a knuckle under her chin, tilting her eyes up to his. His heart lurched when he saw they were still full of tears. “Enough, mate. That’s enough of this. Raika never meant anything to me then and she sure as Abyss doesn’t now. I wouldn’t even call what she and I had a relationship. We made out a handful of times. Every time I tried to do anymore, she’d stop me. She knew my reputation and knew if we did anything, I’d drop her like a rock. I never even liked her. She was hot. That’s it. I stupidly agreed to be her boyfriend because I thought I could get her to do more than just kiss me. I told you, before you, I didn’t care about any girl or how they felt. I only cared about what I wanted. And when she denied my advances again, saying she only would if we bonded, I dropped her. But because of my own rules, she was allowed to stick around. We never did anything below the waist. So, because of that, I still stupidly flirted with her and even kissed her now and then.”

“She manipulated me from the start. Though I’m loathed to admit that. It’s usually me that does the manipulating. She knew my reputation from the beginning and used that to her advantage, so I’d become her boyfriend, expecting to get more. She managed to tell just about everyone that we were together. Even got my aunt all worked up and excited. I had just turned fourteen so, by my culture, I was old enough to take a mate or marry. With Pai being so cold, Aunt Lylah had hinged her hopes of grandchildren on me as basically being the next in line. Especially with as sought after as I was. When Raika told my aunt about us, she made it sound like I wanted to bond with her. But I swear, Kitten, that was further from the truth. Raika caused a huge rift between me and my aunt almost up until I left. It took Tart and Pai to convince her that Raika was a delusional twit.”

Pausing, Kish nuzzled his nose into the curve of Ichigo’s neck. Seeking the comforting scent of his mate. What he had to say next, he really didn’t want to talk about, but his mate deserved to know everything. Taking another deep breath of her scent, he continued.

“The year I left Earth, I was a wreck. I was heartbroken from having to leave you and the thought of never seeing you again devastated me. I cut everyone out of my life, only tolerating Tart and Tek. Tart because he knew about my love for you and Tek because he helped get my mind off you. I threw myself into my work and with the council. I trained until I bled and broke bones. And, Tart started to mention this earlier, but I drank myself to sleep almost every night. It was the only way I could get any rest and a moment’s peace from thoughts of you. I didn’t care about anyone or anything outside the tiny world I kept myself locked in. That would bite me in the ass later.”

Ichigo’s heart was breaking for her mate. She knew he’d suffered when he went home without her, but not this bad. Fresh tears started to track down her cheeks as she twisted her hands in his shirt. “I’m sorry, Kish. So sorry. You don’t have to keep explaining.”

“Shh. Mate. It’s fine,” he interrupted her. “I was planning on telling you all this soon anyways. Just wasn’t supposed to be tonight. I wanted tonight to be special and fun. Maybe a little dirty here and there. But over all I just wanted us to enjoy ourselves. Your world has been rocked enough lately. I wanted to forget about everything for a while. I wanted this to be the first of many dates we’ll share.”

Holding her tightly, Kish floated up and turned them around. He sat on the edge of the wall they had been standing against. His legs dangled freely, and he nestled Ichigo securely in his lap. “If it hadn’t of been for Tart that first year, I would probably have ended up dead. Between pushing myself too hard in training, the drunken stupors, barely eating, and working myself to death. Tart kept an eye on me through it all. And finally convinced me to stop drinking. At least not so heavily or often. And he did it by using you. Told me drinking away your memories was an insult to who you were. Also said it was no way to heal and try to move on. Granted, he didn’t know I’d bonded with you so I couldn’t really move on. But when he said I was insulting your memory, that hit me hard. The last thing I wanted was to insult the woman I was in love with. My mate. And the other way was… Well, it was Raika.”

“I had come home absolutely wasted and Raika had followed me from the tavern. She was scantily dressed and overly flirtatious. She’d cornered me at my door and threw herself against me. And yes, I’ll admit, I kissed her. I was nearly pass out drunk and I desperately wanted a distraction from you. If Tart hadn’t of been home, I don’t even want to think about it. But I probably would have taken her upstairs and fucked her. But, thank the All Bright, Tart was home. He swung the door open and yanked me inside. Told Raika to get her skanky ass home and to leave me alone. When he shut the door he yelled at me. Me! Said he was glad I was trying to move on but that she was the absolute wrong one to do that with. Hearing your name, I sobered up really fucking fast. Especially as the realization hit of what I’d almost done sank in. Even if you weren’t mine. Even if you’d have never been mine, the thought of almost being unfaithful ripped my heart to pieces. It was a year before I touched another drop of alcohol after that.”

She wanted to be mad at him, she really did. But she found she just couldn’t. He’d been drunk and in so much pain he hadn’t really realized what he was doing. Not to mention, he was convinced he’d never see her again. And she had been with someone else at that time. She had no right to be angry or upset with him. And the thought of her was what had driven him to sobriety. So, he wouldn’t tarnish her memory or risk being unfaithful to her. Even if she hadn’t been faithful to him. That thought made her pause. He’d sworn off women because of his love for her even though she had been in the arms of another man. And though she and Kish hadn’t been a couple, hadn’t been anything but enemies and then allies really, she felt disappointed in herself. Almost disgusted.

Kish cupped her cheek, “Don’t, mate. I see you. You have no reason to feel that way. You were in love. And I made my own choices. You didn’t know about being my chosen. Abyss, you didn’t even know the full extent of my feelings. So, don’t. I don’t hold any ill feelings to you for anything. I know better than most that you can’t help who you love. And even if I had never seen you again, I never would have replaced or forgotten you. As I’ve said before, you were and are it for me. I could never love another. Now, last part of this story and we can get back to the others and enjoy our date because I still have another trick up my sleeve.” He gave her a wink and she gave him a watery smile in return.

“The final straw with Raika happened halfway through my second year home. Tart had finally dragged me out of my shell. I was starting to finally get back to my old self. I was letting people back into my life and starting to care again. I was spending more time with my friend Tek like I did before I left. Well, Tek has a little sister a couple of years younger than me. She’s a cutie and an absolute sweetheart. She has long black hair that she always kept in pigtails and tied in two bright red ribbons. That alone was enough to remind me of you. But she has a fiery temper as well. I loved it when she’d tag along with Tek and I because, for a moment, it felt like you were around. She reminded me so much of you. She and I became close enough that she admitted to having a crush on me. But because we were close, I trusted her with my secret. Told her all about you and how I was completely in love with you so there wasn’t anymore room in my heart for another girl. And what did she do? She smiled and hugged me. Told me I’d find my way back to you again. Told me not to give up hope because my silly cat would realize her mistake and come looking for me. I never thought her words would come true.” He gave Ichigo a large smile.

“During all this, Raika was unfortunately still around. The girl had a knack for showing up everywhere she wasn’t wanted. At balls and banquets she’d slip her arm through mine just as pictures were being taken. She’d stand on the visitor’s balcony at the Military Compound to cheer me on when I’d spar with up and comers looking to beat me. And of course, being a revered hero, stories about us were published everywhere, so her damn picture made it in all the time. Titles like ‘Has the Hero Kish Finally Found a Mate’ or ‘Is One of the Ikisatashi Brothers Really Going to Settle Down,’ etc. It was sickening to me. Especially since it seemed to give credence to some of her lies that we were just waiting until I wasn’t so busy. Most of the time I just ignored her and the gossip. My friends and family knew the truth and I had no interest in any female she scared off anyways. But when her jealousy came into play, I had had enough.”

“Females were only just starting to join the military. Before, they had been pressured to keep the race alive by reproducing or being healers. But with our planet thriving, women and girls were free to branch out. I’d been spending time training and encouraging a group of young girls. Telling them stories of you Mews to boost their confidence at being a female warrior. But Raika got jealous of them. After class, she approached them, telling them it was dumb for girls to train or fight. That they were pathetic examples of being female. Not worth being trained by someone as great as me and that they’d never measure up. She’d shattered all my hard work and destroyed those girls dreams in the blink of an eye. I was livid. I struck her in a rage and banned her from being able to come anywhere near the Academy or Military Compound. And as the Commander General, my word was as good as law on those grounds. Unfortunately, she turned her jealousy on a new target.”

He sighed, “She’d seen my closeness with Tikka, Tek’s sister. Even heard me compliment her pigtails. She started to harass Tikka whenever she got the chance. Now I told you, Tikka has a temper and knew about my love for you. So, she didn’t back down or believe any of the lies Raika said about me and her. Tikka had my back one hundred percent, just like her brother. Raika cornered her one day and goaded her. Raika timed it perfectly so that just as the Academy let out, it looked as though Tikka had attacked poor Raika unprovoked. She spun the story that Tikka was in love with me and lashed out in jealousy at the girl I cared for. Tikka barely spoke to me for a month after. Even though no one had technically found out about her actual crush on me. She felt like the world had found out and were mocking her for it. I threatened Raika with imprisonment on the grounds of harassment of a military official’s family. Tek was my second in command, so the grounds rang true. Raika backed off, or so I thought.”

Kish rested his forehead on Ichigo’s shoulder, “At the next ball, which happened to be mostly for high ranking military officials, I set a trap for Raika. When I knew she was nearby, I started to bad mouth her. Called her a slut, a liar, and a disgrace. Revealed that she’d been the one harassing Tikka. Since it was a military affair, everyone knew Tek and his little sister. The officials of course took mine and Tikka’s side. How dumb people could be for mistaking Tikka’s sisterly love for me for a crush or how a jealous wench could harm such a vibrant young girl. Etc. All the while, Raika listened in. I hoped by publicly humiliating her she’d get the hint. But Raika’s bullying of Tikka only intensified. And though Tikka is still a friend, she barely speaks to me anymore. Preferring to keep her distance so that Raika will leave her alone. And after I humiliated her, Raika keeps her distance from me, but still harasses any girl that gets close to me. Has made training new girls and women Abyss. But I swear, Kitten. If she ever harms you in anyway, I won’t hesitate to kill her. You’re my mate. The mate of the Commander General. If she were to harm you, it can be classified as treason. No one would even question my choice to execute her.”

A low growl slipped from Ichigo’s lips as her tail and ears popped out. The tears in her eyes had evaporated from the dancing flames of her anger. She was livid. That someone could be so cruel to harm an innocent young girl just because they were jealous. Sure, Kish had attacked the Blue Knight in jealousy, but Masaya could fight back. And it had been a fair fight. And this woman had the gall to mess with her mate’s life. Absolutely not! “She comes anywhere near me or my mate, you won’t have to kill her, I will. Hell, if she comes near me or my mate’s family, I’ll kill her. What she’s done is unforgiveable.”

Kish blinked. In the next second he had Ichigo pinned to the brick wall, her legs back around his waist, one hand supporting her, the other buried in her hair tilting her head to the side so her neck was exposed, and his fangs scraping down the sensitive skin of her neck. “Fuck, Ichigo. First you look like that, and now you’re getting protective and possessive over me? Are you trying to drive me insane?” he growled low against her throat.

Ichigo’s burning rage started to quickly shift to another burn as her mate clung to her desperately. His fangs sent shivers through her body. All the pent up sexual frustration from earlier came crashing down around her. She also desperately needed a release from the emotional overload from Kish’s story. And her own possessiveness wasn’t helping. Her legs trembled as that burning coil in her abdomen begged for attention. “Kish…,” she moaned. “Please… I..I need you,” she whimpered.

There was no way Kish could even attempt to deny his mate. Not right now. And sure as Abyss not with what she was begging for. With a snap of his fingers, Kish’s pants fell to his ankles. Freeing his hand from her hair, he slipped it between them and expertly moved her panties to the side. Without hesitation, Kish slammed himself into her fully.

Ichigo arched her back sharply at his sudden intrusion. A deep moan fell from her lips. One hand came up to tangle in his hair and the other held tightly to his shoulder. A gasp left her throat when he pulled nearly all the way out then slammed back in. “Oh God!” When he did it again, her tail curled around his thigh. “Don’t stop. Gods don’t stop. That feels so fucking good,” she panted, her breaths becoming ragged.

“Fuck, Ichigo. You feel fucking amazing. And that tail of yours… Fucking Abyss.” As high up on his thigh as her tail was wrapped, he could feel just the tip flick across the underside of his balls every time he pulled his hips back. It was maddening and felt absolutely incredible. It was pushing him even faster to his release.

“Harder, Mate. Fuck me harder,” Ichigo begged. Her own release growing closer.

Kish relaxed his hold and let gravity drag her even further down onto him, so he was now buried to the hilt whenever he plunged into her. His pace doubled and she had to clamp her teeth around her lip to keep from screaming out.

"Right there, mate. So close," she panted harder.

Kish licked up her neck. "Let me feel your tongue, mate," he groaned. He too was right there on that razor’s edge. He just needed that last push.

Understanding his need, Ichigo tilted her head and slipped her tongue over his bottom ear lobe and into the hollow just before his canal.

“Oh fuck! Ichigo!” he shouted against her neck as that white hot heat scorched through his body. His muscles tightened and with one last hard deep thrust, he emptied his release deep within her womb.

With a sharp cry and an intense shudder, Ichigo came right after him. Her inner walls clenching down tight around him.

Kish’s forehead fell to her shoulder just as her head fell back against the wall. They both panted hard as they struggled to ease their burning lungs and calm their racing hearts. Kish licked his dry lips, “Fucking Abysses, Kitten. You’re going to be the death of me one of these times.”

Ichigo leaned her head atop his, “Don’t you dare,” she growled halfheartedly. “You’re not allowed to leave, especially like that, ever again.”

Kish picked his head up and playfully licked her cheek, “Never. I’ll never leave your side. Especially now that I know you have no reservations with me claiming you in public.”

Her eyes grew huge and round when it dawned on her what he meant. She looked around. She really had just let Kish fuck her in public, against a wall no less. “Damn sneaky, perverted alien,” she growled and weakly smacked his shoulder. “You’re turning me into an addict too,” she pouted.

He brushed his lips over hers, “And you’ll never hear me complain about it once.”

Before she could protest or start a fight, Kish’s lips had covered her own in a searing kiss. Her breath caught and she melted against him. All ideas of an argument vanishing from her mind.

Leaning back, Kish pulled his lips away and placed a light butterfly kiss to the tip of her nose. A smaller shudder coursed through them both when Kish allowed himself to slip from her depths. Finally calm, Ichigo’s tail and ears disappeared again. A quick snap of his fingers and Kish was holding a small damp cloth. Skillfully, he slipped his hand between them and tenderly cleaned her up. She hissed when the cool cloth touched her heated skin. “Sorry, Kitten. I’d much rather clean you with my tongue, but this will have to do. We’ve been gone longer than I meant already.” Ichigo blushed as he ran the cloth over her dripping slit. Then he gently maneuvered her underwear back into place. With another snap, the cloth disappeared, and he was once again fully clothed.

Carefully, he let her legs slide down and he set her on her feet. He smoothed her dress down and gently tucked a few loose strands of her hair back into place. “There, now no one will have a clue to our recent activities. And back to your beautiful perfection. Though I find you just as beautiful with your hair tousled, your clothes wrinkled, and that flush upon your cheeks right after I’ve taken you,” he winked.

“And you started so sweet there,” she teased.

He laughed aloud, “It’s who I am, and you love it.”

“Maybe a little,” she giggled. Her heart warmed. That he’d taken the time to clean her up and make sure her dignity was in tact was incredible. That he cared that much to do those things. That he took the time to be sure her dress was straightened and that her hair was mostly in place. He just continued to shock her with the depth of his love for her.

With a sweeping gesture, Kish took her hand, the one conspicuously wearing her ring, and bowed, kissing her knuckles. “Now that my lady has been sated and brought up to date on those unsavory details, will she permit me the honor of accompanying her to our companions to finish our evening?”

Ichigo’s giggle was like tinkling bells as she straightened up and squared her shoulders. “I would very much appreciate that, my Lord.”

Kish beamed at her as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Hm. I like the sound of that.”

She only managed to shake her head before they disappeared.

As soon as they returned to their table, Tart had at once begun to apologize. “I’m sorry Ichigo. I never meant to hurt or upset you. I didn’t think.”

“It’s okay, Tart. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Just maybe leave any possible touchy subjects for the ship or at least private. Kish and I haven’t even been mated a week yet, so things are still very new. But at least he knows and understands what’s going on. I don’t. I’m still learning what it is to be mates. All of this is completely new to me, and my emotions and reactions are all over the place.”

Kish draped an arm around Ichigo’s shoulders, “It’s only temporary, mate. The mood swings will even out as the bond grows and becomes more stable. And you’ll grow more accustomed to the rise of your instincts. It’s the same for me.” He shifted his focus to Tart and narrowed his eyes, “And you listen here, Brat. You bring up another part of my past that you know I wouldn’t want to talk about, I will kick your ass. I’m still not entirely pleased with you for upsetting my mate. But she’s forgiven you, so I’ll drop it for now. But I mean it, Brat. Leave my past in the past.”

He shot him a cold glare, but Tart couldn’t seem to help himself, “So can I place a bet on which of you two kills Raika first?”

Ichigo gave Tart a narrowed look, “What did he just say?! Leave it alone, Tart. Though, I’d like to claw her eyes out if I ever get my hands on that filthy bitch.”

Kish gave Tart a dirty look before tending to his mate. He nuzzled against her cheek and placed a soft kiss to her temple. “Calm down, mate. When we get back to the ship, I’ll let you kick the crap out of Tart so you can burn off some of that anger. How does that sound? Hmn?”

“That sounds perfect,” she sighed.

“Hey!” Tart huffed.

Everyone else at the table laughed.

Kish slipped away from the table to speak with the waiter while Ichigo finished sipping her now cool cappuccino. When he returned, he continued to stand and offered Ichigo his hand, “The bill’s been taken care of. You ready to go? I still have that other trick up my sleeve that I want to show both you girls before it gets too late.”

Gathering her purse, Ichigo slipped her hand into Kish’s. “I can’t wait to see what else you have planned.”

He flashed her a toothy smile, “Patience, my dear Kitten.”

As Kish led them down a sidewalk, Ichigo gave Kish a knowing look, “Remind me to thank Keiichiro next time I see him.”

“Aww! You peeked!” Kish pouted, causing Ichigo to giggle.

“Just a bit. My curiosity was starting to get the better of me.”

“You and your damn curiosity. Hopefully you didn’t ruin my next surprise,” Kish huffed, tugging her closer with an arm over her shoulders.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Your surprises are always amazing.”

He grinned wide and stole a kiss to her cheek.

They came across a long line of people tucked behind a velvet rope. But Kish continued to confidently lead them past all the people to the doors at the front of the line. A huge man with thick muscles eyed Kish, “The line’s back there.”

That confident smirk on Kish’s face never faltered. “Kish Ikisatashi, plus three. We should be on the list.”

The bouncer flicked through a tablet he had in his hand and his eyes lit up in surprise. “Right this way. Sirs. Ladies,” he bowed as he unhooked the velvet rope and ushered them through the doors.

The loud music and flashing lights were an assault on all their senses, but Ichigo’s smile out did it all. “A club! You’re taking us out dancing!?!” she yelled to be heard over the music.

Kish chuckled, “Yup. And you don’t have to shout. Overly sensitive ears, remember?”

She blushed, “Are you alright with his loud music?”

“Perfectly fine. Just took a second to tune it out a bit,” he winked.

Another bouncer approached them and led them to a raised platform near the dance floor. It was partially secluded behind glass walls, and though the music was still loud and thumping, it was partially muffled by the thick glass. There was an assortment of plush couches and chairs scattered across the platform with a couple of low glass tables. “This is the VIP area. One of our glass girls will be along shortly if you wish to have a drink,” the bouncer said before disappearing back into the sea of bodies.

Kish wasted no time in making himself comfortable on one of the low couches, and pulled Ichigo down into his lap, ignoring her protests. “Relax, honey. This may be your world, but this is my scene. Not much different than some of the establishments back home, just louder.”

“Before or after you returned?” Ichigo asked curiously.

“After. Tek and I became regulars at several places over the last couple of years,” Kish answered, propping his feet up on the table.

Tart and Pudding had snuggled into a nearby loveseat. Tart, though not quite as comfortable at these kinds of places as Kish, settled in easily. He kept his arm securely wrapped around Pudding’s waist as he held her close.

“Oh really? Taken many girls out dancing at these establishments?” she asked. Her voice was dropping dangerously low, and Kish noticed right away.

“Cripes, Kitten. Don’t start. Yes, I danced with girls occasionally, but that’s it. I never brought one or left with one. Most of the time I just relaxed and drank. Any girl that got too friendly, I passed off to Tek. How many times do I have to tell you? You’re the only girl for me. The only girl I see.” Noticing the sly twinkle in her eyes, Kish drummed his long fingers at her hip. “Cheeky, mate. You’re messing with me.”

Ichigo grinned wide, “Not so much fun being the one baited. Is it? Seems you’re not the only one who enjoys getting a rise out of their mate.” Though the thought still made her insanely jealous, she had to admit, watching him squirm for once was rather fun.

Kish moved one hand around to support her back while he used the one at her hip to pull her ass further into his lap. She was sitting side saddle across his legs and had her legs tucked over his knee. He grinned as he realized the shorter side of her dress was facing him. Deftly, he maneuvered her dress just slightly, so he had access to the smooth skin just above her knee. Though he made sure not to reveal too much, they had no tablecloth to keep his antics hidden this time.

“You and those hands,” she murmured, forcing herself to relax in his hold. He knew this kind of scene better than she did, so, for now, she let him stay in control.

A very scantily clad girl in a shiny foil sports bra and tight short black briefs came up to their table. She had a small tray and a tablet in her hands. Setting the tray down, she moved a bucket with an iced bottle of champagne onto their table along with four fluted crystal glasses. She flipped her glossy black hair over her shoulder, “I’m Mimi. There’s your complimentary champagne. If there’s anything else you’d like to order, I’d be happy to get that now or you can flag me down at your leisure.”

Kish glanced up at the girl and flashed his signature grin, “I’ll take a double bourbon on the rocks. Top shelf. And a water for each of the ladies. For now.”

Tart sighed. It was going to be one of those nights. ‘Might as well enjoy it,’ he thought.

But before he could answer, Kish ordered for him, “Oh, and he’ll have a vodka seven.”

The girl tapped it into her tablet and, picking up her tray, left.

“That better be the same thing as a vodka syrup back home.” Tart shot.

“It’s basically the same thing, but better. Just relax. I know what you like. Enjoy the vacation. Give your girl some attention. Been a while since we’ve really cut loose together. I for one, am going to enjoy the rest of tonight. Decent music, good drinks, great company, and the most gorgeous girl in the universes sitting in my lap. Things couldn’t get much better.”

“Just don’t go overboard will ya? We aren’t back home,” Tart sighed.

Kish merely waved him off.

Ichigo eyed the bottle and four glasses.

Kish saw her and smirked. “Go ahead, Kitten. No one will know. Besides this is to also celebrate our engagement.”

She bit her lip, “But I’ve never…”

“Don’t worry. I’m right here. Just take it slow. I’ll keep an eye on you, I promise,” he said giving her a reassuring smile.

Ichigo squared her shoulders and grabbed the bottle. Kish easily popped the cork for her. She carefully poured all four glasses.

Pudding stared at her, “Ichigo… I’m too young.” She said quietly.

“Technically, all three of us are. But Kish is right. This is a celebration. And I haven’t had fun like this in so long. Just one glass with me? If you don’t like it or it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t ask again.”

Pudding thought about it, then she caught Tart looking at her. She wanted to relax and enjoy her time with her boyfriend. And this just might help with some of her nerves for what she had planned later tonight. She smiled wide and accepted the glass from Ichigo, “Let’s do this!”

Kish grinned and raised his glass, “To our future and many more nights like this to come!”

Tart and Kish all but downed their glasses in one gulp. Pudding and Ichigo took their time and sipped the bubbly liquid. “This is actually really good,” Ichigo cheered.

“Knew you’d like it. Just remember to take it slow. It can hit when you least expect it,” Kish warned softly.

She winked at him, “My strong capable mate is here keeping an eye on me. I’ll be careful, but I’ll be fine.”

His arm slid up her back and cupped the back of her neck, “By the end of the night, you’ll be better then fine, you’ll be fantastic.” He pulled her down just a smidge, his molten eyes capturing hers in their depths. “Kiss me,” he breathed, the demand clear in his voice.

Ichigo slung her arms around his neck, crossing her wrists over the back of the couch. She still held her drink so was careful not to spill. She brought her lips closer, and he quickly closed the distance. Gods, he was a master at kissing. Knew just the right amount of pressure to apply. His lips hungry yet soft and gentle. Knew just when to slip his tongue out to coax her mouth open.

His hand slid up and fisted in her hair. He gently tilted her head to deepen the kiss. His tongue, slipping and dancing with hers until she submitted to him. With a last sweep of his tongue, he pulled back slightly and sucked on her bottom lip. Thank God she was sitting, or her knees would have buckled.

Pudding blushed as she watched the incredible kiss between Kish and Ichigo. They were so perfectly in tune to one another and completely lost in their own little world. She snuck a glance at Tart. She wanted him to kiss her like that. To fully let go and show how he felt. Taking a deep gulp of her liquid courage, Pudding decided to use Kish’s direct approach. She turned her soft eyes to Tart and captured his caramel brown eyes. She missed his dark honey coloring. Nimbly, she raised up on one knee and slipped her other between his legs. Carefully, she straddled his right thigh. Pudding placed her hands softly on his chest, “Kiss me.” When the words left her, she licked her lips.

Tart’s heart had started to race the second Pudding’s eyes had locked with his. He’d seen her watching his cousin and Ichigo. Those two seemed to have no shame with as tightly wrapped around one another as they were. But, he had to admit, he’d love to kiss Pudding like that. So free and full of love for one another. Then she’d crawled in his lap and his breath caught. But when she’d uttered those two tiny words, his world froze, tilted, and caught fire all at once. Hesitantly, Tart’s hands settled at Pudding’s tiny waist. “Wh… What?” he asked, blushing. He wanted to be sure his ears had heard her correctly.

Her hands slid up further until they rested on his shoulders, “I said… Kiss me. But like that.” She nodded her head in Kish’s direction over her shoulder.

Tart’s heart raced harder. ‘Like that?’ he thought to himself. He’d kissed Pudding before, even a few random girls back home. But never a kiss like that. He stole another glance at his cousin. “He does know she has to breathe, right?” He didn’t realize he’d said his thoughts out loud until Pudding suddenly broke into laughter. He flushed bright red.

“Oh Taru-Taru. You’re so funny! But she’s fine. I’m sure she’s more than fine. Please, Taru-Taru. I want to know what it’s like to be kissed like that. But only from you.”

Tart looked into those deep round eyes of his Monkey-girl, and found he couldn’t say no. Gulping, Tart slowly drew Pudding towards him.

But she couldn’t wait. Her lips quickly sealed over his. She gasped when his hand came up to cradle her head. But when she felt him shyly slip his tongue between her parted lips, Pudding’s toes curled.

Kish chuckled against Ichigo’s lips, "About damn time."

"Hmn?" she moaned quietly.

He pulled back just a bit and nodded in Tart and Pudding’s direction. "Looks like we have some competition," he smirked evilly.

Ichigo’s eyes flicked over to the younger couple and grew wide. "Go Pudding!" she thought, making Kish laugh.

"How bout you finish that drink, and we show them how it’s really done?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She giggled and thumped his chest. "This competition is rigged from the start."

"How so?"

She grinned and downed the rest of her glass, setting it on the table. "Because, nobody in the known universes can kiss as well as you." As she spoke, she had inched her lips closer, and her hands had slid up his chest and found their way into his hair. After her last word, her lips had melded perfectly to his.

His hand inched a bit higher under her dress and wrapped around her inner thigh, thumb rubbing gentle circles over her sensitive flesh. "Just full of surprises tonight. Aren’t you, Kitten?"

"Mm… I could say the same about you. If this is just a taste of who you are, then I can’t wait to experience more."

Kish nearly growled into the kiss and nipped his fangs into her bottom lip. "You just wait, Kitten. I’m gonna rock your world. And I can’t wait to show you everything and share everything with you." His lips trailed down her neck, "Gods, I love this dress. Not only do you look stunning in it, but you’re in my color again. So much skin exposed for my eyes and lips. And my mark is on full display. Leaving no doubt that you belong to me. From the mark, to your ring, to the love bites along your neck. Even a foolish human can’t miss that you belong to someone." He did growl this time when she gasped. He dragged his tongue over her mark, sending a sharp shiver through her.

The glass girl returned and set their drinks on the coffee table, “I’ll come check on you all later. Let me know if I can get you anything else.” Her eyes lingered on Kish for longer than was appropriate, then gave Ichigo a dark look before turning on her heel.

Ichigo had noticed both the girl’s looks. She swiveled her head back to Kish, “Why do I just know that that’s going to be a common occurrence on your planet?”

Kish chuckled and stole a peck to her lips, “Easy, Kitten. You get used to it. But once I announce we’re mates, it won’t be so bad. Mates are revered and respected back home. So, most of the flirting will die down. But you already know mate. No matter what pretty girl looks at me, she will pale in comparison to you. You set my world ablaze with color.”

His words once again melted her heart and filled her chest with warmth. “I will never understand how you can be such an arrogant, cocky, pervert one second then be the sweetest, most romantic guy ever in the next.”

He flashed her his signature smirk, the one that made her knees weak. “Only for you, Kitten. Only for you.” Reaching around Ichigo, Kish picked up his bourbon and took a slow swig. “I gotta say, our alcohol might be stronger, but Earth’s tastes much better.” “Wouldn’t you say, Tart?” Kish called over to the still entangled Tart with an evil glint in his eye.

Tart pulled away from Pudding’s lips blushing brighter than a tomato and spluttering. “Huh… Uh.. What?”

Pudding, though blushing as well, giggled and nuzzled against his chest.

Kish and Ichigo were both snickering. “I asked what do you think of your drink?”

“Huh? Oh!” he said seeing his drink on the table. He took a quick sip, “Not as strong as at home, but tastes much better.” He cocked his head when both Kish and Ichigo busted out laughing. “What?” That only made them laugh harder.

A song Ichigo liked kicked on and the bass dropped low. “I love this song. Come on, mate. Weren’t you supposed to take me dancing?”

Kish groaned but let Ichigo tug him to his feet. “But I was enjoying you in my lap,” he pouted.

“I’m in your lap all the time. Now I wanna dance!” She hollered tugging him to the edge of the platform.

He had to grin at that. She was in his lap a lot.

“Hey Pudding, we’re gonna go dance.”

Pudding waved at her friend, “We’ll join you in a minute.”

Ichigo dragged Kish through the sea of grinding bodies to the center of the dance floor. She spun around and pressed her back and hips into his front, moving to the beat of the music. “Let’s see what kind of moves you’ve got, alien boy,” she teased as she ground against him.

Kish quickly glanced around him, taking note on how the other couples were dancing. It was a little more active and risqué than what he was used to at home, but it was similar enough. His arm circled her waist, and he took her hand in his right. His body moved fluidly against hers. All his lithe grace and light footed movements coming in very handy. He pulled her arm over his head, so it was slung around his neck. He then trailed his hand slowly down the back of her arm and down the side of her ribcage. Her head fell back on his shoulder as she arched sharply. As their hips continued to sway and roll to the music, Kish slipped his fingertips under the side of her dress just below the curve of her breast.

When she felt his thumb ghost against the underside of her breast, she gasped and shivered. Rolling her hips harder against him, she growled low in her throat, “You and those wandering hands.”

He grinned toothily and bent his head to nip just behind her ear, “You know you love it.” His right hand closed around her left and pulled. She was spun out then back in, his left arm slipping perfectly around her waist.

She couldn’t hold back her laughter. "Not bad, lover boy. You’ve got some moves, I’ll give you that."

Kish chuckled darkly, "Just wait until I get you home and take you out there. Then you’ll really see what I can do." His lips found her neck again as he spoke.

They danced for a few more songs before Ichigo’s heels started to hurt her feet. Plus, she was hot and sweaty and desperately wanted a drink. As they made their way from the dance floor, she caught a glimpse of Pudding trying to show an awkward Tart how to dance. The scene warmed her heart.

Kish plopped down on the sofa and a huge cocky grin plastered his face when Ichigo settled into his lap without any coaxing from him or a single protest from her.

Ichigo was about to reach for her water when Kish’s hand suddenly shot out and snatched her wrist. A strange scent had pricked his nose and it was coming from both the girls’ waters. A scent that hadn’t been there when they’d left to dance. “Drink the champagne for now. We’ll get you and Pudding new waters.” Anger and concern coated his voice. Glancing around, Kish subtly snapped his fingers and the water glasses disappeared.

“What’s going on?” Ichigo asked worriedly.

"Someone put something in you and Pudding’s drinks. Thankfully, I caught the odd new scent as we sat down. Didn’t realize it was in the waters until you reached for it."

Ichigo looked horrified.

"It’s okay, mate. I’ve got you. I told you, I would never let anything happen to you."

Ichigo leaned against him and took a deep breath of his woodsy scent. But this time she noticed a new spice to it. She looked at him in shock, “Are… Are you wearing cologne?”

“Only took you all night to notice,” he chuckled teasingly.

“I’m sorry, you’ve kept me a bit distracted all night,” she shot back. "And thinking about scents, how did you manage to pick up such a subtle scent in such a crowded place?" she asked in curiosity.

His arm coiled around her waist, "When it comes to your safety, I notice everything. But it comes from my training. To notice anything new or out of place. The scent wasn’t there when we left so it caught my attention. If it hadn’t come from your waters, I would have dismissed it as someone passing by while we were gone. I may look relaxed, but my guard is never truly down. I told you, the three of us have been targeted before. Poison is a simple method."

Ichigo shoved those thoughts aside for now. That was definitely a discussion for another time. Enough had been spoiled this evening and she wanted to continue living it up with her sexy mate. "And you’re sure the champagne’s safe?"

He nodded his head, "Perfectly."

She poured a glass and took a long drink, letting the cold liquid cool her over heated body and the tingling warmth soothe away her anxieties.

The glass girl appeared with two fresh glasses of water. Kish noticed her eyes scanning for the missing water glasses. “Perfect timing, someone else took the empty glasses, but, after dancing, my girl was just wanting another drink.”

The girl may have smiled, but Ichigo caught the jealousy in her eyes when Kish had called her ‘my girl.’ Ichigo smiled overly sweetly, “Yes. Thank you.”

“Very good, anything else I can get you?” she asked way too sweetly just to Kish for Ichigo’s liking.

Kish glanced at his then at Tart’s glass. “Yeah, another round for my friend and I.” The girl nodded and left.

Feeling how hot Ichigo still was, Kish tugged his jacket off her shoulders and draped it over the back of the couch. “Better, love?”

She nodded, “Much. Thanks.”

Kish picked up his drink and downed the last swallow. Sucking up an ice cube, he held it between his teeth. Shifting Ichigo slightly, so more of her bare back faced him, Kish placed his lips against her shoulder blade. Using his tongue and lips, he maneuvered the ice cube across her upper back, letting cool drips of water slide down her flushed skin.

“God that feels wonderful. And only you could turn something simple, like cooling me down, into something incredibly hot and sexy.”

Kish playfully licked at her neck, “It’s a gift.” He chewed a couple of pieces of ice, so his lips and tongue were cold. Pulling her hair over her shoulder, he licked and kissed at the nape of her neck.

Ichigo sighed, “You’re amazing and I love you, Kish.”

Gently, he slid his chin over her shoulder and nuzzled against her ear, “Not as much as I love you, Ichigo. But you’re getting there.” Though his voice was seductive, it held a teasing note.

She playfully shoved his lips from her ear, “You just got a head start, that’s all.”

Kish fell back against the couch in laughter, “You just might be right.”

A soft clink behind Ichigo pulled their focus. The girl was back, and she’d brought the boy’s drinks. As she stood, he noticed her give Ichigo a not quite dirty enough look to be called rude, but it was close enough to raise Kish’s hackles. His hand slid up Ichigo’s bare back, caressing her skin. He shot the girl a pointed look, “Thanks. My wife and I are good for a bit.” Kish purposely grasped Ichigo’s left hand and placed a kiss to her knuckles, subtly shifting her hand so the light caught and refracted off her diamond ring. A satisfied smirk slithered through Kish as he saw the flash of disappointment in the girl’s eyes as she turned to leave.

“And what was that all about?” Ichigo asked. She’d immediately caught on to his little show. Inside she was quivering in glee. ‘Wife… He called me his wife,’ she internally squealed.

“Eh, was getting tired of her not so subtle jealousy over you and looking at me like I was something to eat. I only like it when my wife looks at me like that. We may not be married here yet, but at home we are. You’re my mate, which supersedes marriage. Meaning you are my wife.”

Ichigo fell back into his arms, surprising Kish who made a soft ‘oof.’ She downed another glass of champagne and nuzzled her cheek against Kish’s chest. Bringing her hands up, she undid two more buttons on his shirt. Sitting back, she gently tugged his collar away from his neck, exposing his collar bones, a peek of his mark, and more of his mesh undershirt. She leaned close and tucked her nose into the crook of his neck. As she inhaled his scent, her right hand slipped into the gap in his shirt to feel his cool flesh under her fingers.

Kish had leaned back and watched his mate through hooded eyes. Watched as she sought the feel of him. Sought his scent. It both thrilled and amazed him. That his shy yet fiery kitten was so brazenly touching him like this in public.

“That cologne smells nice, by the way. I still prefer your natural scent, but this smells damn good too. It suits you,” she mumbled against his neck.

Kish’s right hand drew lazy circles with just his fingertips over her bare lower back. He chuckled softly, “Starting to feel the buzz, Kitten?”

She nodded, her nose brushing against his neck, “Yup. Pretty sure I am.”

He himself was starting to feel that warm buzz throughout his limbs. Tenderly, Kish hooked his left knuckle under her chin and drew her face up. He placed a sweet loving kiss to her lips. “Mm. Strawberries and champagne. One of my new favorite pairings,” he whispered. A slower song started thumping behind them. “Sounds like they’re playing our song. One last dance or two then I’ll take you to bed.” Kish delicately slipped her heels off and set them to the side of the table. As he stood, he helped Ichigo to her feet. He led her to the dance floor and circled his arms around her. The music may have been slower, but it still had a good beat to it. Their bodies swayed and moved in perfect rhythm.

Keeping his hands lightly at her hips, Kish stepped back to watch Ichigo lose herself in the music. Her hands moved into the air and her hips swung and rocked. Her bare feet shuffled and bounced on her toes. Everything around him faded away as he watched her. Everything but her. Her eyes had closed, cheeks flushed pink, hair shining in the club’s flashing lights, all while she bobbed and swayed her head to the music. Again, she was like a vision before him.

Suddenly, she stumbled forwards into his arms. A man a bit shorter than Kish, but with thicker arms, turned to apologize to Ichigo for bumping into her. Then the man saw her, and his eyes lit up. “Sorry, honey. How about you ditch him and come dance with me?” the man said in a low voice.

Ichigo’s stomach twisted at hearing one of Kish’s favorite nicknames for her come from another man. She snuggled into Kish’s side. “No thanks. He’s all I need. And I’m not your honey. I’m his.”

The man grinned, “Never said you were my honey, but I could make you mine if you want.”

Kish growled low and his arm at Ichigo’s waist tightened. “She’s mine and she said no. Now leave us.”

Ichigo trembled at the dangerous tone of Kish’s voice. She knew that tone. He was precariously close to snapping. She placed a hand on the arm around her. “He’s not worth it, love. Let’s just go.”

The man scoffed, “As if he could take me, honey.”

Kish stood to his full height, but that didn’t intimidate the man. No, what made the man nod and back away was the cold darkness that glittered dangerously in Kish’s eyes. A look that told the man Kish knew he would not only destroy him, but he’d have to try not to kill him.

The next thing Ichigo knew, she was being spun around and pulled against Kish’s firm body. He tucked his nose into her hair at her temple. “Trouble magnet, I swear,” he muttered.

She lightly punched his shoulder, “Hey! You could be to blame too! You’re always around when trouble finds me.”

“Only because I’m the one trying to save that cute fuzzy tail of yours,” he snarked.

“Yeah, on the rare times it wasn’t you putting it in danger,” she huffed right back.

He growled. She was right. Dammit. Instead of admitting defeat or continuing to argue, Kish pressed his lips to hers. Dragging her fully against him, he cupped her lower back. He moved them to the beat of the music.

She broke the kiss but kept her lips a hair’s breadth from his. “Cheater,” she mumbled.

He merely grinned and stole another quick kiss. “I think you just might be drunk,” Kish teased as they continued to move and sway on the dance floor.

“And why’s that?” Ichigo asked absentmindedly.

“Because, you haven’t protested once about where my hand is.”

“Hmm?” Then she thought about what he’d just said. And she realized just exactly where his hand was. He’d somehow managed to slip it down the back of her dress and was currently cupping her rear, all without her noticing. “Pervert,” she hissed. “If you want to keep that hand, I suggest removing it now.”

He grinned but did as she said. However, his hand soon returned to her rear, just over her dress.

Ichigo sighed and rolled her eyes, “You’re terrible.”

By the time they returned to their seats, Ichigo was definitely starting to feel the buzz. She’d almost tripped stepping onto the platform, but Kish’s strong guidance kept her on her feet. Though, a second later, he swept her up bridal style before taking his seat with her sprawled in his lap. Tart and Pudding had beaten them back. A grin slid over Kish’s features as he eyed his cousin.

Both Tart and Pudding’s hair was slightly messy and tousled. They were both flushed and a bit sweaty. Pudding was currently curled in his lap, while he sipped his drink. She looked half asleep, and Tart was wearing a goofy grin.

“Enjoying the night?” Kish drawled as he too sipped his drink.

Tart blushed and held Pudding closer. Glancing from Kish down to Pudding, “Yeah… I’ll admit, this was a great idea. And you were right. It has been a while since we really relaxed and had fun.”

Kish smiled and glanced down at his own girl snuggled in his lap. “But so much better with our girls with us.”

Tart couldn’t agree more.

Soft hands twisted in the bottom of Kish’s shirt. Sneakily, she untucked it from his pants and slowly undid the rest of his buttons.

“Can I help you with something?” Kish teased her with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded lazily as her hands found the cool skin of his bare midriff. “Missing the feel of your skin is all,” she slurred slightly.

Kish chuckled and drummed his fingers at her hip, “And you’re cut off. You’re drunk, my little kitty-cat.”

“I feel fine,” she mumbled.

“Mhm. I’m sure you feel great,” he purred smoothly. Tugging her hip, he pulled her further into his lap.

The movement shifted her balance and she fell against his chest. She nuzzled her nose against the base of his throat as her arms slid under his shirt and around his waist. Her warm hands tucked under the bottom of his mesh shirt at his back, and he shivered.

“Now who’s getting handsy?” Her response was to lick at the hollow of his throat. ‘Apparently, alcohol made his kitten frisky,’ he thought with a wicked grin. The hand at her hip slid up her side and slipped casually under the side of her dress. His thumb found the soft curve of her breast and stroked it softly. A purr rumbled in her chest. She nipped at his throat playfully. Kish took a long slow sip of his drink. He needed to slow his quickly heating blood. His kitten was starting to tease his senses.

Setting his glass down, he reached over Ichigo’s head and grabbed his jacket. Carefully, he draped it over her shoulders. With her upper body mostly covered, his hand was free to slip deeper into her dress. He was pleasantly surprised when his hand fully cupped her breast. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

A soft moan escaped Ichigo’s lips, "K..Kish. We’re in public."

His thumb flicked over her nipple, "Didn’t seem to bother you earlier. Just relax, no one can see anything. Besides, you were the one who was just undressing me."

"I’m apparently drunk," she giggled. "What’s you’re excuse?"

A sly smirk took over his expression, "My beyond sexy mate is currently getting frisky in my lap and said she missed the feel of my skin against hers. That, my love, is my excuse."

"Oh," she couldn’t argue with that. Even when she wasn’t drunk.

‘Plus,’ he thought, ‘I may be getting a touch drunk as well.’

She bit his collar bone, "I heard that."

He chuckled and swirled the deep amber liquid in his glass. It was probably time to get his tipsy mate home. Flicking his eyes around, he caught sight of the glass girl. Raising his glass, he got her attention, and she made her way to them.

“Can I get you another one, sir?” she asked.

Kish shook his head, “No thanks, just the tab please.”

She gave a quick nod and left. For once, without a dirty look towards Ichigo.

Kish downed the last of his drink and looked over at Tart. “Yo, Brat! It’s getting late and my kitten wants some attention. As soon as I pay, we’re gonna head back to the ship. You’re welcome to stay if you want.”

Tart shook his head, “Nah. We’re gonna leave too. Much longer and Pudding’s liable to fall asleep.”

Pudding stirred in Tart’s lap, “Aww. Just one more dance?”

“It’s late Pudding and you have work at the café tomorrow.”

Pudding crossed her arms and pouted.

“Tell ya what Pudding. You and Ichigo had such a great time, how about if Tart and I bring you girls back here next weekend?” Kish offered.

Both Pudding and Ichigo squealed. “Really? You will?” Pudding asked.

Ichigo did a lil shimmy in Kish’s lap, “You mean it?”

Kish grabbed her hips, stilling the distractingly tempting movement. “Of course. You two weren’t the only ones enjoying yourselves. Right, Brat?”

Tart nodded, “Yeah I had fun too.”

Ichigo gave an enthusiastic kiss to Kish’s cheek.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll bring you back next Saturday night. And when we get back home, I promise to take you girls out with Tek and I to our usual haunts. Let you see how we live it up. Plus, I’ve literally dreamed of taking Ichigo out to those places.”

“I bet you have,” Ichigo quipped.

Kish’s hand gave Ichigo’s breast a firm squeeze. It caused a sharp gasp to come from the girl for she had completely forgotten his hand was there. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Kish asked sharply.

“I’ve seen that memory file you have on me remember? All that red. I’m sure one of them took place in your so called clubs.”

A low, seductive growl rumbled in his chest. “And I can’t wait to turn it into a reality.”

“Kish!” she scolded.

"My VIP room is private and Tek knows how to make himself scarce," he explained in a low teasing voice.

“Here’s your tab,” the glass girl said, drawing Kish’s attention. He reached around Ichigo and took the small black book. Taking a quick glance at the large number, Kish slid his hand into his pocket. With a snap of his fingers, he created a handful of large bills. Counting out a few, he slipped them into the book. It covered not only their tab, but a decent tip as well.

“And where did you get that kind of money?” Ichigo asked with narrowed eyes.

“Don’t you worry about it, Kitten,” he murmured.

She eyed him knowingly, “A snap of your fingers, hmm?”

“You really wanna know?” he grinned mischievously.

“That’s a yes then. I suppose I can let it slide as long as it's not all the time.”

He laughed, “And Tart said you’d get mad at me.”

“It’s technically real so no harm done. People got paid and we got to enjoy ourselves. Win win. Just don’t turn it into a habit. But, what’s the point of having an alien mate with super powers if I can’t enjoy them occasionally?”

Kish’s laughter grew a touch evil, “Better believe it, Kitten. Though, now I know you’re drunk. You’re letting me get away with too much tonight.”

“Maybe,” she admitted with a grin.

Reluctantly, Kish pulled his hand from Ichigo’s breast and helped her slip into his jacket. Once he’d given her a hand getting her shoes on, he stood up and placed her on her feet. “You two ready?” he asked Tart and Pudding.

Tart nudged Pudding and helped the sleepy girl to her feet. “Yup,” Tart replied.

Once the four were outside, Kish wrapped his arm around Ichigo’s waist, “We’ll see you two sometime tomorrow.” With that, Kish tugged Ichigo into an alley, and they disappeared.

When Ichigo opened her eyes, she found herself pinned to an iron beam on a small platform dozens of stories in the air. Eyes now wide, she gripped tightly to Kish’s arms. “W..Where are we?” she stuttered.

Kish chuckled softly, “Someplace that holds a lot of memories for the both of us. In fact, you dislocated my shoulder just a few yards below us.”

She gasped. “We’re on top of Tokyo Tower?”

“Yup. Figured you could use a little fresh air to help sober up. Always helps me. And I remembered how much I enjoyed the view up here. Although, my current view is much better.” His voice turned husky as his eyes trailed down to her chest. “I always wanted to kiss you up here.” Liquid gold eyes slid back up to hers and Ichigo sucked in a breath.

He'd dropped his glamor and she was staring into his moonlit glittering cat eyes. Eyes that were full of love and lust. His fang slid over his lip as his trademark smirk appeared. “And this time. I don’t have to worry about you attacking me or that damned Blue Knight showing up to spoil my fun.” As he spoke, his lips began inching closer to hers. “Those lips, that body, and your heart are all finally mine.” His voice became barely a whisper as his final words were spoken a hair’s breadth from her lips. But when ‘mine’ crossed his lips, he captured hers. One arm locked around her waist and the other hand quickly buried in her hair.

A moan caught in Ichigo’s throat as she tangled her arms around his neck. The kiss was absolute bliss. It started slow for only a matter of seconds before it turned hungry. Desperate.

He pulled her tighter to him at the same time he pressed her body harder into the iron at her back. He dominated her. Nearly crushed her with the weight of his love and desperation that he poured into the kiss. Being here, back on this tower where she had rejected him so many times… It pushed him. Pushed him to prove she was his. That she’d forever be his. He wanted to wipe away all the hurt he had felt here and replace it with the way her soft skin felt under his hands. How her body submitted to his every touch.

Gods how he wanted this woman. How he needed her. She was his goddess. His very life force. He had no idea how he had ever managed to leave her all those years ago. She literally drove him insane with how badly he craved her. Even her simple touch. A single smile. Anything. As long as it came from her, it was like a balm to his soul. Like a fix. But those soft sweet moans and gasps she was making as he kissed her senseless were music to his ears. When she pulled away gasping for breath, he gave her a quick moment before his lips sealed over hers again. He was far from done kissing her.

Ichigo’s head was spinning. Heart racing. Blood pumping, no boiling within her. Those flames of desire were licking through her veins. Kish was kissing her with such unbridled need and passion, she felt like her body would shut down from sensory overload at any moment. Kiss swollen lips tingled when she felt the tip of his fangs press into her lower lip. Her knees wanted to buckle, but he kept a firm grip. Keeping her steady as he stole not only her breath, but her sanity. Finally, she managed to free her lips and sucked in a deep breath of cool crisp night air.

His eyes shimmered and glowed in the moonlight. A pearly fang glinting as it peeked between his parted lips. Releasing her, he drifted back, floating a foot or so above the platform she stood on. The moon framed his silhouette. She was reminded of so many nights when she’d spot him hovering in the sky watching her.

Kish saw the old memories flash behind her eyes. A clever grin curved his lips. Floating further up, Kish snapped his fingers. He’d seen her desires and was all too happy to comply. Ichigo stared at him in shock. “Just like old times, eh Kitten?” His appearance had changed with the snap of his fingers. He was back in the clothes he used to wear four years ago. The same old short crop top and tunic covered shorts. Long tails drifting behind in the light breeze. Brown boots with red legs and wrist wraps. Even his hair, though still long behind his shoulders, sported the two bright red bands in the tails to either side of his face. He looked nearly exactly as he did four years ago. Cocky smirk and all. The only difference was his now more mature body.

A hand covered Ichigo’s mouth as she continued to stare at him in shock. It was almost like he had plucked one of the memories she had just thought about from her mind and made it real. Between the cool night air and the shock of seeing him as he used to be, what little buzz she was feeling had vanished. And with the clarity an idea quickly began to take root. Looking up at him, she called out, “Not quite. But maybe…” She trailed off as she slipped her hand into her purse and withdrew something.

Kish’s eyes lit up when they saw what was in her hand.

Bringing her hand to her lips, she kissed her pendant. “Mew Mew Strawberry Metamorphosis!” She shouted and within seconds she stood before Kish as a Mew. Tossing a quick glance at the iron scaffolding behind her, she called out to Kish again. “Only thing left is for you to try and catch me to steal a kiss!” And with that she bolted into the crisscrossing iron bars. Leaping and climbing her way down through the iron maze.

“Oh! Game on, Kitten!” Kish shouted as he shot after her like a rocket. The chase was on.

Chapter Text

Laughter filled the night air as a pink cat-girl dodged the seeking hands of a flying green-haired alien. Ichigo nimbly climbed, jumped, and flipped over and under the iron struts of Tokyo Tower. Kish was hot on her heels as he weaved in and out. She’d gotten quicker over the years, but so had he.

Kicking off a vertical strut, Kish dove to where he estimated Ichigo would be as she leapt to the next bar. Seeing his movement out the corner of her eye, Ichigo quickly pivoted in midair and brought her feet up. Timing it right, she stretched her legs out just as Kish sailed beneath her, her feet landing on his back. She used him to jump to a further beam.

A dark laugh bubbled from his lips. “Now that was familiar. Used me like a steppingstone when we fought here to get to my moth chimera too.”

Though she answered, she dared not look back or she could lose her footing. “You remembered!”

“Of course, I do, Kitten. I’ve replayed every single memory of you countless times over the years. Not to mention, that freaking hurt, because right before you also punched me in the stomach.”

“Well, you deserved it! That moth would have wiped out Tokyo!”

Kish suddenly appeared right in front of her with his arms crossed and a lazy smirk on his face, “True.” Without warning, he lunged for her, but she dropped between his arms to a lower beam.

“So close,” she taunted over her shoulder. “I feel like we’re doing things in reverse. Usually, I’m climbing up this thing chasing you, not jumping down it with you chasing me.”

No witty retort came from the alien. “Kish?” she called out but was only met with silence. Coming to a halt, she looked up and behind her. The green-haired alien was nowhere to be seen. “Kish?” she called again, louder, a tinge of worry in her voice. Suddenly, two pale arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Looking for me, Kitten?” he whispered over her shoulder just before he stole a kiss to her cheek.

“Cheater,” she huffed.

Spinning her around in his arms, he stole another quick kiss but from her lips. “Oh, don’t be such a sore loser, Kitty-cat. You did pull a similar trick during our spar. Playing on my emotions just like I just did.”

She gave in, “Point.”

Kish’s knuckle slipped under her chin, “Now for my prize.” His molten gold gaze caught hers before he captured her lips. As he kissed her, he slowly began stepping forwards. This caused her to take a hesitant step back. Kish maneuvered her backwards until her back met a cold iron beam. Pressing into her, Kish molded his body against hers. Breathless, he broke from her lips and gazed down at the panting girl of his dreams. One hand clasped her waist while his other forearm was braced against the beam above her head. He bent over her, leaning heavily on his arm, keeping her effectively trapped between his body and the beam at her back.

Her heart pounded within her chest, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the chase or how he was currently looking at her. She found herself getting lost in those mesmerizing eyes of his yet again.

Kish’s hand at her waist trailed up and down her curves with gentle strokes. “So beautiful,” he murmured softly.

Ichigo blushed under his intense scrutiny.

His eyes flicked down her body then recaptured hers. “Say you’re mine, Kitten. Say you’ll always be mine,” he pleaded. His voice was a deep throaty rumble.

Ichigo’s smile reached her eyes. “I’m yours, mate. Always. And you’re mine forever.”

Kish’s hands instantly found the back of her thighs. And, with very little effort, picked her up. Her legs quickly wrapped around his waist and her hands gripped his shoulders. An unadulterated moan fell from her lips as his fangs settled over the pulse in her neck. Words were hot fans of breath against her tender skin as he spoke again, “Tell me you want me.”

Ichigo’s grip on his shoulders tightened. The heat he was causing to pool in her abdomen and between her legs was maddening. She needed him. She needed him now. “Please, Kish. I want… No, I need you.” The words left her lips in a shameful plea full of gasps and breathy moans.

His hands desperately pulled her hips harder to his, pressing his own further between her thighs. His fangs scraped up her neck until she felt the tip of his tongue flick along the rim of her ear. “Do you trust me?”

She didn’t hesitate, “Always.” The word a single soft breath.

In response, Kish’s arms circled tightly around her body, holding her possessively close. Turning them slightly, Kish stepped backwards. And off the beam.

A momentary shock of fright slammed into Ichigo as she found them plummeting in a free fall off Tokyo Tower. The wind ripped past her ears and through her hair and clothes. Then, suddenly, though they continued to fall, it was like they had slowed. Forcing her eyes open, she was met with wickedly glittering gold eyes. He was stretched out beneath her, falling on his back with her legs clamped tightly around his waist, his hands holding her hips gently, and a lazy yet wicked grin plastered across his face. A shimmer of air appeared below them and they fell through.

Kish landed on his back atop their bed. Ichigo was on her knees, sprawled over him and looking a bit dazed. He tucked a piece of her frazzled hair behind her ear and grinned up at her. “Exhilarating, isn’t it?”

She shot him a glare, though she was smiling. “A little warning next time?”

“Aww, but Kitten. Where’s the fun in that? You did say you wanted to enjoy your mate’s powers.” Kish was softly drawing her down as he spoke until his words were brushing along her jaw. “You know, I always wondered what would happen to your clothes if I stripped you in your Mew form.” Low and sultry, his voice caused heat to shoot right to Ichigo’s core. It was seductive and had her wanting him like crazy.

Pale hands found the sides of her creamy thighs and began to travel up slowly, pushing her pink dress over her hips. Her long black tail swished behind her in anticipation, causing her bell to tinkle. In this form, her cat genes were much more prominent, and she found herself grappling with her fickle feline nature. She wanted to both mewl and submit for her dominant mate, but at the same time she wanted to hiss at his advances and make him work for her attention. Raising her arms, she let him push her dress over her head and toss it aside. As soon as it landed on the floor, it reverted to her emerald gown.

“Hmm. Well, how about that? And such a dirty Kitty-cat. No bra? To think, all I had to do was yank down that low dress to have gotten a glimpse at those amazingly soft breasts of yours. Tease,” he groaned low. She was left in nothing, but her boots, gloves, bloomers, and garter and Kish was nearly drooling. Sitting up, Kish wrapped his hands around her back and nuzzled his face between her round globes. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you,” he moaned against her chest. His hands were splayed wide over her back as he held onto her in near desperation. Her arms circled his shoulders, clinging to him and cradling him at the same time. Skillfully, he folded his legs beneath him and pushed her back until he was kneeling above her. “So damn beautiful,” he cooed as he gazed down at her.

She blushed and fully submitted beneath her mate, relaxing into the mattress. Warm hands slithered under his short shirt and caressed his cool chest. It was a bit of a shock to her system to see him as he was above her. Especially with her power thrumming through her. It was almost like no time had passed. Except for his more mature body and the deep sea of experience residing within his glowing eyes. She had fought and denied him so much like this that it almost felt wrong giving in to him now. Even though they’d already been intimate more times than she could count. It almost felt scandalous. She was Mew Ichigo, and he was the alien Kish. Supposed to be sworn enemies. But here they were in bed together. About to be romantically intimate.

Kish chuckled knowingly as he leaned down and teasingly licked her lips. He found her thoughts amusing. “We haven’t been enemies for a very, very long time, Kitten. And I must admit, this happens to be another fantasy of mine. To have the beautiful and powerful Strawberry Mew writhing in ecstasy beneath me. One of my oldest in fact. This being a touch scandalous only adds to the thrill.”

One of her hands came up and twirled around a forelock, “I kinda missed these.” Her fingertips brushed over his red hair band for clarification.

A soft smile brightened his features, “Then they’ll stay.” Truth be told, he had missed his old bands as well, but had removed them years ago because he thought it made him look older and more mature.

Ichigo smiled. Again, he was accommodating her. Acquiescing to her requests. Giving her what she liked and wanted.

Raising fully up on his knees, Kish hooked his fingers into her bloomers and pulled them down her legs. They too changed and became her lacey black panties when they hit the floor. Kish had been careful and left her frilly garter on. It served to make her look even more sexy and tempting. Leaning over her, Kish placed a delicate kiss to each of her hip bones and one right below her navel. With a devilish grin, he shifted lower. Gently, he spread her legs and hungrily delved his tongue between her folds.

A short gasp and a heavy moan escaped Ichigo’s lips. That phenomenal tongue of his was making her body tremble and her hips buck. He knew exactly what he was doing as he licked and swirled that talented appendage. Before long, he had her writhing and panting. He had pushed her skillfully to that peak in a matter of minutes. “Oh God! Kish!” she moaned loudly. Her thighs were shaking as she twisted her hands in the comforter.

"That’s it, Kitten. Cum for me." His seductive and demanding voice brushed within her mind like warm silk.

With a final hard flick of his tongue, Ichigo plummeted from ecstasy’s edge. Her entire body shook with the force and his name broke from her lips in a scream. Clenching her eyes shut, Ichigo relaxed on their bed as her body came down from the pleasure high. Everything tingled in the aftermath of the intensity. Every muscle limp besides her rapidly beating heart.

Kish sat up and grinned wolfishly down at her.

Her eyes popped open at the sound of his snapping fingers. Hungrily, she trailed her eyes over his body for he was now bare for her viewing pleasure. All that remained were his wrist and leg wraps and his red hair bands.

“Enjoy yourself, mate?” he asked licking his lips.

She could only nod. Not trusting her voice or dry lips.

The tip of his tongue slid along a pearly fang. “Then roll over,” he demanded.

A thrill went through her with his command. But she still cocked her eyebrow. She may love when he took control, but she had to resist at least a little. Right? Her cat genes wouldn’t allow her to completely submit after all. Couldn’t let things be too easy for him.

A low seductive growl slipped his lips at her defiance. Although even he didn’t know if it was in frustration with her stubbornness or his excitement at her challenge. She grinned then painstakingly started to turn over. Only making it onto her side, Kish grew impatient with her antics. He grabbed her hips and yanked her ass back to him, effectively forcing her onto her knees in the process.

Ichigo’s soft rear pressed against the front of his hips. She could feel his hard member teasing between her legs. Crawling to her hands, she arched her back sharply, angling her hips to accommodate him.

“Mm. Now that’s more like it, Kitten,” he praised softly. Long fingers gripped just above her hip bones, holding her precisely how he wanted. With a quick but fluid thrust, Kish slid into her warm depths. Using a knee, Kish guided her legs further apart, causing her hips to drop lower and for him to slide deeper. When her ass was pressed firmly to him, he began a fast but steady pace. Nearly completely withdrawing from her tight wetness before shoving back in.

Her soft tail was flicking in rhythm to his movements over her back. The bell on her tail jingling every time their bodies collided. Ichigo’s claws sank deeper into the bedding, grasping for purchase as Kish pounded into her. Though he was assertive and a slight bit rough, it didn’t hurt at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. It felt absolutely incredible. This position made her tighter and he reached even deeper. It was maddening just how good he felt. And though she may not have had anything to compare him to, she knew he was a master at this too. That if she had ever experienced sex with anyone else, they would pale in comparison to his ability to please her. His unearthly talents left Ichigo shuddering and panting with every shift of his hips.

Kish’s pace suddenly slowed as he leaned over her. However, he adjusted his angle so every time he pushed deep, he would press against that hidden button.

A deep, sinful moan left Ichigo’s lips as her back arched sharply. Her tail flicked back and partially coiled around Kish’s middle.

Bracing himself above her with his left hand, his right slid over her hot skin to her front and down between her legs. Finding her swollen pearl, he expertly began to stroke it in perfect rhythm with his hips.

Ichigo all but screamed his name when the double assault hit her senses.

Kish pressed himself along her back and scraped his fangs over the back of her neck. "Glad my mate thinks so highly of my skills because it will only ever be me that pleases this body. Only my hands will ever caress your warm skin. Your mine, Ichigo. Forever." His seductive and possessive words pushed her to the brink. But just before she crashed, he yanked her up. His left arm wrapped around her middle and pulled her up as he sat back on his knees. She was straddling his lap and gravity pulled her even further down upon him. Just as he pressed against the back of her cervix, his fingers deftly flicked over her rosebud. Her inner muscles clamped down tight and she screamed his name. Everything tightened and spasmed as she fell over the cliff.

Sharp fangs found her mark and clamped down. Her constricting muscles drove him over the edge, and he followed her release with his own. His body shuddered as he held her tightly.

Slumping back against him, Ichigo let her head fall back on his shoulder. Her hands wrapped around the arm at her waist as she came down from that peak.

Kish kept both himself and his fangs buried within her. He didn’t have the want or the strength to move just yet. Lazily, he lapped at the welling blood around his fangs until he caught a random thought from her. He chuckled as he reluctantly pulled his fangs from her shoulder. "Don’t think too hard about it, Kitten."

Ichigo scrunched her eyes, "But we’ve been so active! And there were times I know you weren’t exactly thinking straight."

His right hand idly caressed up and down her thigh, playing with her frilly garter, "Relax, Kitten. I’ve got to consciously decide to break the seal on my fertility. So, even when I’m overly distracted, there’s still no risk of you getting pregnant. No matter how active we are."

Letting herself relax, Ichigo dropped her Mew form and crawled off Kish’s lap, much to his dissatisfaction. She giggled at his pout as she made her way to the edge of the bed. Tugging off her heels, she tossed them aside. “Oh, stop pouting. I’m hot, sweaty, and sticky, and in desperate need of a bath. I’m too tired to stand for a shower. That is, if my pouting mate has it in him to run us one?” she asked with a cocked brow as she leaned in the doorway to their bathroom.

Kish smirked and disappeared. “What my mate wants, she gets,” he called out from behind her.

Ichigo spun around just as Kish turned a lever at the front left of the tub. Quickly, the tub began to fill from the bottom up. Tossing him a warm appreciative smile, Ichigo made her way to the tub. “Thanks, love.”

“Anything for my mate,” he answered with a proud grin.

Once again, Ichigo found herself snuggled atop Kish as he relaxed on the incline, the warm water lapping against them as his hand trailed up and down her back. “Thank you for tonight. It was amazing.”

He smiled down at her, “Glad you enjoyed yourself, Kitten. It was worth it just to see you and Pudding have such a good time. And to see you in that dress. Part of me can’t wait to see you in it again when I take you out back home, but I just can’t stand the thought of so many males looking at you in it.”

Ichigo shot him a lazy glare, “I’m not some trophy wife to show off.”

After a quick search of her memories, Kish understood her meaning. “You should know better than that, Kitten. I may want to show you off, but only because I love you so much and because I’m proud to both call you mine and be yours. I want both our worlds to know that I’m yours and your mine.”

Ichigo nuzzled back against his chest. “But will your people really accept me? And will it cause any problems for you when you announce we’re mates? I mean, I was your enemy, and you did have orders to specifically kill me.”

Kish’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist, “Of course my people will accept you. I told you; they see you as a hero as well. You did give us the Mew Aqua that saved our planet. Not to mention, saved me and my cousin’s lives. My people owe just as much to you as they do to us. And as for us, well that could be a bit different. I won’t lie and say everything will be perfectly fine, but it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem. There are a few council members who I know are going to cause a fuss, but they can go to Abyss for all I care. And mates take precedence most of the time, so there’s nothing they can really do. And I know my friends and family are going to adore you. So don’t worry about it, mate. Let me handle any of the backlash of our mating because I don’t regret anything or would have things any other way.”

A sigh left Ichigo’s lips, “That’s just it. I’m afraid I’m going to cause problems for you and that’s the last thing I want to do.”

Kish rolled his eyes, “Technically, you’ve been causing me problems for years and that’s never bothered you before.”

Ichigo huffed, “That doesn’t count. First, we were at war and for the longest I didn’t even consider your feelings or problems because we were enemies, then, when you left, I had no idea you had chosen me or that you even loved me so much. I mean, I know you held some feelings for me, but it wasn’t until you sacrificed yourself that I realized you were serious about loving me. But even then, there were doubts about just how deeply you loved me. Especially with the whole toy thing.”

He chuckled and shook his head, “Be a great story to tell our kids one day. Hmm? From mortal enemies of opposing planets to mates.”

Her thoughts suddenly derailed with his off-handed comment. “I wonder what our children will look like? They’d be half Cyniclon, quarter human, and quarter cat. Talk about an odd mix.”

He smirked, “Who knows, but with us as parents, they are going to undoubtedly be some good-looking kids.”

It was Ichigo’s turn to roll her eyes, “I don’t know whether to smack you for your ego or thank you for the compliment.”

Another chuckle left Kish’s lips and he gave Ichigo’s rear a soft squeeze. “It’s just the truth, Kitten. You’re the most beautiful woman between our two planets and I’m considered to be one of the most attractive men among my people. I’m more curious about who’s powers they may inherit. If they’ll be more Mew like or take after me.”

A squeak had escaped her mouth at his squeeze, but his words quickly drew and held her attention. “Talk about powerful if they take after both of us,” she muttered.

He grinned proudly at that thought. “Now that’s something. They turn out to be that powerful and we just might end up the parents of a future Dragon Clan Chieftain.”

“And now you’ve lost me. I thought your planet was ruled by a council? And what’s a Dragon Clan?” Ichigo asked with growing confusion. There was still so much about him and his people she had yet to learn.

“Depends. Just how tired are you?” he asked. It could be a lengthy explanation and it was information she should probably have before they left for his planet.

Shifting her position, Ichigo straddled his waist and sat up so she could watch him while he spoke. “Tired, but my curiosity is winning over.”

Kish chuckled and shook his head, “I should have known. Always the curious cat.” Folding his arms behind his head, Kish got comfortable. Thankfully, they didn’t have to worry about the bath water getting cool on them. It would stay warm, bordering on hot until Kish started to drain it. Closing his eyes, Kish began to explain.

“First, yes the planet is ruled by a council, however each clan is individually ruled by a chieftain along with a handful of elders who offer council to the chief. Each clan has a representative on the ruling council, and the larger the clan, the more council members they have. There are six clans and thirteen council members. The largest and most powerful clan is mine, the Dragon Clan. We have four council members, three of which are me, Pai, and Tart. My clan tends to produce the strongest and most skilled warriors, not to mention the strongest overall ability users. However, our abilities are random. Just look at my cousins and me. Our strengths are all over the place. The Dragon Clan was also founded by the Ikisatashi family. My uncle is the current chief, which is how Tart and I got away with so much growing up.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said your family holds positions of power. Your father was in line to be Commander General, your uncle is your clan’s chief, and even the three of you are on the Council, not to mention, you being the current Commander General,” Ichigo said in awe.

Kish only grinned, “Told you the Ikisatashi blood line was incredibly powerful. And you used to think of me only as an annoying pest.”

Ichigo cocked a brow, “Used to?”

Kish gave her a playful scowl, “So cold, Kitten. And here I thought you’d be impressed.”

It was her turn to grin. “Oh, I’m impressed by your family alright. But you’re still the annoying Kish as always. And I wouldn’t have you any other way. I didn’t fall in love with you because of some fancy titles or who your family is. I fell in love with my cocky, annoying, arrogant, and hopelessly devoted alien. Your pedigree is just a bonus.” Though she boasted confidence with her teasing, inside she was a mess of doubts. ‘How on Earth could she ever be good enough for him,’ she thought. When he was just a warrior like herself, she saw them as equals. But now, it was finally starting to sink in just how important he really was. How could she ever measure up or be seen as worthy of being his mate.

Shaking his head, Kish reached a hand up and cupped her cheek. “Don’t even go there, Kitten. I’ve been down that road. Always thinking I wasn’t good enough for you back then. It just brings pain and misery. And you most certainly are worthy of being my mate. You almost single handedly defeated Deep Blue, defeated me countless times, and saved not only your planet, but mine as well. Not to mention, saving my life more times than I want to admit. So yes, you are beyond worthy enough to be my mate. In fact, there are times when I still doubt myself, that I’m worthy enough of you. Besides, even if you weren’t, I wouldn’t give a damn. I love you Ichigo. That makes you plenty worthy on its own. I chose you, no one else.”

“You know, it’s both a blessing and a curse at how deeply you read and understand me,” she sighed, but a smile slid over her lips. “But thank you. Not only for choosing me, but for believing in me.”

His thumb brushed over her bottom lip gently, “I’ve always believed in you, Kitten. Even when you constantly pushed me away. Even when we were on opposite sides. I believed in you.” Kish’s eyes glimmered with a warmth, a softness, that she rarely saw, and he gave her one of his rare soft smiles.

Again, he was putting her at ease. Manipulating her emotions as only he could. She found she didn’t mind in the least how easily he could not only read her but could also affect her. He chased away her worries and doubts with only a few mere sentences and a soft smile. Reaching up, she tugged his hand away and twined her fingers through his. “So, what about the other clans?” she asked, getting back to the original conversation.

He smiled and drew their hands down, placing a kiss atop her knuckles. “Always with the curiosity,” he chuckled softly. “Though the next clan is the second largest, they aren’t very powerful. The Wildling Clan is just how their name suggests, they’re wild. They’ve become a bit more primitive and primal. Embracing our more animalistic traits. They lived in a deep cave system under the only forest my planet had before the Mew Aqua, and now they live deep in the large rainforests that have sprung up. They are hunters and have a deep connection with the wildlife. Since the Mew Aqua, that connection has only grown. Many within the clan can even speak to the animals that now exist. And though they’ve rejoined our society to a certain extent, they still maintain their more feral ways. Because of their strong animal bonds, most can’t exactly stand me. My unique mastery over chimeras and predacites rubs them the wrong way. They see it as an unnatural bending of nature. So, they tend to avoid me and others who work with predacites.”

“Next is the Rose Clan. They are well known for producing the most talented craftsmen. My friend Tek and his family are part of the Rose Clan. Though most in that clan can only manipulate specific things, their skills are unmatched. I’m one of the rare few who can manipulate anything to create just about whatever I want nearly flawlessly. Your ring is an example. But that clan’s creativity and artistry is unrivaled.” Kish couldn’t hide the bit of cockiness that came through when he mentioned his skills. It was an incredibly rare ability. However, his voice was also filled with pride in his people. He couldn’t wait to take Ichigo to the trade sector to show off some of the Rose Clan’s remarkable creations. “Next is the Steel Clan which is overly arrogant. You see, they descend from the original inventors and creators of most of our technology.”

Ichigo interrupted him, “That’s actually something I’ve always wondered. Your people are so vastly advanced, why didn’t you just build more ships to carry your people to a different planet? Or create better living conditions?”

Sighing, “Several reasons. When my people left Earth originally, most of our resources were consumed on the trip. And after arriving on Cynicla, many of the ships were cannibalized for parts and materials to build our cities and homes. Then, when the planet began to fail, we ran out of resources or the ability to gather what little were still available. We couldn’t manufacture anything on the scale that was needed to move our entire population. We still have several of our large ships left, but only enough fuel for a single trip. We need a destination before they could fly, like our plan to come to Earth. We wouldn’t survive a random search through space. Not to mention, a lot of the science behind our technology was lost through the ages when focuses were shifted to our survival. And the Steel Clan jealously guards what few secrets remain. They are the most technologically advanced of all the clans. They even built my ship. But before the Mew Aqua, there was only so much they could do with how few resources we had. Now, they are thriving and have become less reclusive with all the trade between the clans.”

“I never knew how diverse your people were. I kinda always assumed everyone would be a lot like you three,” Ichigo added.

Kish chuckled, “Even though the three of us are completely different? And we’re even part of the same clan and family.”

“I guess you’re right when I really think about it. I just saw each of you as incredibly powerful with amazing abilities. To me, originally at least, it was just your personalities that were different. But now that I understand a bit more about your individual abilities, I can see how vastly different you each are.”

He grinned up at her, “Just wait til we get to my planet. You won’t believe some of my people’s unique abilities. Though, most of my people aren’t much different than humans, having next to zero powers. I told you, the three of us are an exception. Not only greatly more powerful than most, but also trained from an early age to hone those abilities. Your powers may make you an oddity here, but back home, you’ll fit right in. Though, many will be in awe of your skills, for there are many who you would greatly surpass.”

“It’s starting to feel like you’re pushing for your home to be where we end up,” she said crossing her arms.

His eyes shimmered with warmth, but also held a touch of mischief. “Maybe a little. It is my home. But I don’t mean to really. I’ve put all thoughts about where we’ll live aside until you’ve come home with me. Then, we can fully discuss it.”

A warmth filled her as she gazed down at him. “Thank you for that. For not pressuring me. And that you’re willing to discuss it. I half expected you to demand I run away with you again.”

A smirk slid over his lips, “That was a long time ago, Kitten. And as much as I would love to steal you away, I know that wouldn’t be fair to you. I have grown up, at least a bit. I understand that you have a life here. I may still be a bit selfish, but I would never force anything on you anymore. Besides, it’s so much better when you give in to me willingly.” His smirk shifted to something just a touch more wicked. Even a bit seductive.

Ichigo bit her lip. ‘Gods, he can be such a teasing flirt,’ she thought. This only made Kish laugh aloud. Before he could say anything, Ichigo rolled her eyes with a huff. “Yeah, yeah. I wouldn’t have you any other way. I know.”

Kish’s laughter simmered into a deep chuckle. Without warning, Kish sat up and settled his hands on Ichigo’s hips. “You’re getting better, Ichigo. That hadn’t even made it to my surface thoughts yet.”

She beamed down at him, “You mean I’m finally reading you as easily as you read me?”

He smirked and gave her hips a gentle squeeze. “Seems like.”

“About damn time.”

Kish chuckled and placed a kiss to the top of each of her breasts then laid back down, his arms pillowed under his head. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve been reading me almost as well as I have for days now. And I’ve been in your head, even without our bond, your ability to read me is surprising, flattering even. That you’ve paid such close attention to me, even while we were enemies, that you can see the subtle nuances to my body language and interpret them.”

She waved her hand, “That was originally for self-preservation. But, I’ll admit, since you’ve come back and we’ve spent so much time together, it has become much easier.” With a yawn, Ichigo continued, “Now, didn’t you say there were six clans? You’ve told me about four, what about the other two?”

Kish snickered as he let his eyes slide closed, “Ever my curious Kitten. The most secretive clan among us is the Moon Clan. They are also the smallest by far. Psychics and mental acuity flourish within that tribe. Pai and Tart’s mother is originally from the Moon Clan, probably where Pai got his mental strength and his aloof nature.”

“Wait, so clans inter marry?” Ichigo interrupted.

“Sometimes. Depends on the clans and the individuals. As I said, the Moon Clan is incredibly small and private. My aunt Lylah’s father was the Chieftain of the Moon Clan, and he encouraged a possible marriage between our two clans. To help facilitate good relations. However, things didn’t quite go to plan.” Here, Kish chuckled and gave Ichigo a toothy grin. “You see, Aunt Lylah was originally encouraged to catch my father’s eye. But my father wasn’t the least bit interested. He didn’t want a mate handed to him. He wanted someone interested in him for who he was and that challenged him.”

“Hmm, now that sounds familiar,” she teased, poking him in the ribs.

Kish laughed sheepishly and snatched her hand. “We've already established that I take after my father. Anyways,” Kish said with a nip to her fingers, “when Aunt Lylah left after being rejected, she quite literally ran right into my uncle, Crisp. And as they say, the rest was history.”

“So political matches are a common occurrence?” Ichigo asked.

Kish shrugged, “They happen, but I wouldn’t say they are common. No one can tell another who to marry. Choosing who we love was one of our few freedoms and taken very seriously. Matches may be encouraged, but it is ultimately the couple’s decision.”

“And yet, you tried to force your love on me all the time,” she added.

A hardness came over Kish’s eyes as he stared up at her. “Never. I never forced you to do anything. Stole a kiss or a touch here or there, but not once did I force you into anything. Even when I tried to steal you away, when you adamantly refused, I relented. Granted, in my anger, I did lash out and even tried to kill you. But the only thing I tried to force was for you to realize how much I loved you and how I was trying to protect you. But no Ichigo, not once did I actually force my love onto you.” His voice had lost its warmth and came across stern and almost cold.

Ichigo was taken aback at his sudden change in demeanor. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” she asked in a worried voice.

Kish blinked several times then sighed. “Not really, but in a way, yes. Freedom in love is something particularly important in my culture. Before the Mew Aqua, we as a people didn’t have a lot of freedoms or ways to escape the harsh reality of our life. Love was one of the true escapes. To take that choice away from someone by force is considered taboo to my people. My insanity over you caused me to skirt that line, but I was very careful to never cross it. No matter how badly I wanted to at times.”

“Is that why you never kidnapped me or forced yourself on me?” Her voice wavered as she asked the hard question. They had touched on it before, but it had been a reoccurring fear of hers back then.

Tenderly, Kish reached up and cupped her cheek. “Oh, Kitten. I’m so sorry. That I instilled a fear of that back then. I never would have. Not only because of my people’s laws, but mostly because I cared too much about you to ever do that to you. I couldn’t bring myself to truly hurt you in our fights, how in the Abyss could I ever hurt you like that? I may have fantasized about being intimate with you, but you were always a willing partner in those dreams.”

Leaning into his hand, she turned her head and placed a tender kiss to his palm. When her eyes locked with his, she finally spoke, “When you put it like that, then I guess it was silly of me to have ever thought that of you. And now, I could never imagine you doing something so cruel to me. I see how much you love me, have always loved me.”

His eyes softened as he drew her down for a slow, soft kiss. When he pulled back, he smiled up at his mate. “No, Ichigo. You weren’t being silly at all. My jealousy and possessiveness instilled a fear in you that I’m deeply sorry for. But it warms my heart that you see what you mean to me, what you’ve always meant to me. I love you, Ichigo. And again, I’m sorry.” Kish’s eyes drifted to the side in shame. It hurt deeply to realize he’d caused that kind of fear in his chosen.

Mimicking Kish’s usual move, Ichigo wrapped her fingers around his jaw and turned his face back to hers. Her soft brown eyes caught and held his golden gaze. “Kish. There may have been a time when, yes, the thought of you forcing yourself on me crossed my mind. Even to the point where it became a fairly common fear. But I forgave your actions, all your actions, a long time ago. Even before I had access to your heart and mind. You proved over and over that you genuinely cared. But you have to remember, I was a young teenage girl. And let’s face it, you were a bit demanding and overly handsy. Not to mention, possessive and flirtatious. Those thoughts couldn’t help but cross my mind at the time, especially with how powerful, and, well, how alien you were. And we were enemies. I didn’t know how far you might be willing to go or how evil you might truly be. But the more we fought and the more information I learned; it became clear you weren’t evil in the slightest. Maybe a bit cruel and crazy, but certainly not evil.”

Without a word, Kish drew Ichigo down and captured her lips in a soft, heartfelt kiss. The warmth of her love and acceptance glowed brightly within his chest. She’d done it again. Surpassed his expectations of her. The endless depth of her love and character would always be a confoundment to him. That she continued to love and accept him so completely still filled him with amazement. That someone like her could ever love someone like him would forever leave him in bewilderment. And that she had the audacity to think she wasn’t good enough for him. Absurd! The very notion that he was in any way better than her wanted to make him growl in outrage. No, if anyone was undeserving, it was he of her love.

Ichigo, though thoroughly enjoying their kiss, pulled back harshly, and glared down at him. “Don’t you dare, Kish. I didn’t share my old fears to hurt or punish you. Nor to belittle you. After thinking about it and hearing your words and thoughts, I stand by my earlier thoughts. We are equals. And both deserving of each other. We’ve both fought for this relationship in our own ways. Unfortunately, circumstances led us to be blind to each other’s struggles. Masaya blinded me to you. And distance blinded you to me. You told me that just the fact that you chose me makes me worthy. Well, I chose you. So that makes you just as worthy. The past is in the past. Leave it there. Don’t let it taint what we have now. I don’t.” Fire and resolve danced in Ichigo’s eyes as she stared down at him. Challenging him to deny or argue.

But Kish just stared at her dumbstruck. She had used his own words against him. And so thoroughly that it made his head spin. There was no way he could argue against a thing she had said. And though she had completely humbled him, which was a very rare occurrence, he was filled with pride in her. She was truly becoming a match for him in every possible way.

The gears in his head began to turn as a slow smirk slid over his features. “Oh, Kitten. The Palace isn’t going to know what hit them when they meet you.” An evil glint shimmered in his golden orbs. “I can’t wait to see the fireworks the first time one of those old goats pushes your buttons.”

“Kish!” she shouted as she smacked his chest. “Just what is going through that devious head of yours?”

He smirked, “Look for yourself.”

Her eyes grew large as his plan began to take shape and she was at the center of it. “I don’t know if I should be concerned at how you plan to use me or impressed with your scheme.”

A fang slipped between his lips, “Even I’m not dumb enough to ever use you, Kitten. Oh no. I’m, or rather, we’re just going to take advantage of some of your more boisterous and cunning attributes. Anyone who can so cleverly manipulate me will have a field day with those old coots on the council.”

“But you’re forgetting that I have an advantage with you. I’m in your head.”

His grin only grew, “That may be true now, but I’ve also been sifting through your memories. You learned how to read me way before we bonded. Your attention to detail is remarkable.”

Ichigo blushed, “It’s the cat genes. Makes me notice even the little things, but that was also after many battles and for self-preservation. I don’t know how that will work with what you’re scheming.” A glow lit up his eyes, a glow she hadn’t seen in a very long time. A glow reminiscent of the day he tried to get her to leave with him. A small shudder ran through her.

Kish blinked. “Sorry mate, didn’t mean to frighten you. Just got a bit excited.”

“What was that? Your eyes glowed like that before.”

He blushed sheepishly. “It’s a very, very rare ability. And only Pai knows, and my father knew that I have it. It gives me heightened perception. Almost like a glimpse into the future, but not the true future. I can see all possible outcomes of a specific event or thought I envision. Here’s an example: When I made the decision to try and get you to run away with me, using every bit of knowledge I had, my ability let me see all the possible outcomes. You saying no, saying yes, us fighting, or you running away, etc. And not only the outcomes, but also the probability of each of those possible outcomes. I used it back then to see if I even had a chance at convincing you to leave with me. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that was a possible outcome and a high one at that. Granted, you adamantly refusing was incredibly high, which is what ultimately happened.”

Ichigo’s jaw fell open as she gaped at Kish. “You’re saying that, in a way, you can see the future?”

He nodded, “Partially true. Like I said, I can see the possible outcomes of a singular event that I imagine. Usually, whatever has the highest probability is what happens, but not always. The ability uses only my personal knowledge. So, if I’m missing a crucial fact, the outcome may not align with anything I see. It’s part of why I pay attention to everything as much as possible and overly analyze everything. I can use that knowledge with that ability to give me an advantage. However, it has two serious drawbacks. As I said, if I’m missing some major information the ability is all but useless. Secondly, while using it, I’m completely vulnerable. If there are a multitude of outcomes, then I could be stuck in a trance from minutes to hours, to possible days. So, I must be very careful on both when I use it and on what. Not to mention, it’s incredibly draining.”

“So, what were you just looking at?” she asked hesitantly. It shocked her that he had used such a powerful ability on her. On something so trifle as to whether she would say yes to him when they were at war. When there were surely much more important things he could have been using such an incredible power on.

A scoff left his lips, “You were never a mere trifle. You were something incredibly important to me. And finding out that there was a chance you could have said yes, only strengthened my resolve. From then on, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that you cared in some way for me. Otherwise, that wouldn’t have been a possibility at all. The ability only uses facts, not opinions or desires. As for what I just looked at, I’ll explain later. I still have a lot to work out and there’s still plenty of time before we leave. But I will say, with your personality and abilities coupled with my knowledge and powers, we just may be able to root out all Deep Blue’s followers and silence them once and for all. For now, though, there’s one last clan for me to explain, seeing as how I got way off topic. Plus, we need to finish bathing. And there’s another matter we still need to discuss…” He trailed off as a slight cringe coursed through him. “We need to figure out what we’re going to tell your parents tomorrow.”

Ichigo bolted upright, her hand flying in front of her mouth. “Oh God! I completely forgot about that.”

Kish chuckled, “Well I certainly haven’t.”

“You declared war on my entire planet, and yet meeting my father scares you?” she teased.

“Better believe it, Kitten. He is your father. I’ve seen his temper and experienced yours. And I’m not entirely sure who’s is worse. And did I mention he’s your father? I’m not even arrogant enough not to realize this meeting could have a significant impact on our relationship. Even if you were to choose me over them if things go poorly.”

She flicked his nose, “Relax, I’m sure everything will be fine. My mom likes you and she’s very good at keeping my dad under control. I’m more worried on what to tell them exactly.”

Kish nodded, “If you say so. Still going to stay ready to teleport out of there.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes, “You’re a powerful alien General. My father should not scare you.”

Kish huffed, “I’m not scared of him per say. But of the problems he could cause for us. I also don’t want to let you down. I know how much you love your family. If they were to disapprove of me or us, it would break your heart. And, in turn, mine because I’d be the cause of your pain again.”

“Kish…,” she drew out his name. “Honestly, you have nothing to worry about. My parents have known about you since almost right after you left. I explained everything to them. And not once did they ever say anything mean about you. In fact, my dad even mentioned wanting to thank you for trying to save me from Deep Blue. So, enough worrying, mate.”

Sighing, Kish refolded his arms behind his head. “Fine, I’ll try and relax. And before we get into what we’re gonna tell them, let me finish explaining the last of the clans.”

Rolling her hand between them, Ichigo urged Kish to continue.

“The last clan, though not the smallest, is by far the weakest. But that’s because they are pacifists who refuse to partake in any form of physical fighting. The Water Clan is where the majority of our healers originate. My father’s mother was originally from the Water Clan, which may be why Sisa was such a powerful healer. Typically, healing abilities only manifest in females, though it’s not unheard of for a male to be a healer. Just very rare.” Kish’s eyes had unfocused momentarily at the mention of his sister, however, his voice stayed true and didn’t falter once.

A thought slid through Ichigo and Kish heard it, “Though the clan is made up of pacifists, they get left alone because all the tribes come to them for their healing. We also don’t have a monetary system. We trade items, food, or labor for goods and services. So, most clans offer the Water Clan food as tribute or payment for healings and future healings.”

“If your planet doesn’t use money, how did you figure out our system so easily?” Ichigo asked curiously. Her brain was swimming with all this new information. But she was still curious for more. It surprised her, this eagerness to learn. It was all just so fascinating. Everything was similar and yet so vastly different from all she knew.

Kish cocked one eyebrow then chuckled low. “You don’t think very highly of my intelligence, do you?”

Ichigo blushed and quickly stammered, “No! I mean, that’s not what I meant. Of course, I think you’re smart. You’ve been proving that. Maybe back then I thought you were a bit of an idiot.” Her words had become a bit of a ramble.

“Gee, thanks Kitten,” he muttered as he gazed at her through the lowered slits of his eyelids.

A teasing grin replaced Ichigo’s slightly panicked look. “It’s not like any of your plans or schemes ever worked back then.”

Molten gold gazed languidly up at the red head; a knowing sly smirk slid over his features. Catching her off guard, Kish had quickly pinned Ichigo beneath him once again. “Ah-ah. You’re forgetting that two of my plans did succeed.”

A squeak had escaped Ichigo’s throat when Kish had flipped their positions. Her eyes searched his deviously glowing amber orbs. She couldn’t remember a single time one of the alien’s plans had actually succeeded.

Kish’s smirk grew at her obvious confusion. He trailed a hand up her side and delicately cupped her cheek, “Can’t remember, Kitten?” His words were soft, teasing, and slightly seductive.

Finding herself snared within his glimmering gaze, Ichigo could only shake her head ‘no.’

Kish’s eyes momentarily flicked to her lips then recaptured her eyes. “I took you to paradise didn’t I?” A devilish grin grew as he watched her eyes grow wide.

She sputtered, “That was a dream! Not a plan!”

His thumb brushed across the blooming blush on her cheek. “I beg to differ, Kitten. It’s both. Sure, I dreamed of taking you to paradise, but I also planned it. I just may have ended up going the long way around. Just like I always planned to make you mine. Even if you had still been with that human boy, I would have done all I could to win your heart. I told you countless times, you were mine. So, yes, two of my plans did work. We’re mates.” His voice had shifted to a growl as he pressed his hips firmly between her thighs.

A whimper broke from Ichigo. Lifting a hand, she weakly pushed against Kish’s shoulder. “Kish! It’s late and you can’t possibly still want more?!” They’d already had sex twice today and both times had been exceptionally passionate.

A wickedness grew in Kish’s grin, “I’ve told you, Kitten, I’ll never get enough of you. And alien, remember? Enough stamina for days. And you did say I could make love to you all night long.” He tossed her a wink as he slid his hard member over her womanhood.

Ichigo gasped and a shudder rippled through her. She may be willing, but her body was worn out and tired. She gripped his upper arms, “I know what I said, but I’m tired, love.”

Kish pouted then leaned down to nuzzle his nose against her neck. “But Kitten, you sure I can’t tempt that luscious body of yours?” he whispered against her warm skin before trailing the tip of his tongue along the rim of her ear.

A small shiver worked its way through Ichigo. “K…Kish,” she stuttered.

“Hmn?” he murmured and rocked his hips sensuously against hers. Another gasp broke from Ichigo at Kish’s teasing. His teeth found that sensitive spot behind her ear and nibbled at the tender flesh.

“It’s…. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I’m tired!” she whimpered.

Though he wanted to pout, Kish gave her a soft peck to the cheek and smiled warmly down at her when he pulled back. “Alright, Kitten.” Lazily, Kish slid off her and reached for the soap and wash cloth. Lathering the cloth, he began to gently scrub his mate’s body.

Ichigo’s body melted against the incline. “Thanks love. And God’s that feels amazing,” she murmured with a smile.

Kish grinned and trailed the sudsy cloth over her round breasts. “Mmmm… I get to please my mate and get to run my hands all over this delicious body. I’ll take what I can get,” he winked playfully.

Ichigo could only roll her eyes as she rolled over to let Kish wash her back. She folded her arms and propped her chin atop them just above the water, “At least you being handsy comes in handy occasionally. Pun intended,” she snickered.

A deep rumble of a chuckle grew within Kish’s chest. “If I promise to behave, I’d be happy to show you just how amazing my hands can feel.” A sly grin appeared on his face. A deliciously wicked idea was beginning to take form in his devious mind.

Hesitation coated Ichigo’s response, “If you behave.” Thankfully, she couldn’t see how Kish’s face lit up. However, she could sense his happiness. Even under that, she could feel he was hiding some ulterior motive. But her curiosity won out. She wanted to see just what he had in mind. Besides, she had derailed his advances once tonight, she was confident she could do it again.

Excitement swelled within Kish as he dragged the soapy cloth over her back and shoulders. Tenderly, he continued to scrub down her body, paying close attention to the round swell of her rear. Before she could complain, he quickly moved on, even if his hands ached to continue to touch her there. After he had scrubbed her squeaky clean, he dropped the cloth on the side of the tub.

Starting at her calves, Kish firmly wrapped his hands around her soft flesh. Delicately, he began kneading her tense muscles. Very slowly, he worked his way up her legs. Just as he reached her thighs, he put his devious plan into action. With every press and squeeze of his hands, Kish subtlety released a bit of his energy into his mate’s muscles. Her energy would slowly rebuild, and her tiredness would disappear, leaving him free to seduce her yet again. And this time, she wouldn’t be able to say no to him.

Ichigo was in utter bliss. “I know I’ve already said this, but I swear your hands are like magic.” Then a thought struck her. “Wait… Are you actually using some sort of magic?” She quickly got the feeling that this was connected to what she had felt earlier from him. Not necessarily uneasiness, but more a weariness started to grow within her. She had grown accustomed to his devious and sly nature. Some hidden plan on his part wouldn’t surprise her in the least.

Kish stiffened for only a moment before he let his hands continue over her backside until they reached her lower back. Skillfully, he kneaded her tender muscles and continued to trickle his energy deep into her flesh. ‘She’s become a clever cat over the years,’ he thought to himself. He was surprised at how quickly she had caught on. Though she hadn’t quite fully realized his intentions, only suspected he was up to something. Schooling his voice to hide both his surprise and deceit, he answered her. “Years of practice, Kitten. Of course, my skills feel like magic.” He grinned as he allowed a touch of cockiness to slip into his voice. He’d skirted her question and was feeling rather pleased with himself. Until her next statement.

An unwanted shudder coursed through Ichigo. It may not have been his intent, but again he had reminded her of his intimacy with other women. And it hurt. She recoiled slightly from his touch. “I don’t need to be reminded that you’ve perfected your so-called art of seduction on other women,” she almost snapped.

Panic flared within Kish. ‘Shit! Backtrack. Backtrack fast you moron,’ he berated himself. He could feel the stab of pain in her heart at his careless comment. And when she’d pulled away, it had been a stab to his own heart. Hesitantly, he reached for her again and was greatly relieved when she didn’t pull away. With all the tenderness he could muster, he resumed massaging her back. “I’m sorry, Ichigo. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. That’s in the past, before I met you. I swear I haven’t really touched another female since I laid eyes on you.”

Ichigo rolled to her side and glared up at him, “What do you mean by ‘really’?”

He was on a roll tonight apparently. Drifting away from her, Kish ran a hand up and over his face and through his hair in frustration. His earlier plan coming apart at the seams thanks to his big mouth. Pushing himself further away, he settled onto the low bench of the tub. His eyes flicked first to her then drifted over the surface of the water. Sighing, “I told you; I’ve danced with some. Had my arms around their waists as I held them. Even kissed and been kissed by a few. Some flirtatious comments here and there. But that’s it. I swear, Kitten. I was heartbroken and thought I’d never see you again or at the very least that you’d never be mine. They were distractions. That’s all. But once they showed too much interest or wanted more than I could give, I handed them off to Tek. You were never far from my thoughts. I couldn’t truly betray you. I loved you too much. But there were times I thought about trying to move on. To try and forget you. There were times I even considered sleeping with some just to try and get you off my mind. As much as it pains me to admit that. But as you can see, that didn’t happen. I just couldn’t let you go. My heart wouldn’t allow me to. You’re my mate, Kitten. Have been to me for a very long time.”

Ichigo’s breath caught in her throat. He looked so dejected, and a flash of fear shimmered in his golden eyes before they turned away from her. She could feel how scared he was of losing her. How mad he was with himself over even attempting to get over her. And how furious he was with himself for hurting her yet again. But she was disgusted with herself for hurting him once again. For forcing him to endure another rejection from her, no matter how slight. Hadn’t she sworn to herself to never make him go through that again? Hadn’t she screamed and berated herself over this past year about how badly she had treated him? And here she was doing it all over again. She didn’t have a right to be upset with him. What had initially caused her anger and jealousy happened in the far past. And though what he had just admitted did hurt deeply, she couldn’t blame him. He’d said it himself; he had been heartbroken and had desperately wanted a reprieve from the pain she caused. And yet he hadn’t been able to. Her heart swelled. He’d admitted as much to her already, but now she could clearly see and feel the pain trying to move on had caused him. It was almost greater than the pain of losing her.

Slowly, Ichigo moved towards him and lifted a hand to his cheek. She tenderly caressed his cool skin until his eyes finally returned to hers. “No, Kish. I’m the one who’s sorry. I have no right to be upset with you. You’ve been completely honest with me. Haven’t hid anything no matter what I ask. Even when it’s painful for you.” Her hand slid down to cup the nape of his neck as she pulled herself into his lap. “I know you were with others before me. I need to leave the past in the past. But thinking of you with anyone else, no matter when, flips my jealousy switch. Even though I have no right after everything I put you through. And I absolutely can’t blame you for trying to move on. I wasn’t exactly kind or gave you any reason to hold onto hope. Though I’m beyond happy you did hold on. As selfish as that is.”

Feeling emotionally exhausted, Ichigo laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her nose into the crook of his neck. Breathing deeply, she inhaled his scent and whispered against his throat, “I’m sorry, mate.”

Her words were a single soft breath which tingled against his skin. Kish tentatively wrapped his arms around his apologetic mate. “Shh, Kitten. You have nothing to apologize for. It was my carelessness and stupid pride that hurt you once again. It seems like no matter what I do, I always end up hurting you. Maybe it would have been better if I had never returned. Then your life wouldn’t have been so turned upside down and I wouldn’t keep hurting you. Maybe it would be best if I left. Then I wouldn’t hurt you ever again.”

Though she could see and feel how heartbroken he was at that confession, an intense anger overtook her. Before she even realized what she was doing, the palm of her hand cracked against his cheek.

Kish’s eyes widened in shock as he slowly raised his hand to his reddening cheek.

“How could you?!” Ichigo nearly yelled in anger and heartbreak. “What happened to being mates? Of your promise to never leave my side? You say you don’t want to hurt me but leaving me would cause me the worst pain yet. I don’t think I could survive if you left me. Not now. Not after everything. You saw what happened when you pulled away before. I ended up in a coma for God’s sake. I can only imagine what would happen if I lost you or our connection now. Why, Kish? After how much you fought for me, how hard you tried to get me to be yours. Why are you so willing to give up so suddenly? Do you not love me anymore? Do you regret becoming mates?”

Shock continued to course through Kish as his arms tightened automatically around the trembling girl. “Oh Gods, no, Kitten. I love you so much it hurts. And the thought of never having you in my arms again feels like a thousand-pound weight crushing my chest. But I’m scared, Ichigo. What if I end up hurting you so badly that you leave me? What if you finally see how monstrous I can be? The thought of you leaving me is a pain more than I could bear. That maybe if I pushed you away first, I could eventually deal with it. But the thought of hurting you again, there’s no way I can deal with that.”

Anger still simmered in Ichigo, but a warmness was taking over as a wave of understanding tumbled through her at Kish’s heartbreaking confession. She resisted the urge to slap him again. Instead, she reached up and painfully tweaked his sensitive ear, “You really can be an astoundingly stupid alien.”

A hiss of pain left Kish’s lips as he pulled his ear from her grasp. Though he also couldn’t help the slight bit of arousal her touch had caused. “Ichigo…,” he growled low.

She shook her head. “I’ve already seen you at your worst. I mean, you tried to kill me multiple times, but I still forgave you. Or did you forget? And of course, we’re going to fight occasionally. This is us we’re talking about. Both stubborn and feisty to a fault. But I don’t care. Why? Because I love you. And the Kish I know would never let his Kitten go. Especially now that he holds my heart.”

Blinking, Kish looked down at the proudly grinning girl in his lap. Her eyes were still blazing with anger, but over that was a fiery determination and burning passion. Sinking down into their bond, he could see clearly how true her words were. She loved him. All of him. And she had no fear of him. Her only fear was losing him. She trusted him wholeheartedly and had complete faith that he would never truly hurt her. Especially to the point of making her want to leave him. She simply never would. She was bound to him beyond simply being mates. Her love for him ran that deep and it left him speechless. Finally gaining some of his composure back, he locked his amber eyes with her fiery chocolate ones. A small grin started to slip over his lips.

Ichigo’s smile grew. “There’s my cocky alien. Was starting to think I’d actually tamed you.”

Kish’s grin shifted to a smirk as he tucked a knuckle under her chin. “Not by a long shot, Kitten. The only thing you tamed was my heart. But you did remind me why I fought so hard for you.”

“And that is?” she prodded.

“That incredible heart of yours. And you’re right. The Kish you knew would never let you go. However, the man I am now not only would never let you go but would also see to your unending happiness. It was stupid of me to even think of leaving you. Bond or no bond, I wouldn’t have survived without you. Not after finally having you.”

“Like I said, dumb alien.” Quickly, she straddled his lap and rose up on her knees. She pressed her cheek to his and whispered into his ear, “I’m suddenly not so tired. And don’t think that I didn’t realize it’s because you poured some of your energy into me with those magic hands.”

He chuckled and nuzzled against her cheek. “Figured me out, hmm?”

She giggled, “You still may be sneaky, but I’ve got a direct line to your heart now. Not to mention your mind. Not so easy to fool me anymore.”

“Technically, that’s the first time I’ve ever tried to fool you. I’ve told you before, I’ve never lied to you. Maybe kept things from you, but never actually lied to you. And I didn’t even lie this time. Just didn’t completely answer you.”

“Well mister honesty, swear to me that you’ll never do that again. Swear that you’ll never even think of abandoning me ever again.”

“You have my word, Ichigo. And you know I always keep my word,” Kish swore as he kept his eyes locked on his mate’s.

Ichigo gave him a soft, slow nod. “Then care to show me just how much you still love me, or do you still want to leave me?” she whispered in his ear just before reaching up with both hands to massage the base of both his ears.

Kish’s eyes widened and his hands clamped down tight on her hips. A groan slipped past his lips as they sought the pulse point of her neck. “Seductive little conniving cat,” he husked against her skin. Before she could answer, Kish had raised them both out of the tub and teleported them in front of the counter in the bathroom.

Setting Ichigo on her feet, Kish spun her around, so she faced the counter. He gathered her hands and placed them flat upon the cold black surface in front of her. Pulling her hips back just a touch, he spread her legs and leaned over her. With ease of practice, Kish slid his throbbing member deep into her damp channel. A quick yet steady rhythm was set, his hips joining hers in rapid succession. Leaning further over her back, Kish’s hands settled atop hers and he intertwined their fingers.

A deep moan flew from deep within Ichigo’s throat as her mate took her. She knew it was dangerous messing with his ears, but she just couldn’t seem to help herself. They were just too tempting. Besides, it wasn’t like she was complaining about the consequences. Oh no. Far from it. Her body was currently trembling in ecstasy. A deep rumbling growl caught her attention just as she felt Kish’s warm tongue caress the side of her neck. Flicking her eyes open, she looked up into the mirror before her. The sight made her gasp.

Glowing amber eyes filled with lust, love, and passion caught and held hers in the mirror. "That’s it mate. Keep your eyes open and on me. Watch as I lay claim to what’s mine. My mate." His mouth slid down her neck, his tongue trailing along her warm skin until he came to her shoulder. Without hesitation, he clamped his mouth down into the soft flesh. Fangs pressing down hard, but not quite hard enough to break skin. All the while, his piercing gaze stayed locked with hers.

His voice carried a thick rumble with a biting edge within Ichigo’s mind. It caused a shudder to travel through her quaking body. She was already starting to close in on that precipice. Even if he hadn’t told her not to, even if she’d wanted to, Ichigo found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the reflection of those glowing golden pools. They were so deep and clear. Truly a window to his very soul. A soul that was laid completely bare before her. And only for her. Lust, love, and passion were the clearest by far, but she could also see his need and desires. His desperation and happiness. His slight bit of worry and fear at possibly hurting her, but also his overwhelming joy and satisfaction that only she could give him. It was incredible how clearly she could read the emotions playing within the depths of those eyes. And she realized it was those eyes that had originally caught her attention all those years ago. Those eyes had both captivated and scared her. They were beautiful and yet terrifyingly cunning. They starred in both her dreams and her nightmares. Even over his odd ears and unique complexion, those eyes were singularly him.

Ichigo’s body shook. She had been so captivated and so lost in those golden depths that she hadn’t even realized she was at the brink of her orgasm. Her words were shaky and stuttered, “K…Kish. I…I’m s..so close.”

Kish grinned wickedly against her shoulder and bit down even harder, his fangs piercing her delicate flesh. With a renewed intensity, his pace picked up.

A scream tore through Ichigo. That bite had been painful. It hadn’t been on her mark, just an ordinary spot on her shoulder. But the intense pain coupled with his new speed pushed her over the edge and soon the pain faded behind the billowing warmth of her orgasm. Ichigo’s entire body shook and trembled. Her legs threatened to give out. She most likely would have collapsed had Kish not quickly released her hand to wrap his arm tightly around her middle in support.

Kish’s hips slammed forcibly into his mate. Bringing his other hand down, he pressed his palm against her lower abdomen. Pressing down hard on her front, Kish’s hips gave a hard final thrust, pressing deeply inside her. Finally, he succumbed to that blissful white-hot heat that exploded in his abdomen.

Ichigo shrieked Kish’s name as another, stronger, wave of ecstasy made its way through her system. With how Kish was pressing on her front, it made him feel like he had pushed deeper than ever before. It was both painful yet phenomenally wonderful. The pleasure pain combination was causing her orgasm to keep climbing and pulsing. It was incredible yet very disorienting. If Kish hadn’t had such a firm grip around her, she would surely have collapsed from the intensity of it all. It wasn’t quite the same as what he had done when he took her after she had pleasured herself, but it was similar. This wasn’t a new orgasm that was forced upon her, but rather her original one simply being pushed higher.

His own legs trembling, Kish gently slipped from his mate, causing her to gasp. Carefully, he unlatched his jaw from her shoulder. The bite was still bleeding, and a dark bruise had already begun to form. Tenderly, he lapped at the bite, removing all traces of her blood. However, pain gripped his heart when she hissed in pain. He became angry with himself for hurting her once again. An intense need burned within him. A need to take away her pain, to remove the wound marring his mate’s beautiful body. An all-encompassing warmth grew within his chest. A searing white light engulfed Ichigo’s shoulder and Kish had to squeeze his eyes shut against the brightness. In a matter of seconds, it was over. At Ichigo’s gasp, Kish opened his eyes.

Ichigo had no idea what just happened. Kish had been licking at his bite when she had felt his deep remorse at hurting her again. But she honestly hadn’t been bothered by the bite. Sure, it had hurt, but it was just a dull ache now. And she knew it was her fault from messing with his ears. Secretly, she was even thrilled by it. That she could make him lose control so easily. That she could revert him to his primal emotions. To see him become so possessive of her that he literally sunk his teeth into her. It actually made her proud. But then suddenly her shoulder had begun to warm and tingle before a blinding light had surrounded it. As soon as the light faded, it took with it the tingling and the pain. Once she could see her shoulder again, she gasped. Not only had the pain disappeared, but so had the bite. Her shoulder was completely healed like there had never been a bite to begin with. She was about to say something to Kish when he suddenly dropped to his knees.

Spinning around, she quickly knelt before her mate, searching for anything that may be wrong. She couldn’t help it as another surprised gasp left her lips. For there on Kish’s shoulder was his bite in exactly the same place it had been on hers.

An overwhelming sense of weakness had engulfed him, and his legs had buckled. Dropping to his knees, his hands slid to the floor in an attempt to keep himself upright. His whole body felt weak and drained, like he had used every ounce of power he had. His shoulder also burned and ached. “Wha… What happened?” he finally managed to stutter out.

“I was hoping you could tell me. Think you can stand?” Ichigo said with confusion clear in her voice.

"In a moment maybe. Feel too weak to do anything but sit here right now," he admitted weakly. His shoulder began to throb, and he gingerly reached up to cup it. A hiss left his lips when he made contact. Pulling his hand away, he saw specs of red coating his palm. His blood. ‘I’m bleeding?’ he questioned himself. He didn’t remember cutting himself, though his thoughts were a bit hazy in his current weakened state.

"Yes, you are," Ichigo’s soft voice soothed over his muddled thoughts. "And as soon as you can stand, I’ll show you why."

A grim determination settled onto Kish’s features as he forcibly pushed himself off the ground. He started to wobble, but he felt Ichigo slip under his arm and wrap her arm around his waist. She supported him as he slowly rose to his feet. Once he was fully standing, he heard her voice again, "Look in the mirror." Without hesitation, he obeyed her. He was shocked by what he saw, but with the sight came a sudden understanding of what had happened and why he felt so drained. A small grin twitched at the corner of his lips.

Ichigo noticed this change in him right away. “Care to explain how your bite is now on your shoulder?”

Confusion and curiosity were clear in both her words and her eyes, but beneath that, Kish could sense frustration or anger. He wasn’t sure which exactly until he paid close attention to their connection. He couldn’t help but chuckle at his adorable mate. She was actually upset that he had removed his bite. Weakly, he tugged her towards the bedroom. "I’ll explain in a minute, Kitten. Right now, we both need to get to bed. We still have another big day ahead of us tomorrow and we both need to rest."

With a sigh, Ichigo supposed he was right. She was exhausted and by how heavily he was still leaning on her, she knew he was beyond exhausted and weak. One step at a time, she led her drained mate to the side of their bed.

As soon as they reached the bed, Kish closed his eyes. Dredging up the last of his energy, he snapped his fingers. Both he and Ichigo were now dry from their bath. Quickly, before his legs fully gave out, he climbed into bed. Stretching out under the covers, he sank back into his soft pillows. He smiled when he felt Ichigo crawl in with him and curl up along his side, her head resting on his chest. His arm quickly wrapped around her and held her close. Just before he nodded off, he slipped into her mind.

Almost instantly, Kish found his arms full of an overly concerned Kitten. Chuckling at her antics, Kish scooped her up and settled onto the couch with his mate held possessively in his lap. “I suppose you want some answers, hmn?” he teased.

Ichigo nodded enthusiastically.

“Alright, alright. I’ve told you our bond grants gifts that shared between us, like our telepathy and emotional connection. Well, I just tapped into another. My shame for hurting you again made me wish to remove your pain. The bond answered and I took your pain and wound upon myself.”

Ichigo was in awe. This bond of theirs just kept growing and changing. A touch of worry crept into her mind, but before she could dwell on that worry, Kish’s strong arms tightened around her.

“Relax, Kitten. This is completely normal. It just caught me off guard. Our bond is much further along. This sort of thing usually happens several years after mating. But everything is fine. In fact, this is amazing news.”

Interrupting him, “How so?”

A prideful grin slid across Kish’s face, “Because, it’s just one more thing that shows our bond is meant to be. Not to mention, how powerful our bond is. I’ve never heard of a new bond being this strong. Our bond is incredibly rare and special, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but smile at Kish’s happiness. “Is there anything else I should prepare myself for concerning our bond?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve told you the basics, but all bonds are unique. Telepathy, emotional sharing, healing, and power sharing are common, but other things could happen. I’m no expert on bonding or mating, so I’ll be learning right along with you.”

“You mean we could still have more surprises ahead of us?” Ichigo asked with concern. She wasn’t sure if she could handle anymore. Things seemed to be getting more and more complicated. A small part of her almost wished for the earlier simplicity, before she became Kish’s mate. But a glance at the sincere and knowing look he was currently giving her, chased that thought away. She wouldn’t trade what they had for the world. Besides, this wasn’t much different than when she became a Mew Mew. Everything was new and strange then as well and her powers grew and changed in new ways just as their bond was.

Kish grinned. He’d been following her train of thought, and though he was a bit concerned with her initial reaction, he quickly became filled with both relief and pride. His Kitten could truly be remarkable at times. He was once again blown away at her easy acceptance as well as her continued uncanny ability to overcome any obstacle. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together. But don’t worry too much. Bonding abilities are nothing to be nervous about. They only strengthen us as a pair or enhance our current capabilities. But enough, mate. We both need to rest. There’s a big day tomorrow and I for one want to make sure I’m in peak condition when we see your parents.”

“Seriously? You’re still worried about that? I just found out my life and body could continue to change thanks to us mating, but I’m fine. And yet you’re the one petrified to meet my parents.”

The teasing lilt in Ichigo’s voice struck a nerve within Kish. Plus, when she put it like that, he began to feel slightly emasculated. Sitting up a little straighter and inhaling a deep breath, Kish shot Ichigo a slight glare. “Once again, I’m not scared of your parents. In case you forgot, I stood up to my god for you.”

Ichigo held a hand up to cover her snicker. “There’s my arrogant and egotistical mate. Just be your usual calm and confident self and everything will be fine. And let me do most of the talking. Oh, and keep both your hands and flirtations to yourself. I need you on your best behavior.”

Kish huffed and rolled his eyes. “Fine. Anything else, my lady?”

His voice may have held a touch of sarcasm, but Ichigo knew he was being serious and understood her desires. “Nope, that’s about it.” A large yawn escaped her mouth. “I guess you’re right. Time for bed. I don’t think I can stay focused any longer.”

Kish chuckled, “When are you going to realize, I’m usually right?” Her eye roll didn’t go unnoticed. “Stop fighting me, Kitten. And stop fighting your tiredness.”

“You? Never. Sleep on the other hand…,” she trailed off as she leaned up and gave her mate a quick peck to his cheek. “Night, Kish.” Snuggling against his chest, she closed her eyes and succumbed to blissful sleep.

A grin had slid across Kish’s lips. His Kitten was always so defiant, especially when it came to him. Though, she always knew just when to submit. She pushed him just to his edge every time before she would instantly calm him with her submission. ‘And she says I keep her on her toes,’ he thought. They were a perfect match. Something he had seen from the very beginning. And he knew without a doubt his future days would never be boring or dull with her by his side. He wrapped his arm tightly around his stubborn mate. Even without her fiery temper and stubborn streak, just having her love fill his heart would be enough to keep him beyond happy until the end of his days. The rest was just an added bonus.

He delicately cupped her cheek. “Sorry about earlier. This time you were right. I was being a fool and a complete idiot again. There’s no way I could ever survive without you. I tried that for four years and I was miserable. And you’re also right, now that you’re mine, I could never let you go. You’re mine, Ichigo. Forever,” he softly whispered before placing a gentle kiss to her crown.

"You may be a dumb alien, but you’re my dumb alien. Now hush so I can sleep."

Her voice had momentarily shocked Kish because he was certain she had been asleep. But then he quietly chuckled at her words. Since day one, she had always called him a dumb alien, and this time her words rang true. "Goodnight, mate," he whispered before letting sleep claim him as well.

A loud ringing startled Kish awake. Flicking his eyes around his room, he zeroed in on Ichigo’s cell phone buzzing loudly on his desk. Nudging his sleeping mate, “Kitten, your phone. Make it stop.” He grumbled with a large yawn.

Ichigo cracked her eyes open and winced at the shrill tone coming from her phone. Pouting, she stumbled out of bed and reached for the annoying device, mentally planning to murder whoever was waking her up on her day off. Swiping the answer button, she held it to her ear and groggily answered.

“Ichigo, dear, I’m sorry if I woke you. I know you usually have Sundays off. But that’s part of why I’m calling. I was surprised you didn’t come home last night. Though that isn’t the main reason I’m calling. I saw you on the news last night. Someone snapped a photo of you climbing down Tokyo Tower with that alien following you. I thought you said he was a good guy now. The news is all a buzz with worry that there’s going to be more attacks. Tell me what’s going on.”

Her mom’s voice was panicky and had Ichigo snapping fully awake. “Whoa. Whoa. Calm down mom. Everything is fine. Kish and I were just having a bit of fun for old time’s sake. I had no idea anyone saw us. I promise he is good and on our side. And he’d never hurt me, of that you can be absolutely sure.”

“You mean it, Ichigo? You’re safe and he’s not here to attack again?” Though she sounded worried, a noticeable trace of relief seeped into her words.

“I promise, mom. In fact, I was going to call you today to see if Kish and I could come over for a while and then stay for dinner. You wanted me to properly introduce him to you and dad. Plus, there’s some things I need to tell you.” Ichigo’s voice wavered slightly at the end. Now she was starting to feel nervous about talking to her parents and introducing her mate. But before her nerves could take root, two strong pale arms slid around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze. She knew he had sensed her worry and had quickly come to her aid as always.

“That would be lovely dear. Not only would I love to officially meet your boyfriend, but your father’s been worried sick ever since he saw the news this morning. Going on and on about his baby girl having to fight again. I tried to assure him that the news must have gotten it wrong, but you know how your father gets. What time should we expect you and him?”

Ichigo felt Kish stiffen behind her when her mother brought up her dad. She leaned into him, offering him what comfort she could now. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was just after ten am. “How about around three? That will give us a couple of hours to talk, then, if things go well, we can stay for dinner.”

“Sounds good. Anything special you want for dinner? Or anything your boyfriend particularly likes or dislikes?” Sakura asked. She wanted to make a good impression on this boy that her daughter loved. Something told her it went beyond a crush or simply puppy love. Call it a mother’s intuition if you will, but she had a feeling this Kish was going to be a permanent fixture in her daughter’s life.

“Umm… Well now that you mention it, he’s not too keen on meats or anything overly processed. I know he likes fish and he’s got a bit of a sweet tooth.”

"Particularly for strawberries, Kish slid into her mind.

Ichigo rolled her eyes.

“Then how about I make one of your favorites? Grilled Teriyaki salmon, rice balls, and a wild field green salad with candied walnuts, dried strawberries, and a strawberry vinaigrette. And I’ll make something special for dessert.” Sakura was getting a teensy bit excited. Not only would she be able to officially get to meet the new man in her daughter’s life, but she was getting to go all out with cooking. It had been a while since she’d been able to put together a fancy meal that wasn’t for either Ichigo’s or her husband’s birthday.

“Geeze mom! You’re making my mouth water. We’ll see you at three. I love you. Oh, and please try to control dad. I don’t want him going overboard,” Ichigo pleaded.

Sakura giggled, “I’ll see what I can do, but that news report didn’t help. But I can promise he won’t be making any threats if he knows what’s good for him. Love you, darling. See you at three.” With that, Sakura hung up the phone. Grabbing her keys, she headed to the front door. “Honey, I’ll be right back. I’m heading to the grocery store. Ichigo is coming home later and bringing her boyfriend for dinner. And I want you on your best behavior.” Before Shintaro could utter a single word of protest, Sakura quickly hurried out the door.

Slowly, Ichigo set her phone down on Kish’s desk. “Welp, it’s set. I get to introduce you to my parents at three. And then I get to try and explain our engagement and possibly a bit about being mates. Though, I’m not even sure where to begin with that. Not sure if I’m ready to let them know we’re sleeping together. Then discuss the wedding and about me going home with you for a while. Urgh… Now I’m starting to freakout.” Kish’s chuckle over her shoulder caught her attention. Spinning on him, she poked him in the chest, “Don’t you dare laugh at me. You were just as freaked out yesterday.”

Without warning, Kish scooped her up and tossed her onto their bed. “Then allow me to take your mind off things,” he purred with a wicked grin. His eyes trailed down then back up her body. Those golden orbs becoming molten as he took her in.

Ichigo realized they were both still naked when she saw his eyes travel over her hungrily. Leaning back on her hands, she watched him as he started to crawl onto the bed and towards her. “One track mind, I swear. You know, there are plenty of other things we could do besides have sex.”

Crawling atop her, he pinned her with his heated stare. “Ah, but Kitten, you know how addicted I am to the feel of that luscious body of yours wrapped around me. And you can’t deny how much you enjoy it when I pleasure you. Especially when I use my tongue,” he winked as he licked his lips.

Pink tinged Ichigo’s cheeks as a warm ripple of anticipation traveled through her. However, Ichigo wasn’t really in the mood. She and Kish needed to discuss exactly what they were going to say. She wanted no surprises and to be sure they were both on the same page. A part of her worried that one of them may say something that would upset her parents, jeopardizing their plans. Even though no matter what happened, she was still resolute in her decision to accompany Kish home. And the wedding technically couldn’t be stopped since they were already married in Cyniclon culture.

Sighing, Ichigo leaned up and gave Kish a peck on the cheek. “As wonderful as that sounds, I’m going to have to decline. There’s too much to talk about. And fretting over my parents doesn’t exactly scream romantic mood.”

Kish leaned down and kissed along her jaw, “Which is why the point is to get your mind off them. And onto something much better. Like me.” That cocky, arrogant smirk was back in full force.

Rolling her eyes, Ichigo reached up and loosely wrapped her arms around Kish’s neck. “You do realize that’s completely redundant, right? Even when you’re not actually in my mind, you’re on my mind pretty much twenty-four seven. Besides, I can think of many other things we can do together that doesn’t involve sex.”

“Maybe. But pleasuring my mate is so much more enjoyable than anything else,” Kish whispered just before nipping her ear.

Starting to get annoyed with her overly persistent mate, Ichigo crossed her arms and shot him a glare, her mouth set in a hard line.

The look was clear, and Kish knew he wasn’t winning this round. With a dramatic sigh, he flopped to the bed beside her. Folding his arms behind his head, “Fine. So, what would you like to do?”

She caught the slight tinge of annoyance and frustration in his huffy pout. Ichigo bit her lips as she wracked her brain for something they could do. Then a brilliant thought struck her, and she let out a happy squeal. “I know just the thing!”

Kish winced at the high-pitched squeal. Rolling to his side so he could look at her, he propped himself up on an elbow. “And that would be?”

Copying him, Ichigo rolled onto her side so she could face him. She tapped a finger to her lips. “Well… You mentioned the idea of teaching me how to use your sais. Was the offer serious?”

Excitement took root within Kish. She really was perfect for him. “Heh… Of course it was Kitten. And it would be my pleasure to train you. But are you sure? You know how riled up I can get when I see you get riled up,” he winked.

Ichigo rolled her eyes yet again. “This won’t be like our last spar. It’s just a training session, so down boy.” Seeing some of the twinkle leave her mate’s eyes, she amended her statement. “And while you put me through my paces, we can discuss what we’re going to say tonight. And, if we get everything figured out with lots of time to get ready, I just may let you pick up from where we just left off.”

That mischievous twinkle came back in full force. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Kitten. But I won’t go easy on you. I know how capable of a fighter you already are. I’m an instructor at the Academy back home from time to time. I’ll train you just the same as one of my men.”

A confident grin slid over Ichigo’s lips. “Good. You know I can handle it. Besides, I was serious about wanting to learn. Not only could it come in handy, but it would probably improve my overall fighting anyway. Never know when I may need to defend the planet from some dumb aliens bent on destroying us poor humans,” she teased.

Kish laughed, “Oh I know you can handle yourself. And you’re already one Abyss of a fighter. However, anyone ever tries to attack you or this planet, and it won’t be just the Mews they’ll be facing. Not only can you be damn sure I’d be at your side, but Pai and Tart will be as well. And if the threat were big enough, you’d have my army as back up. Anyone who dares to threaten my mate or anything she cares about won’t live long enough to regret it.”

Though she could feel the honesty and true conviction behind his words, Ichigo couldn’t help but ask, “Do you mean that, Kish? If my planet was threatened, would you really stand at my side to help defend it?”

He didn’t even hesitate, “Absolutely! Tart and I may live on this ship while here, but I know I speak for both of us when I say this place has become a second home to us. You forget, the three of us did spend over a year here. We may have been disgusted with what you humans have done to it, but even we made some fond memories here. And this was my people’s original planet. But more importantly, this is your home. Something that you care deeply for and have family and friends here that you love. So, for that reason alone, I would defend it to the death if I had to. You will always have my heart and my sword.”

A lone tear trickled down Ichigo’s cheek just before she launched herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Thank you,” she mumbled against his chest.

Wrapping his arms around his emotional mate, “You should have known that already, Kitten.”

“Heh… Yeah, I suppose I did. But it’s different to hear you actually say it. And do you really think Pai and Tart would help? I mean, I could see Tart, but Pai? Really?”

Kish smirked knowingly. “Without a doubt. Both their future mates are here too ya know. Even if one is too stubborn to do anything about it yet.”

“Ya know, maybe we could talk Lettuce into coming with us? And if not, there is always the possibility of trying to convince Pai to come back with us when we return.” Her own mischievous smirk took over Ichigo’s face as the thought of getting to play match maker took hold of her sometimes overly girlish brain.

Kish could only shake his head. “Oh no. If you want to get involved, that’s on you. I know better than to meddle in Pai’s personal affairs. Learned the hard way on that more times than I care to admit.” Big round eyes looked up at him from where his mate lay beside him. “Nope… Not gonna happen.” He tried to stay firm. He really did…

“But Kish…,” Ichigo pouted, drawing out his name.

Suddenly, all his resolve went out the window. “Fine. But when Pai threatens to kill me, you get to turn that sweet little innocent act on him as you beg for your mate’s life. Now come on you conniving cat. Time to get dressed so I can run that beautiful body of yours through its paces.” Not waiting for a response, Kish rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of loose black pants and his mesh undershirt from his wardrobe. Tugging on his boots, he headed in to use the bathroom and pull his hair back.

Ichigo stuck her tongue out at Kish’s back as he got dressed. With a pouting sigh, she finally pushed herself out of Kish’s comfy bed. Making her way to her dresser, she put on the same outfit she wore before their spar. ‘I really need to get some more clothes from my room,’ she thought to herself as she slipped on her sneakers. When Kish came out of the bathroom, a smile lit up her face. “You really are going to keep them,” she said gesturing to his two red-banded tails.

Kish flashed her a toothy grin, “Well, there’s this beautiful Kitty-cat that said she missed them. So, who am I to deny my biggest fan?” An eyeroll and a stuck-out tongue was what he got in response which made him laugh all the way to the training room. An outwardly annoyed, but secretly pleased, cat-girl following after him.

“You’re still keeping your elbows in too tight,” Kish growled in frustration. “Loosen them up.”

“But you said to keep them in tight to my body,” Ichigo snapped back just as frustrated. Things had been going smoothly during the initial lessons, but when Kish had started to show her actual moves, she became lost. Without even trying, Kish could block her attacks or easily disarm her when she tried to defend.

“No, I said to keep it tight when defending but to let your body move when attacking. Sais are very close-range weapons, meaning you’ll be up close and personal with your adversary. When defending, keep yourself as small as possible. Makes it harder for the enemy to land a hit and easier for you to move your sais to cover your vulnerable spots. When attacking, leave your body loose so that as soon as you see an opening you can take advantage,” Kish explained as he moved her arms into the correct position for each stance.

Ichigo pulled herself away from him. “I just can’t do it. I’m not fast enough to switch my hold that quickly,” she huffed as she plopped down on the bench in aggravation. This shouldn’t be that hard. She’d fought close quarters with Kish many times with her own weapons and never had this much trouble keeping up.

“Ichigo, I have students who are only half as quick and agile as you, and they don’t struggle this much,” he said handing her a bottle of water as he took a seat next to her. He just couldn’t understand. Her reflexes were a mere miniscule slower than his own. She should not be having this much difficulty picking up combat with his sais.

They’d been at it for almost two hours. Ichigo had quickly mastered how to hold and position her hands and the sais. Kept them well balanced in her grip. Knew precisely when to keep her wrists loose or stiff depending on the circumstance. It was the follow through where she hit the wall. It was like there was a disconnect between her body and hands.

“That’s not encouraging,” she snapped at him. “Urgh…. I’m copying what you showed me perfectly. I know I am. Maybe I’m just not cut out for real weapons.”

Kish suddenly jumped to his feet and clapped his hands. “That’s it!”

Startled, Ichigo’s ears and tail popped out as she hissed at Kish. “Gah! Don’t do that! And what’s it?”

Spinning to face her, Kish was wearing a stupidly large cocky grin. “When you first became a Mew, did anyone actually teach you how to fight?” he asked with a knowing glint in his eye.

Ichigo shook her head. “No. I just kind of did what felt natural or what my instincts were telling me to do.”

Kish only grinned wider, his fangs slipping over his lip. “Then there’s your problem. You’ve been too busy watching me and trying to copy what I’m showing you. You’re not listening to what your instincts are telling you. We’re similar in that way. We’re both natural, instinctual fighters. You need to use what I showed you as a guideline but fill in the rest with your own style. With what your instincts are saying.” At her confused look, Kish grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. He led her back to the middle of the room. Summoning his sais, he placed them in her hands. Stepping behind her, he slid his hands down her arms and gently grasped her wrists. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, “Now, close your eyes. Feel my guidance, but anytime something feels off to you, let your body correct itself. I want you to imagine I’m attacking with my sais. My right is drawn high, but my left is low. Now, move to block.”

A warm tingle spread through Ichigo at Kish’s body pressed along her back and with his warm breath fanning her neck. But she pushed those thoughts and desires aside for now. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on what he told her to do. Allowing her instincts to the surface. She allowed him to position her arms, but the second something felt wrong, she shifted to what felt more natural. Kish’s light touch allowed her freedom but kept a gentle guidance. It allowed her to follow his instruction and keep the correct form without losing herself in the process. She could almost feel Kish’s smile against her neck when she moved fluidly and correctly.

“Very good, mate. I think you’re getting it. Now shift to attack. Imagine I’ve dropped my guard on my left side.” When she moved flawlessly into position he couldn’t help but place a soft kiss to her neck. “Perfect,” he whispered.

Ichigo shuddered. She couldn’t help it. With her instincts in control, her body was naturally reacting to her mate’s presence. Shaking her head to try and clear her thoughts, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “You get this up close and personal with all your students?” she teased.

Kish grinned, “Only with the beautiful ones.” He gave her a wink. But he wasn’t prepared for her elbow slamming back into his side. Wincing, “Okay. I probably deserved that one. But I was referring to you.”

“Uh-huh…,” she muttered stepping slightly away from him.

“Anyways, I think you’re ready to try facing me again. Remember, use what I’ve shown you, but make it your own. Let your body shift when it feels natural, don’t try to force it.” Picking up his practice sais, he took up position in front of her again.

For the next hour, Kish subjected her to all kinds of scenarios. She still messed up now and then, and she wasn’t anywhere near Kish’s skill level with sais, but she had improved by leaps and bounds. She could now almost hold her own against him. Even managing to land a lucky hit, much to both his annoyance and pride. Once she found her groove, they began talking about her parents. It was a way to teach her to fight while being distracted as well as needing to be done. By the time they both collapsed on the bench in exhaustion, Ichigo felt comfortable with sais and they had sorted out all the details about what to say to her parents.

“Gods, I’m sore,” Ichigo whined as she stretched her arms and legs out.

Rolling his shoulder to work out the stiffness that was settling in, he nodded in agreement. “Same. But you did amazing, mate. It won’t be long before you might even match my skill. If you keep working at it, I’d say maybe a year or two you’ll be on my level,” he teased.

She smacked his shoulder.

“Hey! That’s my bad shoulder!” he complained with a wince. “I was only partially joking. It may not take that long. You really are a natural when it comes to fighting. But sais are my soul weapons. Literally born to use them and I’ve been training with them since I was ten and with daggers and swords for even longer. You’re not going to catch up overnight.”

She glared at him, “I know that. But doesn’t mean you have to be so damn cocky about it. A little praise wouldn’t kill ya.”

Kish rolled his eyes and pulled her into his lap causing her to squeal in protest. “I’ve given you plenty of compliments, mate. You just don’t like to listen. You’re amazing. One of the best natural fighters I’ve seen. Could probably handle most of my students. Even most of my trained warriors. And that’s just using sais. With your own weapons you could probably beat everyone in my army in one-on-one combat. How’s that for a compliment?” he growled against her neck before nipping behind her ear.

Ichigo blushed deeply and tried to pull away. “Kish! I’m all hot and sweaty! But thank you. I know I have a long way to go. But with you as my teacher, I know I’ll be one of the best.”

A low rumbling growl filled Kish’s chest at her praise and a wicked smirk lit up his face. “Mmm. Hot and sweaty is just how I like you. And such high praise from my little Kitty-cat. I think my Kitten deserves a reward for her hard work.” A mischievous glint sparkled in Kish’s golden eyes as his lips captured hers. At the same time, his hands found hers and tugged them behind his back, pulling her body flush to his.

Arching back, Ichigo struggled against Kish’s hold, however his grip was too strong. In her struggle, she managed to throw not only her balance off, but Kish’s as well on the narrow bench. They both tumbled to the floor. She landed on her back beneath her grinning mate.

He snickered, “We seem to end up like this a lot, don’t we Kitten? If you wanted more then a kiss, all you had to do was ask.” Shifting his weight, he pinned her arms beside her head. He glanced up at the clock above the door. Twelve-twenty-seven, plenty of time before they were to go to her parents. Before she could protest, he sealed his lips over hers once again. When he felt her start to relax and her tail brush along his thigh, he released one arm and reached up to gently rub the base of one of her furry black ears. He smirked into the kiss when he felt the rumbling purr begin in her chest. After a quick nip to her bottom lip, Kish pulled away and floated to his feet. Pulling her to her feet, he scooped her up and disappeared.

They reappeared in their bathroom and with a snap of his fingers, their sweaty clothes fell to the floor, leaving them both naked. Kish stole another quick kiss then headed to the bathtub. He began filling it with hot water. While he waited, he ran his eyes up and down his beautiful mate’s body.

Ichigo rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop her soft giggle. “And you call me the impatient one,” she teased. Her tail flicked lazily at her side as she returned the favor and let her eyes travel over her mate’s sexy body. She watched as he slid into the steaming water and when he beckoned to her with the curl of his long finger, she made her way to him slowly.

While his mate climbed into the tub, he made his way to the hidden shelf. Sliding his fingers over the silver indent, the shelf rose out of the black marble. Selecting a small silver bottle, he uncapped it and carefully allowed five drops of an oily blue liquid to fall into the water. After replacing the bottle, he used his hand to swirl the liquid into the bathwater. The water took on a deep blue tint and an oily rainbow effect appeared on the surface.

“What’s that?” Ichigo asked curiously as Kish stirred the water.

Kish glanced up and gave her a warm smile. “A strong muscle relaxing oil made from an extremely rare plant at home. A plant I actually discovered, and I created this oil. Only a handful of these bottles exist. I own most, but I gave a few to friends and family. It not only relaxes stiff muscles, but also revitalizes depleted energy. Comes in handy after hard workouts or intense battles.”

Ichigo looked at him in shock. “And you say I’m full of surprises. You invented this?” She could already feel the oil working as it seeped into her skin. Her stiffness was starting to dissipate, and the soreness was disappearing as a warm tingle traveled through her body. It reminded her slightly of the medication she took the other day. “It feels like that medicine I took after our spar. Don’t tell me you created that too?” She knew her mate was intelligent, but she had no idea he could do something like this.

Kish grinned and settled onto the incline, relaxing back with his arms crossed behind his head. “No. Pai created that. But I used his formula as a base for this oil. I knew the properties of the plant and adapted it with a bit of help from Tart. Chemistry may be my thing, but plants are his.”

“You three really do compliment each other don’t you? Was that done intentionally, or did it just happen that way?” she asked as she made her way to him. Sliding her body over his, she snuggled against him. Relaxing, she let the oil work its magic. She also didn’t miss the happy smirk that appeared on his face when her body covered his.

Moving one arm down, he wrapped it around her waist. He was beyond pleased that she had come to him on her own. So, he decided to play a little game. He would just barely tease or tempt, nothing too bold or forthright. He wanted to see how long it would take her to make the first move. He knew she wanted him, could feel the warmth of her desire thrumming through their bond. But they still had plenty of time. And he was enjoying this easy time with his mate. Plus, he secretly knew a bonus side effect of the oil. It increased arousal, but he kept that to himself for now.

“A bit of both. Our abilities are natural, but we each focused more heavily on specific things. Combat comes naturally to me, however Pai’s techniques are near flawless. If he could be more creative and think faster on his feet, he’d be damn near unbeatable. So, combat became my area of expertise. Leaving Pai to the more intellectual things. I also had an affinity for controlling and creating predacites and infusers. So, I ended up focusing a bit more on chemistry and biology. And combat ties in well with biology so it was a natural fit. We’re both good with tech but he tends to take over that stuff, and I let him for the most part. Pai also focused on healing. He’s not a healer by far, but his medical knowledge is nothing to scoff at. What he lacks in ability, he makes up for with that brain of his. Creating new medications and healing salves that made our battles with you Mews much more bearable. Tart’s impressive plant skills are great for both offense and defense. But the kid is way too emotional. Or sometimes the exact opposite. Because of his acute empathy, he tends to lock his emotions away. They become almost too much for him to bear at times. Especially with other’s emotions on top of his own. But that also comes in handy between the three of us. He tends to act more like a middle child, being the mediator between Pai and I, at least when he can control his childishness. Pai’s too by the book and tends to look too much at the end result instead of what’s happening now. And by now, you know how off the handle I can get. Basically, throwing the rule book completely out the window. Tart’s gotten good at finding the middle ground. Letting Pai state his concerns while letting me stay a bit unruly to get the job done. Pai’s the oldest and yet I’ve got a higher rank. Caused a lot of arguments between the two of us over the years, and Tart was always caught in the middle. But he found a way to use that.”

“It’s funny to hear you talk of them that way. Of how well you compliment each other. When we were fighting the three of you always seemed so at odds with each other. Pai always so cold and calculated. Tart overly energetic and sometimes even cruel. And you overly passionate and way too distracted. But hearing you break it all down like that also makes a lot of sense. Being able to look back on our fights more objectively, I can see what you mean. You three really do make a great team. And if it wasn’t for you falling for me, you three most likely would have beaten us easily since you would have all agreed with each other.” Ichigo was certainly thankful Kish had fallen in love with her. For she genuinely believed, that had they actually worked together, they would have decimated the Mews. They were far more powerful than they had ever let on. Tart was being held back by both Kish and Pai. Kish had held himself back for her sake, and even undermined Pai’s attempts to harm the Mews.

Kish chuckled and tucked her closer. “Possibly, but I’m definitely not complaining on how things turned out.”

A burning warmth was starting to spread through Ichigo. She chalked it up to the healing sensation of the oil. But when it started to pool in her lower abdomen, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from pressing herself closer to Kish’s body. And before she knew it, her hands had begun to roam across his cool chest. Raising her lidded eyes to his, she drummed her fingers against his sternum. “This oil of yours does more than just relax muscles and replenish energy doesn’t it?” She wasn’t a fool and she had quickly become accustomed to her mate’s more mischievous ways, especially when she or sex was involved.

‘Dammit,’ he thought to himself. ‘She’s getting cleverer and quicker.’ He was both impressed and yet also annoyed. He had been looking forwards to his little personal game. “Always gotta spoil my fun,” he pouted.

“I knew it. Though, and I might regret saying this, you should know by now that you don’t need any help getting me in the mood. You do just fine by yourself.” She tossed him a wink and crawled atop him, straddling his waist. Just because she knew about the oil’s effect, didn’t mean she cared enough to fight it. She did promise him after all.

Raising to his elbows, Kish hungrily drank in the sight of his mate atop him. “So, you’re not upset with me?” he asked hesitantly. He sucked in a breath when she shifted her hips and allowed him to slide within her.

“Does that answer your question?” she teased as she lazily began rocking her hips back and forth.

A fang flashing grin appeared as he sat up, settling his hands at the curve of her waist. “In that case…,” he trailed off as he flipped their position. “I do believe I was supposed to reward you for your progress today. Plus, help to take your mind off things. So, allow me the honor of taking care of my mate.” Without another word, Kish leaned down and captured her lips. His hands gripped and caressed her body where they could. His search almost desperate as he made love to his delicious mate.

“You sure I can’t talk you out of this?” Kish whined as he fidgeted in midair near her bed. They’d decided to teleport to her room because Ichigo wanted her parents to meet Kish as he was, meaning no glamor. That meant they couldn’t exactly come waltzing in through the front door. Besides, her parents already knew he could teleport and that he was an alien.

Rolling her eyes at him for the umpteenth time, Ichigo shot him a glare. “For the last time, you are going to meet my parents. Now relax already. You’re fidgeting is getting on my nerves.”

“I’m not fidgeting,” he huffed as he locked his hands behind his head.

“Uh-huh. Now remember, stay up here until I call you down. And use the stairs. I don’t need you appearing and scaring them half to death.”

It was Kish’s turn to roll his eyes as he smoothed his shirt down for the dozenth time. They may have agreed for him to come as he is, but Ichigo had talked him into wearing what he had worn when he took her out. Saying that it would be less intimidating and more familiar to her parents than his odd uniform. He had scoffed at her choice of words, but eventually gave in, wanting to make this as easy as he could for everyone’s sake. “I know. I know. And I promise to be on my best behavior. I do know how to act mature when need be.” He couldn’t help but stick his tongue out at her. It was just too tempting to be his usual contradictory self. Added bonus that he got to see that little scrunch between her brows at her frustration over his behavior. Too much fun. Yup, it was simply too much fun to push her buttons.

Ichigo closed her eyes and counted to ten. She knew precisely what he was doing. She was beginning to read and understand him almost as easily as he did her. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t still get under her skin. He was still the worst when it came to riling her up. Seemed to have an uncanny knack for it. Releasing her breath, she gave him a dazzling smile, “Not gonna work, love. But if you want to fight later, I’ll be more then happy to give you one.” She didn’t let him answer because her lips quickly covered his in a hurried peck. Tossing him a wink over her shoulder, she walked out her room and shut the door.

Kish just stood there staring at the back of the door for a few minutes before he smiled wide and fell back into the air, relaxing back with his arms crossed behind his head. His Kitten was getting better and better at handling him, and he couldn’t decide if he was pleased by this or annoyed. However, he couldn’t hide his happiness. It secretly thrilled him to the bone that she knew him so well. And that even though she still found him annoying, she was playing back. Gods, she really was perfect for him.

Drifting down, he hovered just inches above her bed and rolled over. He inhaled deeply, seeking the calm of her scent. When he found it, it did have the desired effect, but it also bothered him on an instinctual level for it was missing the underlying trace of his scent. She hadn’t been in this bed since they’d mated.

Stretching out on his side, he decided to relax and eavesdrop while he waited for Ichigo to call for him. Twitching his ears, he kept them strained on the voices below as well as closing his eyes to listen in on Ichigo’s thoughts.

Taking another deep breath, Ichigo headed down the stairs. She saw her dad in the living room, but quickly made a beeline straight for the kitchen and her mother. “Hey mom,” she greeted walking in.

Jumping, Sakura turned around quickly. “Oh, Ichigo! You startled me. I didn’t hear you come in,” Sakura said before continuing to prepare dinner.

“Sorry, Mom. You didn’t hear because I didn’t come through the front door. Kish brought me to my room. We figured that would be best because of who he is, or rather what he is. He’s waiting upstairs for me to call him down, but first there are some things that I need to tell you in private. Well, away from dad anyways.” Ichigo had started to ramble as her nerves started to get the better of her. After discussing it with Kish, Ichigo had decided to be completely truthful with her mother, specifically about them sleeping together. It would make it easier to explain their bond and how they were already technically married. But that didn’t mean it made telling her any easier.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Sakura turned around to face her daughter. “Just please tell me you used protection. I’m not quite ready to be a grandmother yet. Though I do want to be someday. I’d also rather you were married before I get that news.”

Ichigo’s face put her hair to shame, she was blushing so strongly. “But how? How do you know?”

“Oh sweetheart. I was young and in love once too. Besides, a mother knows these things. Do you really think I believed you were staying at the café when the love of your life just so happened to return? Give me some credit.” Sakura giggled at the deer-in-the-headlights look her daughter was giving her. “I’m worried about you, but not upset. Especially since you had the courage to come tell me. Even if you did initially lie, I understand why.”

Swallowing hard, Ichigo sucked in a deep breath to calm her discombobulated mind. She knew Kish was listening in when she could practically feel his smirk at what her mother had said. Doing her best to ignore him, she focused on her mom. “Well… Er… Yes. We’re sleeping together. And to answer your question, technically no. But you don’t have to worry. The males of his race can control their fertility, so there’s no risk of getting pregnant until we decide. And about the marriage thing. Well… That’s something we’re here to discuss. I wanted to explain things to you so you could help with dad later. But, technically, we’re already married by his people’s customs. Please don’t get mad,” she begged. “It just kind of happened. We didn’t exactly plan for it to happen this way, but it did. But he wants to marry me here by our traditions. And I said yes. Please, please, don’t be upset with him or disappointed in me. I love him, Mom. And this is what I want. What we both want.”

Feeling his mate’s worry and distress, he decided to ignore what they had agreed upon and appeared in the kitchen beside Ichigo. Carefully, he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her to his side. Turning, he locked his eyes with her mother. “I’m sorry we didn’t get your approval beforehand, but as Ichigo said, we didn’t plan this. It was my fault. If you need to be upset with someone, then blame me. But don’t take it out on her.”

Sakura crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. Her eyes continually drifted between her daughter and the strange man at her side. One thing was clear, with the way he was angling his body between her and Ichigo, he was protecting Ichigo. He was trying to shield her daughter from any pain. A pain he thought she would cause. That both angered and pleased her. It was plain to see that this alien loved her daughter very much, but she was also her little girl.

Sighing, Sakura eyed Kish long and hard. “I told you. As long as you keep her safe and happy, then you’ll have my support. I’m not mad. Just a bit disappointed that you didn’t come talk to me first, Ichigo. And I’m concerned. Don’t you think you two are moving a little fast?”

Ichigo hesitantly stepped around Kish, but her hand found his and intertwined their fingers. She was a tad angry that he hadn’t waited for her to call him, but she was also greatly thankful he hadn’t. She was drawing comfort and strength from him being at her side. Looking up at her mother, “I’m sorry, Mom. When he came back, things moved very quickly. But he’s loved me for almost five years, and I’ve cared about him for almost as long. It just took me a bit longer to realize I loved him as well. And, if you can keep an open mind, I’ll try to explain how we’re technically married and why things seem like they’re moving fast when they really aren’t.” When her mother nodded for her to continue, Ichigo gave her an extremely edited and simplified explanation of their mate bond. Starting with why Kish had returned and finishing with their decision to get married here.

By the end of it, Sakura had taken a seat in a kitchen chair, her cooking being momentarily forgotten. After letting everything sink in, she finally locked eyes with Kish. “You swear that this isn’t some ploy to use or hurt my daughter? That you really do love her? Ichigo’s told me some of the things you did in the past, how you treated her. And while I can understand your reasoning to an extent after what Ichigo explained, I won’t stand for the mistreating of my daughter. Me or her father. You hurt her and there will be hell to pay.”

Stepping in front of Sakura, Kish slowly and carefully summoned one of his sais. Placing it on the ground at Sakura’s feet, he put the toe of his boot atop it and held his right hand, palm down, above it. “This is my spirit weapon. As they name suggests, it’s made from a piece of my very soul. Please, place your hand above mine, palm up.”

Hesitantly, Sakura did as he asked.

“I swear an oath over my spirit weapon that I will never intentionally cause harm to your daughter. That I will love and protect her until the day I die again and longer if possible. This is the strongest and oldest vow those in the military can make amongst my people. If I should break it, my weapon would be forever snapped along with any bonds between you and I or me and Ichigo.” Kish flipped his hand over. “If you accept, then turn your hand over and grasp my wrist. Then say, ‘Oath accepted.’” Kish tried not to hold his breath as he waited. This kind of oath wasn’t to be taken lightly and to get rejected, while wouldn’t cause any true harm, would wound his soul greatly.

But Sakura didn’t make Kish wait long. She was impressed with both his sincerity and honor, and she could see the love and determination in his eyes. Without any hesitation, she flipped her hand over and grasped his wrist, “Oath accepted.”

Quickly, Kish covered their clasped hands with his other, “Thank you, Mrs. Momomiya. Your acceptance means a lot to me because I know how much it means to Ichigo.” With a shift of his hand, he dismissed his sai.

Sakura smiled and rose to her feet. Using their clasped hands, she pulled Kish into a tight hug. “It’s Sakura or mom to you. We’re family now. And I’ll keep my side of the deal as long as you keep yours.” Stepping back, she wiped her teary eyes. “I can’t believe my little girl is getting married. Now, is there anything else I need to know before I go prepare your father? I’ll do what I can to keep him calm, but you know how he is, sweetie. You know he’s going to lose it when the word marriage comes up.”

“Yeah… I know… There’s only two other things.” When she felt Kish give her hand a squeeze, she corrected herself, “Actually three. First, we’re planning to have the wedding in about a month. Kish has to return to his planet just after. He’s a very important person with a lot of responsibilities that he can’t neglect for too long. And I’m going with him.” At her mother’s shocked and worried expression, she hurried along. “Not permanently, at least not yet. But it may be for a few months at least. We aren’t sure how quickly he can bring me back. Once I’ve seen his home, we’re going to discuss something more permanent, but I promise I’ll come home first, no matter what we decide. It’s a big decision for both of us. Kish is kind of one of his planet’s leaders and his friends and family are there. Just as I have you and dad along with my friends here. The last thing is I’d like to pack up a good portion of my clothes and move in with Kish aboard his ship until we leave. It’s where I’ve been staying.”

“You certainly aren’t making this easy on me. But I can see that you’ve both already made up your minds. You’re both consenting adults so you don’t need my permission, but you have my blessing. Just promise to include your dear mother in the planning of your wedding. It’s not everyday my little girl gets married. And promise to stop by now and then before you leave.” Sakura’s emotions were all over the place. But happiness was winning out. She was truly happy for her little girl. She could tell they were very much in love from the way they both subconsciously moved towards one another to the looks they kept giving each other.

“Of course, Mom. There’s no way I could make this wedding happen without your help. And thanks. For your blessing and understanding.”

“And I promise I’m not trying to steal her away. Even if we choose to live on my planet, I promise to bring her home as often as I can,” Kish added softly.

Wiping her misty eyes again, Sakura composed herself. “Alright. Ichigo, can you please finish making the rice balls? The salad is in the fridge and the timer should go off for the fish in the oven any minute. Please set the table as well. I’m going to talk to your father. Do what I can to prepare him for what’s certainly going to be an interesting dinner conversation. Just please, for all our sakes, don’t mention anything about sex. Let me explain that to him later tonight when Kish isn’t in the house.” But before she could turn to leave the kitchen, all hell broke loose.

Shintaro had heard voices coming from the kitchen, so he’d gotten up to investigate. However, just as he approached the kitchen, he heard a man speak, then his wife mention something about sex. Bursting into the kitchen, he grabbed the strange alien man and hauled him against the fridge, his hand fisting in his shirt. Shintaro was livid. “How dare you touch my baby girl! If you’ve deflowered my sweet innocent baby, I’ll kill you,” he spat and raged in Kish’s face.

Kish may have been initially caught off guard, but unfortunately his combat reflexes were kicking in. Fluidly and expertly, Kish removed Shintaro’s hands and quickly slammed him onto the kitchen floor. His hand tight around Shintaro’s neck.

“Kish!” “Shintaro!” Both Ichigo and Sakura screamed in unison. But being no stranger to combat, Ichigo snapped out of her shock quickly and raced to Kish’s side. “Stop! Let him go, Kish. That’s my dad. He’s no threat. Just let him go.” Carefully, she pulled at Kish’s hand that was around her father’s throat.

Shaking his head, Kish calmed his tense muscles and released Shintaro. Rising to his feet, he quickly moved to the other side of the kitchen to put some distance between himself and his mate’s father. “Sorry, Kitten. It was a reflex. I didn’t mean to hurt him,” he softly apologized as he dropped his eyes to the floor. This was not how he’d hoped tonight would go.

Finally finding her composure, Sakura glanced at Kish worriedly before hurrying to her husband’s side. “Go to him,” she whispered to her daughter and nodded her head towards Kish. “He’s scared and worried. I’ve got your father.” Thankfully, Shintaro had only been stunned and was starting to sit up.

With a glance between her mom and dad, Ichigo quickly made her way to Kish and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel how scared and worried he was. Scared that he may have hurt her father and worried that he’d messed everything up. That he could lose her the support of her family. But more importantly, scared that he could lose her. “It’s alright, mate. I know you were only reacting on instinct. I know you didn’t mean to hurt him. And he’s fine. Just dazed a bit.” When he refused to raise his eyes, she tried again. "Look at me, mate. It was an accident. This wasn’t your fault. I still love you. And always will. Now, where’s my cocky alien? Because I’m really going to need his strength to deal with this."

Glancing at Shintaro from the corner of his eye, Kish saw that the man was fine and staring at him with murder in his eyes while Ichigo’s mother hovered around him trying to calm him down. Much the same way her daughter was trying to calm him down. He couldn’t help but smile internally at that. Lifting his eyes to his mate, "You may have gotten your temper from your father, but I can see where you got your compassion. I’m sorry, mate. I didn’t mean to cause problems. I promised to be on my best behavior, and I failed you."

"Hush, enough of that. This wasn’t your fault. If anything, it was my dad’s, though I’m not blaming him either. Even if I am miffed at him for attacking my mate."

"I gotta say, this is a nice change. Not being on the receiving end of your anger after I attacked someone," he said as he brought his arms up to encircle her.

"You didn’t attack anyone. You were defending yourself. If you had attacked my dad, this conversation would be going completely differently. You would most definitely be feeling my anger along with my claws."

"Even though I enjoy the feel of those claws and those precious fangs of yours?" he teased. The ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

"Best behavior, remember?" she snapped.

"But Kitten. I thought you wanted your cocky alien mate at the moment?" he continued. His voice a low purr within her mind.

"Kish!" she warned, drawing out his name.

"I know, I know. Best behavior," he sighed just before stealing a kiss to her cheek. An outraged voice pulled his attention from Ichigo and to her father.

“You’ve got some nerve boy! Kissing my baby girl in my own home. Even if it is only on the cheek!” Shintaro yelled at the man who dared to put his hands on his daughter. His wife was trying to calm him, but it was only partially working. After that news clip earlier about his daughter and the aliens, he’d been on edge. He understood the role his daughter had played in the previous invasion. Was actually incredibly proud of her. But that didn’t mean he liked the idea of his daughter fighting again. And he was beyond skeptical of this Kish fellow. That alien had hurt his daughter over and over and now he was claiming to love her… On edge Shintaro would stay until he got a better read on this Kish.

‘If only he knew what other parts he’d been kissing,’ he thought to himself wickedly. At Ichigo’s annoyed growl within his mind, he pushed those thoughts aside. Standing tall and proud, he placed himself in front of Ichigo and stepped before Shintaro. “I’ll never apologize for kissing your daughter. However, I will apologize for kissing her in your home. I love your daughter more than anything in the universe. She’s the most beautiful and amazing woman I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. I know she’s told you all about our fighting. That will always be one of my deepest regrets. That I ever had to put her in harms way. That I tried to kill someone as special as her. But I swear on my life, I’ll never do that to her again.” Kish paused as he took a deep breath and looked Shintaro straight in the eyes. “You have every right to hate me for what I put Ichigo through. And I wouldn’t blame you if you did. But for her sake, don’t let your hatred of me rob her of her happiness. You may not like it, but we are happy together. She’s my soulmate. Any harm to her hurts me as well. You’re her father. I know how much your blessing means to her. So, for her, please allow me the chance to prove myself worthy of your daughter.”

Ichigo was stunned speechless as she gawked at Kish. She’d never heard him speak so eloquently. Even her father looked as though he was tongue tied. She was sure her father would have lashed out or at least yelled at Kish by now, but everyone just stood there staring at Kish.

"Good enough behavior for you, Kitten?" he teased cockily.

His words finally snapped her back to reality. Stepping up beside Kish, she took his hand. "I really hate to admit this, but that was amazing!" She caught the twinkle of mischief in his golden orbs when they flicked to hers before growing hard again as they slid back to her father. Drawing courage from him, Ichigo finally spoke up. “Please, Dad. Give him a chance. You know I forgave him for everything a long time ago. It wasn’t his fault. He was under orders and trying to save his people. No different than me. And I attacked and hurt him just as much. More even. I rejected him and broke his heart. I was cruel. And yet, he continued to love me. Continued to save my life over and over again, putting his own in danger. I also know for a fact that you’ve mentioned more than once that you wanted to thank him for protecting me. For giving his life for me. So, for me, please just give him a chance and try to accept us. He’s not going anywhere. I love him and he’s become a large part of my life. As much as I want your blessing, it’s not required. I will choose him.”

Shintaro stared long and hard at this alien that had stolen his daughter’s heart. His eyes drifted from him to his daughter, then to their clasped hands and at how desperately she was clinging to him. He hated it, but it was clear she loved this boy very much. Even more than that damned Masaya kid. He also loathed to admit to himself that this boy had impressed him. He had courage to stand up to him. His fighting reflex wasn’t too shabby either. And his daughter was right in that he had wanted to thank this alien for protecting his baby girl. Glaring hard at Kish, he spoke to Ichigo, “Take your mother to the family room. I need to talk to him man to man.” Seeing the fear on his daughter’s face, “I promise I won’t do anything. I just want to speak to him in private.”

Kish gave Ichigo’s hand a firm squeeze, drawing her attention. “It’s alright, Kitten. I’ll be fine. Go be with your mother,” he whispered for her ears alone.

Ichigo only nodded before stretching up and placing a quick peck to Kish’s cheek. She gave her father a pleading look as she walked by.

Once Ichigo and Sakura were out of the room, Shintaro’s glare intensified. “Listen here, boy. You ever hurt her or break her heart, I don’t care what kind of powers you have, I will kill you. And since you’re not a human of earth, I won’t be breaking any laws to do it. She’s my baby girl. Who’s already had her heart broken twice. That damned Ayoma boy and you disappearing. I’m not an idiot. The way she talked about you; I knew how she felt a long time ago. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. However, standing up for yourself and her took courage, and I can respect that. And what she said was true. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for protecting her. That and because I can see how happy you make her are the only reasons I’m willing to give you a chance. I can see she won’t hesitate to choose you over me and I don’t want to lose her. I’ll give my blessing as long as you respect her and keep her happy.”

Kish hesitantly stepped forward and gave a small bow before offering his hand. “You have my word, Mr. Momomiya. I truly love your daughter with my very soul. I will always see to her health, safety, and happiness. And thank you. I know how much this will mean to Ichigo which means this means a lot to me as well. You also don’t have to thank me. I will gladly lay my life on the line for her anytime. I don’t deserve your thanks anyway. I failed her that day.”

Shintaro had taken his hand, but now he gave Kish a painful squeeze. “Cut the act, boy,” he interrupted. “I’ve seen the news clips from back then. There isn’t a humble bone in your body. You want to earn my trust and respect, then cut the bullshit. I want to see you as you really are.”

Wincing slightly, Kish pulled his hand away when Shintaro finally released him. A slow, arrogant smirk slid across Kish’s feature. “You sure about that? I’ve been told I’m an acquired taste.”

Shintaro laughed and clasped Kish on the shoulder. “That’s better. Never trust a man who hides who he really is. And before you argue, being polite and hiding who you are are completely different. I’m sure Ichigo asked you to be on your best behavior. I appreciate that, but I also want to see what kind of man you really are. Besides, if my daughter can handle you, then I can as well.”

Kish’s smirk grew. “Trust me. Your daughter can handle herself just fine. That temper of hers is beautiful yet terrifying. And having been on the receiving end of her wrath, I much prefer her happy and maybe a bit feisty.”

A large laugh bubbled free from Shintaro’s chest. “She gets that from me. Our tempers have been known to rattle the house. And I won’t hesitate to aim mine at you if you ever jeopardize her happiness.”

Kish snickered, “Trust me, I know, Sir. My ears are acutely sensitive, and she’s left them ringing more than a few times. Though I usually deserve it.”

Shintaro laughed again, louder. “You’re not so bad, boy. Much better than that Ayoma brat. Always acting like he was perfect. Perfectly boring, maybe. He was never good enough for my Ichigo. I’m not saying you are, but at least you’ve got personality. Which you’ll need to handle and care for my daughter. And call me Shintaro. You’ve at least earned that right.”

Just then, both Ichigo and Sakura came scrambling into the kitchen. “We heard laughter, and well, I had no idea what to think,” Ichigo quickly explained.

Kish and Shintaro grinned at each other. “Like I said, everything’s fine, Kitten. Shintaro and I were just getting better acquainted. He is my future father-in-law.” Kish’s smirk grew when he saw the shock on Ichigo’s face. But he couldn’t stop the surprised yelp when Shintaro slugged him in the arm, hard.

“Oh, suck it up, kid. I know that didn’t hurt. Besides, I wanted to be the one to break the news,” Shintaro scolded Kish before turning his attention back to his daughter. “Ichigo, you and this boy have my blessing, but I expect a full explanation about what I heard earlier from the both of you over dinner. And just as he promised, I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“What… What just happened?” Ichigo stuttered. Then she glared at her father. “His name is Kish, Dad. Kish Ikisatashi,” she growled.

“Fine. This alien and I were just speaking man to man. Getting to know one another. Right, Kish?” Shintaro replied, overly emphasizing Kish’s name.

The timer on the oven chose that moment to go off, making them all jump. Snapping into action, Sakura quickly took charge of her kitchen and family. As she pulled the fish from the oven she began giving orders. “Ichigo, dear, will you finish making the rice balls while I plate the salmon and get the salad. Shintaro, be a dear and show Kish where the dishes and silverware are. Then help him set the table. And don’t forget to ice and fill the water glasses.” Understanding their orders, not a single one of them complained, but simply hopped to it.

It wasn’t long before everyone was served and seated around the dinner table. Not being a shy man, Shintaro wasted no time in getting directly to the point. “So, how long have you been sleeping with my daughter?” Though he sounded nonchalant, his eyes held a steely sharpness as he regarded Kish.

Ichigo nearly spat out her dinner. “Dad?!!!” She practically yelled.

Without missing a beat or losing his calm composure, Kish answered truthfully, “Since Tuesday night.”

“And when did you come back?” Shintaro asked.

The corners of Kish’s lips turned up slightly, “Tuesday night.”

Shintaro’s glare intensified, “You’re bold, kid. I’ll give you that. But at least you’re honest. Were you ever going to seek my permission to marry my daughter or were you planning to steal her away?”

Kish cocked his head to the side in thought for a moment. “It was always Ichigo’s decision. If she had wanted to run away and disappear, we’d be gone already. I’d never go against her will or do something without discussing it with her first. I’ve tried forcing her in the past. It never ended well for me. I’ve learned my lesson. She makes her own choices.”

Softening his glare, Shintaro actually smiled at Kish. “Smart man. You learned from your mistakes. Momomiyas aren’t pushed around easily. There’s an old Earth saying, “Behind every smart man is an even smarter woman.””

Kish chuckled, “Words of wisdom if I’ve ever heard any. But Ichigo doesn’t stand behind me. She’s at my side. Unless I’m protecting that fuzzy tail of hers. Then she’s most definitely behind me.”

“I just might grow to like you, boy. Even if you are a cheeky bastard,” Shintaro remarked. His mouth was set in a hard line, but there was a softness in his eyes.

“Shintaro!” Sakura scolded.

“What? The boy knows it’s true,” he shrugged.

Kish also shrugged and allowed an arrogant smile to cross his lips.

“See! He’s not denying it. Now I think it’s time you two do some explaining. And just when exactly did you two plan to get married?” Shintaro said pointing his chopsticks back and forth between the two of them before he continued to eat.

Though Ichigo had originally planned to do all the talking, Kish took the lead. He explained about their mate bond, why he returned, their plans to leave after they married in a month, and a bit about who he was and his responsibilities back home. Of course, he left out the overly intimate details about him and Ichigo. He also greatly simplified his explanation of mate bonding. There was no point in bogging them down with all the intricacies like her possibly gaining more powers or how their bond was exceptionally strong. He did briefly explain their mental and emotional connection, and that by his people’s customs they were already technically married. There was a brief moment when Kish thought Shintaro really would kill him when both he and Ichigo revealed their marks after he explained about their marriage status. But Sakura had managed to calm him down, even though she too was struggling with the shock of seeing the tattoo on her daughter and how they’d come to have them.

The entire time, Kish was very careful and kept his voice as neutral as possible. He also tried to speak almost clinically. He knew this was a delicate subject and that Ichigo was embarrassed enough without him making things worse. He managed to keep his cockiness and flirtatiousness to an absolute minimum. And all the while he kept one hand under the table and grasped tightly around Ichigo’s hand. It helped to keep them both relatively calm.

Leaning back in his chair, Shintaro steepled his fingers as he regarded the young couple across the table. “I see. So, even if I had adamantly refused this relationship, it wouldn’t have mattered because you’re already married?”

Kish nodded slowly. “Yes, but we’re still going to have a traditional human wedding here. It’s something Ichigo wants, and I can never deny her. It’s also something I want. If I’m being completely honest, and Ichigo is already well aware of this fact, but I’m a bit on the possessive side. A human marriage will be another way for me to claim her as mine. That being said, she also knows I fully belong to her as well.”

“So, when do you plan on having this wedding and how are you paying for it?” Shintaro prodded.

It was Ichigo who spoke up this time. “We haven’t set a date yet, but somewhere near the end of the month. Kish has to leave shortly after this month and I’m going with him. I was hoping to get both you and mom’s input on the date. As for paying for the wedding. We’ve mostly got that covered. Ryou has agreed to let us have the wedding at the café. Keiichiro is going to make the cake and any other food we want. I just know Mint will be ecstatic to help with and provide the bridesmaid dresses. And I’m sure Zakuro will get her photographer to handle all the videos and photos. She already knows about who we are. Tart, Kish’s cousin that came with him, has amazing plant abilities and Kish has already assured me he would provide all the flowers and floral arrangements. Really, the only thing I’ve got to pay for is my dress, hair, and makeup. But I’ve got plenty of money saved up from work, so I’m not worried.”

Sakura spoke up, “Wow. I must say I’m impressed, dear. You’ve already put a lot of thought into this.” She switched her view from Ichigo to Kish. “And what about your parents and family? Will they be coming to the wedding? I’d really like to meet them.”

Swallowing thickly, Kish regarded Ichigo’s mom for a second before lowering his eyes. But before he could answer, Ichigo cut in.

"You don’t have to answer that," Ichigo said softly.

It’s fine, Kitten." Clearing his throat, “My parents died when I was young. My mother giving birth to me, and my father was killed when I was seven. My sister died when her body gave out when she was seven and I was four. My aunt and uncle took me in. And though I wish they could be here, there’s no way to get a message to them. Even if I could, I doubt my uncle would be able to get away from his duties. No, the only family of mine that will be there is my cousin Tart. But when we get to my planet, we’ll have a bonding ceremony so my family will get to be there for that.”

Sakura reached out and took Kish’s hand. “Oh, hon. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Please forgive me.”

Taking some comfort in Sakura’s touch and kind words, Kish softly shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. You didn’t know. I came to terms with their deaths a long time ago and Ichigo helped me with my sister’s. Life on my planet before Ichigo helped save it was horrible. Death was a common occurrence and a harsh fact of life. We grew accustomed to it. Something I’m forever grateful that our future generations will never have to endure.”

Trying to change the subject, Sakura looked towards her daughter. “So, other then the end of the month, have you thought about any specific dates?”

Ichigo shook her head, “No, but I was thinking of a Sunday since I’m off those days. Though I’m sure Ryou would give me whatever day I asked off for the wedding.”

Sliding her chair back, “Be right back,” Sakura said quickly. She searched through the kitchen desk until she found her day planner. Flipping it open to July, she glanced down the Sunday column. “Other than the weekend of the twenty-third, your father and I are available the rest of the Sundays this month.”

Scooting her chair closer to her mother, Ichigo peered over the planner. “Hmm. What about the thirtieth then? That gives us three full weeks of planning.” She flipped the page to August and counted the days. “If my math is right, Kish should have to leave around the seventeenth. We’ll have just over two weeks after the wedding before we leave.”

Sakura glanced at the calendar again. “What about the sixth then? It’ll give us just a bit more time.”

Ichigo shook her head. “I had thought that too, but Pudding’s birthday is the seventh. It wouldn’t feel right overshadowing that.”

“No, I suppose you’re right. And the thirteenth is both an unlucky number and too close to when you’re leaving. No, I think you’re right. The thirtieth makes the most sense,” Sakura agreed.

A huge smile lit up Ichigo’s face. “We have a date!! I’m getting married on the thirtieth of July.” She turned to Kish, “We finally have an actual date!”

Her smile and happiness was infectious, and Kish found himself smiling right along with her. “Yup! On the thirtieth you’ll finally be Mrs. Ichigo Ikisatashi,” he grinned. Turning to Sakura, “And thank you for dinner, Sakura. It was absolutely delicious. I hope to experience your cooking again in the future.”

Saura blushed and smiled proudly. “Of course! You’re always welcome here for dinner. And thank you, Kish. But I hope you saved some room. I made something special for dessert. One of Ichigo’s favorites in fact. Strawberry cream cake.” Getting to her feet, Sakura began clearing the table.

Ichigo squealed as she jumped to her feet to help her mother clear the table. Mentally, she shot Kish an apology when she saw him wince and his ears twitch. “You’re the absolute best mom! Thank you for not only dinner, but everything. I didn’t want to do any of this without you,” she quickly unloaded the dishes into the kitchen sink, then spun around and gave her a huge hug.

Patting her daughter’s back, “Oh stop. You’re going to make me cry. I can’t wait to get started on planning out all the details.” It was Sakura’s turn to squeal. “My little girl’s getting married in three weeks!”

Giggling, Ichigo gathered the dessert plates and clean forks. “Speaking of planning, you’re free this coming Sunday? Right?”

Sakura nodded as she retrieved the cake from the fridge. “Yes. Why dear?”

“Well, I was thinking of having a girls only day. I plan to call Mint and Zakuro tomorrow to let them know about the wedding and I’d like to invite them, Lettuce, Pudding, and you to go dress shopping. And to spend the rest of the day figuring out all the design details of the wedding.”

“That sounds lovely dear. It’d be nice to see your friends all together again. I haven’t seen Mint and Zakuro in ages. This is going to be fun. I can’t believe you’re actually getting married. But I’m so happy for you. That Kish seems like a fine man, or alien. A little rough around the edges, but that’s what a woman’s touch is for.” She’d whispered that last bit in Ichigo’s ear as she set the cake on the table.

Ichigo giggled at her mother and took a seat. Her hand immediately sought Kish’s under the table. "Absolutely right on both counts," she snickered to Kish privately. She knew he had heard her mother clearly.

Kish’s grin reappeared, "You can try all you want, but we both know you love my rough edges. My smooth parts as well." He gave her a wink and squeezed her hand.

After dessert, both Kish and Ichigo helped Sakura wash and put away the dishes. They all retired to the family room afterwords. Shintaro was leaned back in his recliner while Sakura was curled up on one end of the couch. On the other end, Kish sat in the corner with Ichigo nestled against his side. Her head rested against his chest while his arm was draped around her shoulders.

Kish finally felt totally at ease with Ichigo’s family. There was still that certain level of respect and caution he upheld, but he felt as though he could finally let his guard down in their presence. Other than a couple of hiccups, tonight couldn’t have gone any better. Her family had welcomed him as one of their own. It felt amazingly good. He didn’t have a whole lot of family back home. And the easiness with how they accepted him was a bit of a shock. But it was a good shock. He really was looking forwards to more evenings like this. Dinner with her family then just relaxing as a family. Though these simple things were much more common now, there was a time in Kish’s life when something like this was unheard of. Between the hunger pains, fear of cave collapses, and the rampant threat of disease and death, a peaceful night with one’s family was few and rare between. Again, he thanked the All Bright. Not only for giving him Ichigo, but for everything that had come with her since she’d entered his life. A warmth filled his chest as he felt Ichigo snuggle closer against him.

"I greatly thank the world too, mate. You may have started as a royal pain in my butt, but it was all worth it to get here. You make me so happy, Kish. I’m so glad everything turned out as it did."

Kish’s fingertips ghosted along Ichigo’s neck as he tucked her head under his chin after placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You make me happier than I’ve ever been. And I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all that you’ve given me. You not only saved my home and my people, but you saved me. Given me a life I only dreamed about. You truly are amazingly special, Kitten."

A small smile was creeping upon Sakura’s face as she gazed at the scene playing out on the other end of the couch. The young couple truly looked blissfully happy and content. As a mother she couldn’t be more pleased at how at ease they both seemed in her presence and within her home. And as a mother, she wanted Kish to feel as welcome as possible. Not only was he her daughter’s future husband, but his rough past had touched her heart. No child deserved to suffer as much as he had. “Kish?” she said softly.

Turning his head, he let his eyes be caught by Sakura’s.

“I just wanted to say thank you for protecting my daughter and more importantly for making her happy. You will always be welcome here and you both can consider this home if you ever need it.” She gave him a warm heartfelt smile.

“Just no funny business under my roof,” Shintaro interjected harshly, however a smile was on his lips.

Kish glanced from Sakura to Shintaro, then back again. With an honest smile, he thanked them both. “Thank you. Both of you.” His smile shifted to his usual smirk, “Though I’m not sure I can keep to that rule, Shintaro.”

The tease in the boy’s voice didn’t go unnoticed by Shintaro, “Heh. Cocky brat.”

“I’ve been called that before,” Kish responded with a smirk.

Sakura giggled at Kish and her husband, “I never thought I’d see the day when my husband would get along with a boy in love with his baby girl.”

“I never said I liked him,” Shintaro grumbled.

Sakura grinned, “Neither did I.” She gave Kish a wink. When she saw Ichigo yawn again, she continued. “I think it’s time you take Ichigo to bed. She looks exhausted.”

“Sakura!” Shintaro shouted in exasperation making Ichigo jump and Kish wince.

“Oh, you know that’s not what I meant. But what they do is their business,” she smiled slyly.

Blushing brightly, Ichigo complained, “Mom….!” She said drawing out the word.

“Oh, calm down dear. I’m only teasing. And Kish, don’t be a stranger. I’d love to get to know you better. You are a part of this family now.”

Kish smiled warmly, “You can count on it.”

Yawning, Ichigo got to her feet. “We’ll leave in a bit. I need to pack some more of my things. You are still alright with me staying with Kish until we leave?”

“No,” Shintaro quickly grumbled from his seat.

Sakura shot him a glare before refocusing on Ichigo. “Yes dear. Just be sure to come visit us lots before you leave.”

“Absolutely! Thanks again Mom, Dad.” Grabbing Kish’s hand, she tugged him up the stairs and into her room. “Leave the door open,” she heard her dad yell from downstairs. Ignoring him, Ichigo shut the door.

With a mischievous grin, Kish shifted his body so he had Ichigo trapped against her bedroom door. “Naughty, Kitten. Disobeying your father.”

Grinning, she placed her hands on Kish’s chest. “Like I’ve said, you’re rubbing off on me,” she teased.

Kish’s grin grew and his golden eyes shimmered. Leaning in, he placed his lips near her ear, “Feel like really breaking the rules?”

Ichigo shuddered as his warm breath tickled the fine hairs around her ear. Quickly, she shoved his chest hard, making him stumble back. Smirking at him, she made her way to her closet. “Some other time, maybe. Right now I need to pack.”

“Teasing cat,” Kish growled playfully. Letting himself fall backwards, he disappeared through a ripple in the air and reappeared over her bed. He dropped a few inches and landed sitting in the center. Folding his arms behind his head, he let gravity take over again as he fell back atop the pillows with a soft ‘poof.’ His eyes followed Ichigo as she shifted through her closet and packed what she deemed important into a large pink suitcase she had set on the end of her bed.

Glancing up at him from her suitcase, she eyed Kish. “Comfy?” she teased.

Kish smiled lazily, “I’d be much comfier if you joined me, Kitten.”

“I bet you would,” Ichigo snarked before resuming her packing. Flicking through her closet, she picked out a good variety of clothes. Formal, casual, and everything in between. She had no idea what kind of plans they’d be making, so she wanted to be prepared. Feeling like she’d packed a good enough selection, she turned from her closet and nearly smacked right into Kish.

He’d continued to watch her go through her closet; however, something had caught his eye as she slid the hangers aside. Quickly, he had teleported to her closet to investigate.

“Kish! Don’t do that,” Ichigo squeaked out.

“Heh. Sorry, Kitten. There was something I wanted to get a better look at,” he said as he stepped around her.

“And that is…?” she asked trailing off.

“This,” Kish said holding up a dress she hadn’t worn in a long time.

It was a dress she’d bought on a whim when she had been feeling exceptionally lonely and her heart and mind had been in a darker place. She’d picked it up from an American store called Hot Topic at the mall. The dress was completely black and noticeably short, coming barely to mid-thigh. The bodice was a corset and the skirt flared out in pleats. It was partially held up by small lacey capped sleeves that sat off the shoulder. She’d only worn it once. The Halloween after her breakup with Masaya. She’d gone to a Halloween party Mint had thrown. The costume had consisted of the dress, a black and red wig, fishnet stockings, black platform rubber boots, and snap in fangs. She had been going for a punk vampire. Mint had certainly done a double take when she’d walked in. The dress was way outside her comfort zone.

“I haven’t seen that in years. Didn’t even know I still had it.”

Kish was practically drooling as he imagined his mate in the dark and skimpy dress. It was nothing like what she usually wore, and it tugged at his imagination. “I’ve got to see you in this,” he almost pleaded.

“Er… No. I’m sure you can tell, but that’s totally not my style,” she huffed.

“Please, Kitten. I can only imagine how incredibly sexy you’d be in it.”

Ichigo crossed her arms and eyed him long and hard. “Oh fine. Just don’t expect me to wear it in public. But I suppose I could wear it one night just for you,” she finally gave in. It was worth it too when she saw his eyes light up in excitement.

“Thanks, Kitten. I can’t wait to see you in it. Then peel it off you,” he winked flirtatiously.

Rolling her eyes, she snatched the dress from Kish and added it to her suitcase. Heading to her dresser, she started gathering her bras, underwear, and socks. She blatantly ignored Kish who was hovering over her and staring hungrily into her underwear drawers.

Without warning, Kish’s hands shot out and he snagged a pair of pink panties that had black paw prints on them and a pair of black panties with little green hearts all over them. He’d also managed to grab the matching pink bra with black paw prints on each breast. Holding up the paw print set, “This is absolutely adorable and so you, Kitten.” Shifting his hands he held up the black panties, “Thinking of someone again?” he teased slyly. A large smirk crossing his features.

Ichigo quickly snatched her undergarments from her annoying alien. “Not telling,” she said sticking her tongue out at him.

This caused Kish to chuckle as he floated around behind her and slid his arms around her waist. Tugging her close, he whispered in her ear. “I’ll take that as a yes then. You really didn’t stop thinking about me, did you?”

Ichigo found herself leaning back against him. She sighed heavily. “No. I didn’t. I couldn’t help it. In the beginning it was just wondering how you were doing. If the Mew Aqua worked. Then wondering why you’d never contacted us. Or if I’d ever see you again. I found I actually missed your annoying antics. Then I began to miss you for an entirely different reason when I realized how deeply I cared for you. It was the small things like those or that tank that kept you alive and close. Helped to keep my hopes up that you’d come back one day.”

He nuzzled his nose into the side of her neck. “I’m sorry it took me so long, Kitten. If there had been a way to contact you, I would have. And I honestly didn’t think you’d want to see me again. You had that tree-hugger and there didn’t seem to be anymore room in your heart for me. And honestly, knowing you were with him, it would have hurt too much to return. I was a coward and hid away on my planet. But don’t think I never thought about sneaking away to visit you. In fact, I thought about it almost daily.”

Resting her hands atop his, she turned her head and placed a light peck to his cheek. “Still figured you would have shown up before now. A little thing like Masaya never stopped you or your stalking before,” she teased lightheartedly.

Kish sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder. “True. But things were different after that final battle. I gave my life for you, Ichigo, but it still wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough. So, I gave up. I resolved myself to letting you go. To leaving you to be happy and to love you from afar.”

“I guess you’re right. And I can’t really blame you for not coming to visit. It really wouldn’t have been fair to you. Especially if you’d come when I was still with Masaya.”

With his grin returning, he kissed behind her ear. “When are you going to learn, I’m usually right,” he whispered.

Slipping out of his grasp, Ichigo rolled her eyes. “Probably never,” she said with a wink. “I’ll be right back in a minute, just have to gather some of my things from the bathroom. Your soaps are nice, but I miss mine. Specifically, my conditioner. Try to behave yourself.”

“Who? Me? Where’s the fun in that?” he chuckled. His voice had started with mock indignation, but quickly became coated with sly teasing. He watched Ichigo leave the room and resumed his place on her bed. Growing annoyed that her bed lacked his scent, he snapped his fingers to remove his shirt. Snuggling down onto the comforter and into the pillows, he rubbed his cheek over the soft pillow beneath his head. He also ran his wrists over the comforter at his sides. It wasn’t perfect, but it did help. He made a promise to himself to fix the scent issue as soon as he could. Something he was rather looking forwards to.

Stepping back into her room, Ichigo’s eyebrows raised at the sight of Kish shirtless on her bed. “Where the heck is your shirt?” she demanded.

Kish glanced her way, “On the floor.”

‘Oh goody. He’s in one of those moods,’ Ichigo thought to herself sarcastically.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Kish asked, sounding both bored and intrigued at the same time.

“God, that can be so annoying. And nothing. I meant absolutely nothing. So why is your shirt on the floor?”

Kish shrugged, “Because I threw it there.”

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of her nose. ‘Gods he can be infuriating,’ she thought. “Because…?”

Snickering at her frustration with him, he decided to finally answer her. “My scent is missing from your bed and I’m trying to fix that.” Folding his hands behind his head, he lowered his eyelids to small slits as he stared at his mate. “Care to help?”

Ichigo’s mouth became a hard line as she pulled out another small suitcase. She knew what he was trying to do. Not only was he being difficult, but he’d dropped his tone of voice and laced it with a seductive lilt. But she was well versed in his ways by this point. She wasn’t going to rise to the bait. So, focusing on stuffing her bag with her toiletries, towel, and a few spare pairs of shoes, Ichigo chose to simply ignore him.

“Not even going to fight back? You’re no fun, Kitten,” Kish whined as he sat up. He really did hate it when he failed to get any kind of reaction out of her. Protests or compliance, he really didn’t care which, but it frustrated him to no end when she refused to acknowledge him. But what really bothered him was that she knew that. She seemed to take pleasure in getting under his skin.

Zipping her bag, Ichigo snickered at Kish. She’d caught the direction his thoughts were traveling. And though she hated to admit it, he was right. She did enjoy frustrating him. She thought of it a bit like payback for all the times he’d purposely riled her up for his own amusement.

Kish sighed and flopped back on the bed dramatically. “That’s not very nice, Kitten. Even if I might just a teensy bit deserve it.”

“Just a teensy bit, huh? Right… Now come on. I’m done packing so let’s go say bye and head back to your ship. But first, put your damn shirt back on,” Ichigo scolded with narrowed eyes.

“Fine, fine,” Kish pouted but sat up and snapped his fingers. His shirt reappeared and he slid off the bed to stand beside it. “Better?”

Ichigo decided to tease him. “Personally, no. But for this situation, yes.”

Smirking, Kish cocked an eyebrow, “Oh really?” Running a hand slowly down his chest, “Can’t get enough of this body, can you?”

Ichigo smiled wide, “Nope.” Before he could say or do anything else, she slipped out the room and headed down the stairs.

"Such a tease," he remarked as he picked up the larger suitcase and followed after her. He loved it when she was playful. She seemed to be growing more and more accustomed to him and relaxed around him. And yet, she still maintained that fiery spark. As much as he loved her more docile moments, he truly hoped she never lost that iron will of hers.

Ichigo scoffed. "Never going to happen. Especially with you around. Not only can you be frustratingly annoying, but someone’s gotta keep you under control."

"Ha! Many have tried Kitten. Or did you forget that my own God couldn’t keep me controlled?"

Glancing back at him from the bottom of the stairs, Ichigo smiled triumphantly. "Oh really? Hmm… I don’t recall asking you to get my suitcase. Already so well trained and obedient."

Kish’s jaw dropped and he seriously had half a mind to drop her bag in defiance. Clicking his jaw closed, Kish pulled on his picture-perfect mask of arrogance. "Helping and seeing to the needs of my mate is not obedience. It’s being a good mate. Which is a trait I find deserving of respect. And something I take pride in. However, if you so wish, I’d be more than happy to show you the meaning of obedience later tonight."

Though he had maintained his air of arrogance, his voice had started to seep with flirtatious warmth. And Ichigo found herself taking a deep breath to keep herself grounded. It simply wasn’t fair. Every time she got one up on him, he’d flawlessly flip it around back on her. ‘God, he can be so maddening,’ she thought. Even so, a small part of her loved this back and forth. Was thrilled by the challenge he represented. He really was a silver-tongued devil. ‘In more ways than one,’ she smirked to herself.

Stepping into the living room, she allowed Kish that small victory. There would be plenty more opportunities in the future to knock him down a peg. Kish seemed to bring out her more twisted side because she was actually looking forwards to more verbal volleyball and the chance to put him in his place.

"Guess I’m just as twisted because so am I, Kitten." He may still appear cool and collected but inside he was positively giddy. Gods, how he loved his spitfire of a mate. He couldn’t have found someone better suited to him even if he’d spent the rest of his life looking. "I’ve said it before, but you really are my soulmate."

"I already knew you were twisted," she teased. "And I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re mine as well. Let’s face it, no one else could handle us."

A large smile appeared on Kish’s face, a fang slipping from beneath his lip. He couldn’t agree more. He let his eyes flick from his mate to her parents when she started to speak to them.

“Mom, Dad. Kish and I came to say goodnight. Thank you again for everything. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve accepted not only Kish, but us as well.”

Rising from the couch, Sakura wrapped Ichigo in a huge bear hug. “Just don’t be a stranger, either of you. I expect visits often.”

At the same time, Shintaro stood and offered Kish his hand. When the alien took it, Shintaro gave him a rough squeeze. “I can’t say it was a pleasure meeting you, but you make Ichigo happy so I can’t complain too much. I’m trusting you. You better continue to keep her safe and happy or I’ll hunt you down all the way to your planet if I have to.”

Swallowing thickly, Kish nodded his head. “You have my word, sir.”

“It’s Shintaro. And I’m holding you to that,” Shintaro affirmed.

Stepping back, Kish suddenly found himself in Sakura’s embrace. “Welcome to the family, Kish. And remember, I’m not quite ready to be a grandma, but when it happens, I better be the first to know,” she whispered into his long ear.

Blushing, Kish awkwardly returned the hug. “I promise you’ll be the first,” he said softly.

With a nod, Sakura released Kish and caught his eye. “I meant what I said. Don’t be a stranger. I want to get to know my new son-in-law.” She gave him a wink. “And when you do make me a grandma, I so hope they have your eyes. So beautiful and unique.”

Kish’s cheeks turned even brighter. Flashing a fang filled cocky grin, “You’re too kind, Sakura. And between you and me, I hope they do too, but also have you and your daughter’s fiery red hair. Because I find that beautiful and unique.”

It was Sakura’s turn to blush. “Flatter,” she teased. “Now off with you two. Please come by again soon.” She walked with Kish to Ichigo’s side. Leaning in, she whispered in Ichigo’s ear. “He’s a keeper.”

Ichigo smiled at her mom before taking Kish’s free hand. She turned to Kish with eyes full of love and adoration. “I know,” she agreed.

Squeezing Ichigo’s hand, “You ready Kitten?”

She nodded, “Yup. Goodnight Mom, Dad. I love you both.”

“Thank you again for dinner, Sakura. And thank you, Shintaro, for giving me a chance. And thank you both for accepting me. It’s an honor to be a part of this family,” Kish said honestly and openly. “Have a good night.” And with that, both he and Ichigo disappeared.

“Heh… Cocky brat. He better take care of my baby girl,” muttered Shintaro.

“Oh hush. If everything Ichigo’s told us is true then that man has put his life on the line for her more times than I can count. I know without a doubt he’d rather die than see her come to harm. Our daughter’s well cared for. Besides, you can’t fool me. I know you liked him,” Sakura teased with a sly smile.

“No idea what you’re talking about, woman,” Shintaro grumbled.

Saura narrowed her eyes at her husband.

“Well, he does have some guts. I’ll give him that. And he’s certainly got some personality,” Shintaro finally admitted in exasperation.

Sakura giggled, “Oh out with it already!”

“Fine. I don’t dislike the punk,” he groaned.

Rolling her eyes, “Stubborn old man.” Sakura mumbled under her breath as she resumed her seat on the couch. Though she was sad that her little girl was growing up so quickly, she couldn’t seem to shake her smile. She knew her daughter was in good hands with a man that genuinely loved her, but, more importantly, her daughter was happy. She hadn’t seen Ichigo smile so much in a long time. When she had finally relaxed, her daughter had seemed so happy that she positively glowed. And for that alone, Kish would always be welcome in her home and heart.

Chapter Text

“You know, if I can’t say anything else good about you, at least you manage to get Ichigo here on time. Something I never thought I’d live to see,” Ryou snarked to Kish as he leaned in the doorway to the basement stairs. He was watching Ichigo and Pudding get the café ready for the day.

Kish casually leaned against the wall next to Ryou with his arms folded behind his head. “Trust me, it’s no piece of cake getting her up. Her claws are sharp when she’s grumpy.” He rubbed at his chest where a fresh pair of scratches were healing. She’d dug her nails in when Kish’s alarm had gone off that morning. She had apologized, but that didn’t mean they didn’t still hurt. “Though it’s a small price to pay to get to wake to her in my bed,” he quipped with a cocky grin.

Ryou rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “So, how’d meeting the parents go? Lettuce let it slip that you were going over there Sunday. You’re still alive and in one piece, so I guess it didn’t go too badly,” he remarked.

“Other than one little misstep where I may have slammed her father onto the floor, things couldn’t have gone more perfectly. They fully accepted me and our relationship. We also set the wedding date. The thirtieth.”

“Well congratulations. And really? You attacked her father? Can’t even control yourself for one night.” Ryou wasn’t surprised at all. Kish did tend to fly off the handle at a moment’s notice. What surprised him was that Kish had said it with a smile. Actually, on second thought, that didn’t surprise him either. He’d always been a bit twisted. God only knew what Ichigo saw in the long eared freak.

“Hey! In my defense, he attacked me first. I was defending myself. Ichigo and her family forgave me. Even earned some respect from her father. Though, he won’t stop calling me a cocky brat.”

Ryou laughed. “One night and he’s already got you figured out.” Flicking his eyes from the girls, he gave Kish his full attention. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

Right away Kish heard the shift in Ryou’s tone. Whatever it was, it was serious. Kish faced Ryou, his eyes glowing with intensity as he stood up straight. All traces of their earlier banter gone. “What’s going on?” Kish’s own tone was authoritative. All jokes and kidding had been set aside. The look on Ryou’s face had his hackles raising.

“Not here,” was all Ryou said before heading down the stairs.

Understanding, Kish quickly followed him. Keeping silent until they reached the hidden lab. He watched Ryou enter something into the computer and the large screen on the wall lit up.

As he typed, Ryou began to explain. “We’ve got a problem. Someone managed to snap a picture of you and Ichigo the other night. Thankfully, she was in costume, so they won’t recognize her. And since you were in your normal form, as long as you continue to use glamor while in public, you should be fine as well. The problem is that it’s caused a panic. They were able to identify you as one of the aliens from the attacks four years ago. I’ve tried to do as much damage control as I could, but the picture clearly shows you chasing Ichigo on Tokyo Tower. What the hell were you two doing?” With a final click, the photo from the news appeared on the large screen.

Kish cringed. At first glance, it really looked like he was attacking Ichigo as she fled from him. You couldn’t see her face since she was turned away. His face, however, was plainly visible, showing off his fanged smile and determined expression. It was easy to see why people were panicking. “It’s not what it looks like,” Kish started to explain.

Ryou rubbed the bridge of his nose and interrupted Kish. “I know that you long eared idiot. Just what the hell were you two thinking?”

“It’s not like we thought anyone would see us! We were on top of Tokyo Tower in the middle of the night. We were just having some fun for old time’s sake. It didn’t even occur to us what it might look like to a civilian,” Kish defended himself and Ichigo. Of course they hadn’t worried about any possible consequences. Their minds had been completely focused on each other among other things, but Kish was definitely going to be keeping that to himself. “Maybe everything will blow over if I keep hidden. It’s not like we’re actually attacking again. If only they had caught Ichigo’s face. They would have seen that she was smiling and laughing. Not running scared like she appears to be.”

Turning around, Ryou placed his hands atop his desk as he leaned back against it. “Not likely. At least not anytime soon. We’ve picked up chatter among the military forces and governments. After your last invasion, they set certain protocols in motion. Partly for defense, but mostly they want to get their hands on you and your technology. Keiichiro and I have a way of contacting the government anonymously. It’s how we kept them from interfering last time. Letting the Mews manage the extremely dangerous threat… You. But they know more about you now after studying your previous fights. They won’t be so easily deterred this time.”

Kish was starting to get worried. The last thing he or the Mews needed were military officials keeping a close eye on things. It would put them all in danger. Kish wasn’t a fool. He knew the real reason the girls kept their identities secret. Any number of organizations would love to get their hands on the girls to see what made them tick. They really would be turned into lab rats to be experimented on. And he was no exception. He wasn’t naïve. He knew how truly cruel this world could be. Hovering a foot off the floor, Kish ran a hand over his hair in thought. Quickly, he locked down his side of the bond so Ichigo wouldn’t feel his distress. Flicking his eyes back to Ryou, “Any suggestions on how to fix this?”

Ryou sighed, “Originally I thought of just having you and Ichigo appear together as comrades. But with the military interest now, I don’t think that’s going to cut it anymore. No, if we’re going to make them lose interest, I have a feeling we’re going to have to do something drastic.”

A chill ran down Kish’s spine as he started to piece together what Ryou was planning. “Don’t even think it. I am not going to blow up my ship, you bastard.”

“Well, have you got a better idea?” Ryou asked coldly as he crossed his arms.

Kish shot Ryou a glare. “Actually, I do. You want it to look like the Mews destroyed us without leaving anything for the governments to get their hands on, correct?” At Ryou’s nod, Kish continued. “We have a small single manned scouting skiff aboard our ship. With a few modifications, I can make it appear as a much larger ship, in both person and on any radar sweeping equipment. The Mews and I can have a mock battle with me trying to escape in that ship. I can rig it to look like they damaged it and once I reach the outer atmosphere, set it to self-destruct. I can easily teleport to safety.”

Ryou cocked his head and sported a large, surprised smile. “That’s not a bad idea and just might work. How long will it take you to modify the ship?” Once again, Ryou had been impressed by Kish. The alien really was much more intelligent than he ever let on. But he knew even this plan had risks. The battle had to be convincing and someone on either side could get hurt. Though, Kish was certainly taking the most risks. His timing had to be flawless. If the ship exploded too early, the governments would be scrambling for any scrap of debris. If he waited too late, the governments may not register the explosion and so everything would be for nothing. Kish also had to be careful in case the military tried to get involved. Of course, the same could be said about the girls.

Folding his legs as he thought, Kish sat hovering just above Ryou. “Somewhere between three to five days. Not sure if I have all the components I’ll need, so I may end up having to cobble some things together with what I do have. Which could add time. But it shouldn’t take me more than five days if I spend most my time focusing on it. And in the meantime, Tart could stir up some trouble to make the final fight more convincing. Of course, he’ll be sure no one comes to harm.”

Ryou shook his head. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea. If the military are watching too closely, they could try to hurt or capture Tart. And there’s the possibility that he or the girls could lead them straight to us on accident. No, I think it would be best to stick with the initial plan. Lettuce said something about calling Mint and Zakuro today. I’ll hold a Mew Meeting as soon as those two are back in town. Let them know what’s going on and if they have any suggestions, as well as warn them about being careful when they transform in public.”

That actually made something become clear for Kish, which also had him growing even more worried. He quickly voiced his concern. “This plan will make the world governments think we’re gone and destroyed, but that still leaves the girls. As greedy as your people can be, won’t they still be in danger?”

Biting his lip, Ryou racked his brain. Kish had a point. With this new interest in the alien’s and the Mew Project, the girls were just as big a target as Kish and Tart. “Dammit! You’re right. But I have no idea how to pull attention from them. And unlike you and Tart, we live here. We’ll be in constant danger.”

“What if we made it look like we all died in the explosion? Mutual destruction? Make it appear as though the girls boarded my ship in an attempt to stop me from fleeing, but the damage had already been done. The ship explodes, presumably with all of us on board.” Kish may have suggested the idea, but he didn’t like it. It would be putting everyone at risk, even his Kitten. If anything went wrong, one or all of them could pay with their lives. And for any of it to work, they had to count on the military paying close attention, but not interfere. There were a lot of moving parts and variables, which could hinder their safety and success.

Rubbing his temples, Ryou eyed Kish hovering in the air. “It could work, but I don’t like it. It wouldn’t account for Keiichiro and me. The government may not know who we are, but they know we exist. Plus, there are variables that we can’t guarantee or account for. I’ll keep thinking on it. In the meantime, you get your skiff set up and I’ll do what I can to stall the military, try and put them on a wild goose chase. I’ll also go ahead and contact Mint and Zakuro myself. Get their asses here ASAP.”

“Just a suggestion, but you may want to think about closing the café until we get this sorted. It will let you and the girls have more time to plan and work out the details. Plus, I’m going to need some extra hands, besides Tart and myself. Once I near completion, I’m going to have to land the skiff. I won’t be able to make the final fittings and adjustments with it aboard my ship. I can keep it camouflaged so no one will see it though.”

Ryou sighed. Again, Kish had a point. “Alright. Fine. Since the girls are already opening for today, I’ll have them spread the word that we’ll be closed for the next week or so for renovations. I’ll go let them know and give Mint and Zakuro a call. You get to work.”

At the same time, Ichigo had noticed an abrupt void on Kish’s end. Starting to worry, she reached out to him. "What’s going on? Why are you shutting me out?"

Kish’s eyes flicked from Ryou to the ceiling where he knew Ichigo was above him. "Relax, Kitten. The bastard and I were just discussing something troublesome, and I didn’t want you freaking out and racing down here."

"Well, I’m freaking out now. Tell me what’s going on," she demanded.

Sighing, "Ryou and I will explain everything later. I promise. Some things have come up and we’re still working on the details. As soon as the other Mews get back to town he’s going to hold a meeting. Just try and focus on work for now. Everything should be fine." Kish carefully reopened their connection but kept the trickle of his emotions small and weak. He didn’t want to worry her with how worried he really was.

Ichigo growled. "I’m not stupid. I can still feel you holding back. You’re even blocking Kit so I can’t see everything." She really wasn’t happy, and she was about to head down to the lab when both Ryou and Kish came up the stairs. Shooting Kish a glare, she crossed her arms as she stood in the kitchen waiting for an explanation. Pudding had joined her as soon as she sensed the tension between the three of them.

Since the kitchen door was closed, Kish didn’t even hesitate as he teleported behind Ichigo. Pulling her back against him, he circled his arms over her crossed ones and nuzzled against her cheek. "Calm down, mate. You’ll know what’s going on soon enough."

Ichigo squirmed, fighting the urge to lean into Kish’s hold. "Not gonna happen. Whenever you get defensive and secretive, I tend to end up pissed off, scared, or in tears. Usually, a combination of the three. So, no. I’m not going to calm down until someone starts explaining."

Looking between Ichigo and Kish, Ryou just knew Ichigo was about to lose her temper. Crossing his arms, “You girls are here, good. The Mews have a new threat, but this one’s from a little closer to home. Once the others are back, I’ll explain everything. I really don’t want to have to repeat myself. Just work as normal, but I want you to let the customers know we’ll be closed for the next week or so for renovations starting tomorrow. And Ichigo, as much as I would normally enjoy it, stop taking your anger out on Kish. For once he doesn’t deserve it. This is Mew business so I’m calling the shots.”

Shocked expressions appeared on both Kish’s and Ichigo’s faces as they stared at Ryou. Kish, because he was shocked the blonde bastard had actually taken his side. And Ichigo, well for the same reason. “I just want to know what’s going on. I know Kish is worried about something, but he won’t tell me,” Ichigo said angrily, but with worry in her voice.

“And I said I’ll explain when everyone is here. Now you’re dismissed. The café won’t open by itself,” Ryou stated, leaving no room for an argument.

Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open and in walked Mint, followed by Zakuro. “Talk about perfect timing. But what are you two doing here?” Ichigo asked with a large smile. She might get some answers now.

Mint lifted her nose, “Gee, such a wonderful greeting. I can see your manners haven’t improved since I’ve been away.”

Ichigo glared at Mint, “My manners are just fine, thank you very much. I just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.”

Mint cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “We are still welcome here, aren’t we?”

A giggle broke from Ichigo as she launched herself at Mint. Wrapping the surprised girl in a hug, “Absolutely! I’ve missed you so much. It feels like forever since I’ve seen you!”

“And still so overly emotional,” Mint teased as she wrapped her arms around Ichigo. “I’ve missed you too,” she admitted quietly.

Not to be left out, Pudding jumped over and joined in the hugs. Kish and Ryou stood off to the side watching the reunion.

“So why are you guys back?” Ichigo asked again when she finally calmed down.

“I called Pudding yesterday to get some birthday ideas since it’s in a few weeks. I heard a guy’s voice and when I asked who it was she let it slip that it was Tart. But before I could ask anything else, the spastic monkey hung up on me and wouldn’t answer my calls. I called Zakuro and we headed straight here. Why didn’t anyone tell us they were back?” Mint complained as she eyed Kish.

“Eep! I’m so sorry Mint! I dropped my phone in the tub, and it quit working. I didn’t hang up! I swear!” Pudding quickly explained.

Mint’s eyes narrowed, “If you were in the bath, then how did I hear Tart?”

Puddings cheeks turned scarlet. Before she could say anything, Kish piped up.

“I knew it!” Kish glanced at Ichigo, “Told ya.” He gave her a wink.

Mint looked around the room. “I need a cup of tea. Looks like a lot has happened while I’ve been away. Pudding’s apparently bathing with Tart and from the pest’s smirk and how you’re making goo-goo eyes at him, I’m guessing he’s no longer stealing kisses from you,” Mint said shifting her gaze from Kish to Ichigo.

“Oh, I’m still stealing kisses, I’m just receiving many more now,” Kish smirked.

Mint rolled her eyes, “You haven’t changed a bit. Though you are looking significantly more human.”

Ryou rubbed the bridge of his nose. Before an argument could start, he spoke up. “Since it looks like no work’s going to get done today, Pudding will you go put out the ‘Closed for Renovations,’ sign?”

Seeing her chance to escape everyone’s eyes and questions at the moment, she jumped at the task. “Sure thing!” she shouted as she headed for the storage closet then made her way to the front door.

Once Pudding returned, they all made their way to Mint’s usual table. “I’m not discussing anything further until I have a cup of tea,” Mint said flatly.

Keiichiro came through the kitchen doors with a tray of tea for everyone and a large plate of fresh cookies. “Things never change,” he said as he winked at the girls. Setting the tray on the table, “Help yourself. It’s nice to see you both again, Mint, Zakuro.”

“At least someone’s kept their manners. Thank you, Keiichiro,” Mint said with her usual condescending tone. However, there was warmth in her voice when she addressed Keiichiro.

“Always a pleasure, Mint. Now, why don’t you girls get settled. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on,” Keiichiro said with a warm smile.

Sitting down, Ichigo grabbed a cookie. “In a minute. Now that Mint and Zakuro are here, I want to know what you two were hiding,” she said eyeing Ryou and Kish.

“Fine. Everyone take a seat. I’ll call Lettuce and get her here. When she gets here, I’ll explain,” Ryou said before heading back into the kitchen.

“I’ll be right back. Gonna go grab Tart,” Kish announced just before he disappeared.

As soon as the boys were gone, Mint’s eyes locked on Ichigo. “So, you finally gave in to mister tall, dark, and crazy? How long has that been going on?” Mint began her interrogation.

“Umm… About five days ago. And don’t play dumb. I told you how much I missed him and that I thought I loved him. So, there was no giving in. He won months ago. He just didn’t know it yet,” Ichigo had started with uncertainty at being caught off guard, but she quickly grew defensive. She loved Kish and he was her mate now.

“And are you two… hmm… Bathing together as it seems Tart and Pudding are?” Mint asked with a wickedly teasing lilt to her voice.

Both Ichigo and Pudding turned bright pink.

“I’ll take that as a yes then. Even knowing how you’ve come to feel about him, I still find you two being together weird. I mean he tried to kill us, Ichigo. Even while claiming to love you.”

“And we all know it wasn’t entirely his choice. He was under orders and trying to save his home and planet. No different than us. He’s changed. He’s grown up just like we have. He’s no longer quite so insane or crazy. Which had a lot to do with me. He was being pulled in too many directions and I was constantly hurting him on top of that. I can’t blame him for all his actions.” Ichigo defended.

Mint’s eyes flicked above Ichigo as two pale arms wrapped around Ichigo’s shoulders. “Nope. Still crazy, love. Crazy for you,” Kish said as he stole a kiss to Ichigo’s cheek.

“Urgh. I take it back. You’re worse than before. Get a room you two,” Mint groaned.

Kish smirked over Ichigo’s shoulder, “We already do.”

Mint rolled her eyes again. “So, when’s the wedding,” she teased.

“On the thirtieth,” Kish announced proudly.

“What?! I was joking! Tell me he’s kidding, Ichigo.” Mint yelled in shock as she stared at Ichigo.

“Ermm… Well…,” Ichigo trailed off as she fiddled with her fingers.

“You can’t be serious?! You said you’ve only been together for five days! How can you be engaged already? I mean I know he’s a possessive freak, but this is going too far. He’s an alien! Who tried to kill us! And five days, girl! You were with Masaya for over three years and didn’t even sleep with him. Five days and you’re sleeping with him and getting married?! Get real, Ichigo.” Mint argued. She was worried, angry, hurt, and shocked. Ichigo was her best friend but hadn’t bothered to tell her any of this. She had to find out from that stalking alien freak turned fiancé, no less. She’d also never understood how Ichigo could so easily forgive all the aliens for everything they had done. She could acknowledge and understand why they did it, but it was harder to forgive them. They had tried to kill them. Had tried to steal their planet. Had hurt her brother. No, she couldn’t fully forgive them. And now her best friend was marrying their leader. Mint was not happy.

Neither was Ichigo. She slammed her hands down on the table, causing the dishes to rattle. “That’s enough! I know it’s a bit sudden. But I love him, and he loves me. In fact, we’re already married by his culture. And before you even dare to think it, no, he didn’t force any of this on me. I chose him! I was really hoping my best friend would be happy for me. Would be excited and be my maid of honor. I know you still have hard feelings because of your brother, but it wasn’t his fault. And I was hoping you could look past that for me. But I guess our friendship doesn’t mean as much to you as I thought it did!” With that Ichigo stormed into the kitchen.

Kish watched Ichigo until she disappeared behind the kitchen door. Turning towards Mint, he narrowed his eyes at her. “I can understand your hatred towards me and the others. I can’t even blame you for it. What I and the others did was inexcusable. But can you really say you wouldn’t have done the same things? If your brother was dying of starvation? If most of your family died from disease or because of the harsh living conditions, wouldn’t you have done all you could to help the few family you had left? You can dislike me all you want, but you ever hurt her like that again, and I can assure you, I’ll give you an entirely new reason to dislike me. She’s my mate and no one, not even her so called friends, hurts her while I’m around.” Kish quickly followed Ichigo after giving a final glare to Mint.

Fear had shot through Mint at the intensity she saw within Kish’s eyes. She had no doubt he’d make good on his threat. It wasn’t like he’d never attacked her before. But this time it was in defense of Ichigo. Of her best friend. She suddenly felt ashamed for how she had attacked Ichigo. Hesitantly, she started to push her chair back, but she felt a hand on her arm to stop her.

“Don’t. Let her cool off for a bit,” Zakuro warned as she withdrew her hand. “You really did it this time. It’s as plain as day how much he loves her. How much he’s always loved her. And Ichigo’s told us herself how much she missed and loved him. Is it really such a shock to how quickly they’re moving? They’ve been dancing around each other for years. Don’t let your bias get in the way of the happiness they’ve found.”

Ever the stoic, Zakuro’s sage-like advice registered deep within Mint’s heart. Mint still greatly idolized Zakuro and so always gave her her full attention. Zakuro was right. She had lashed out harshly and unfairly. Mint just hoped Ichigo would let her apologize and hopefully forgive her. If anyone deserved a happy life, it was Ichigo. Ichigo had sacrificed everything for everyone, even her life. Even though they had all made sacrifices when they were fighting, Ichigo had blatantly had it the worst. As their leader, she was under countless more stress. And though she was happy with him now, Kish had made her life confusing and hellish. She’d sacrificed who knows how many dates because of Kish and the others. On top of that, she had to deal with getting everyone to work together. Which couldn’t have been easy with as different as they all were. Then she had had to fight and try to kill the boy she had been in love with. After witnessing Kish die in her arms when he’d sacrificed himself for her. To say Ichigo had had it rough was putting it mildly. Mint’s eyes drifted to the kitchen door. She really, really needed to apologize. To both of them.

Drifting down from where he had been hovering near the ceiling, Tart took a seat next to Pudding. “What the Abyss did I miss?”

“Oh, just that you’re apparently sleeping with Pudding and that my best friend is engaged to your psychotic leader. And I had to find that out from him, not my best friend,” Mint snapped. She may have wanted to apologize, but she was feeling very defensive with the way everyone was looking at her. Especially since she knew she was in the wrong.

Glancing around the table, then to the closed kitchen door, Pudding decided it was time to say something in the aliens’ defense and for Ichigo. “I don’t want us to fight. We’re all family, and that includes Taru-Taru, Kish, and even Pai now. They proved their loyalty when they were willing to give up their home so they could save us and ours. Or did you forget that I also held Taru-Taru after he died trying to stop Pai and Deep Blue and to protect Ichigo. Everyone at this table has always known how much Kish has always cared for Ichigo. He makes her happy. Happier than she’s been in years. We’ve all seen how depressed and distant she’s been. Because she missed him. I’m not excusing all his behavior back then, but there was a reason for his so-called insanity. Not only was he torn because he fell in love with the enemy, but he was also tortured because of that. Maybe you should know all the facts before you decide to hate someone. The aliens were never evil. Misguided and desperate, maybe, but not evil.”

All eyes stared at Pudding. Without realizing it, they all saw how much she had grown over the years. They also realized that she’d had it tougher than they’d imagined. Pudding had been incredibly young when she’d been asked to fight in life-or-death situations. But that naiveté had also allowed her to look past the surface and see the aliens as they really were. People no different than them.

“Pudding!” Tart yelled. “That was a secret!”

“You’re damn right it was,” Kish’s cold voice came from the kitchen doorway.

While the others had been talking, Kish had quickly found and wrapped the teary-eyed Ichigo in his arms. “Calm down, mate. I’m sure she didn’t mean all of it. I’m sure she was just caught off guard by everything.”

Ichigo buried her face in Kish’s chest. “You might be right, but I’d forgotten how much Mint dislikes you all. I don’t know if she’ll ever accept us and that’s killing me.”

His hold tightened, “Ryou hated us as well, but he came around. We may not be close, but I believe he’d call us allies at the very least, if not friends.”

“True, but it was a different alien that attacked his parents. While it was you who not only attacked Mint’s brother, but her dog as well. I don’t know if she’ll forgive you for that,” Ichigo argued as she poked her finger into his chest.

Kish grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’d forgotten about that. Only reason I attacked her dog was because I wanted to see you. I’d been looking everywhere for you, and when I finally found you, I grew jealous of her. I’d wanted to play with you alone, but you were with her.”

“That doesn’t make it any better. Worse actually,” Ichigo muttered.

“Probably. If you want, I’ll apologize to her. I should anyway. Should probably apologize to all the girls. But even if she always hates me, I don’t care. I only care about your happiness, Ichigo.” He stopped himself when Ichigo pulled back to stare at him. “Okay. Okay. I care about them as well,” he corrected. “She’s your best friend, mate. I know she’ll come around. Just give her some time.”

“I really, really hate it when you’re right,” she sniffled as she wiped her eyes.

“I usually am,” Kish winked before placing a quick kiss to her cheek. Kish’s long ears twitched, he’d dropped his glamor when they had decided to just go ahead and close the café for the day. He’d been eavesdropping on the girls since he left to comfort his mate. He caught what Pudding and Tart had said and he was livid. That was something highly personal and he didn’t want anyone to know, especially Ichigo.

Unfortunately, his sudden anger piqued her interest, and she shifted down their link. She saw what had made him so mad. “What does he mean, you were tortured?” she asked with concern.

Kish growled, “I’m going to kill him.” He swept out of the kitchen before Ichigo could say or ask anything else.

“You know that was private and personal, you damn brat. I have half a mind to keep you confined to the ship for the rest of our stay since you can't seem to keep your damn mouth shut. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kick your ass,” Kish growled coldly. His eyes had narrowed to slits as he stared at Tart, daring him to defend himself.

“Because I’m telling you not to,” Ichigo announced as she came out of the kitchen. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked with her arms crossed.

Kish spun on Ichigo, “It’s not exactly a fond memory. It’s also something that doesn’t come up easily in conversation. ‘Oh, by the way, I was tortured for days sometimes weeks because I was in love with you and compromising the mission.’ Yeah, really something I want to talk about.” He was angry and defensive. What he went through was not something he wanted to think about. And he certainly didn’t want that pain aired in front of the others.

“Don’t you snap at me just because you’re mad at Tart. Besides, I think I had a right to know since it was my fault,” Ichigo shot back angrily.

Kish’s tense body relaxed, and his eyes softened. “You’re right. I’m sorry I snapped and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I would have eventually, but you’ve got enough going on and I didn’t want to upset you. We were just reunited. Not something I wanted to relive when I finally got my mate back.” Turning to the table, he glared at Tart, “I’ll deal with you later.” Letting his eyes drift to Mint, he continued. “I’m sorry for the things I did in the past. If I could take it all back and do things differently, I would. I never wanted to hurt any of you, but I didn’t have a choice. For Ichigo’s sake, I hope you might eventually forgive me, but I hope you can at least accept me, accept us. I love her more than anything.” Saying his piece, he didn’t wait for a response, he simply vanished.

“Where did he disappear to?” Mint questioned.

“Leave him alone. I’m sorry I got so mad, but I love him, Mint. Please try to understand that,” Ichigo both apologized and begged.

Sighing, Mint slumped her shoulders. “No, Ichigo. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. You’re my best friend. I should’ve been happy for you right away. Although it did hurt that you didn’t tell me straight away.”

“I know. Things have been hectic. And I was being selfish. I finally got Kish back and my thoughts have only been about him and us. Sorry, Mint. Still friends?” she asked hesitantly.

“Always the dumb, emotional cat. Yes, we’re still friends. Someone has to make sure you don’t make us wear some hideous bridesmaid dresses. Now, give me all the details,” Mint grinned.

Ichigo flew to Mint and gave her a big hug. A voice from the front of the café drew their attention.

“What’s going on? Ryou called and made it sound like an emergency, so I hurried over,” Lettuce said as she approached the girls.

“I’d like to know as well,” Zakuro calmly stated from her chair.

Ryou cleared his throat from the kitchen doorway. “Now that everyone’s here, I’ll explain. Afterwards, I’m sure Ichigo would love to talk about her love life.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes and resumed her seat. “Just get on with it, Ryou. What were you and Kish talking about earlier?” "And don’t think you’re off the hook," she told Kish. "You’re going to tell me all about it when we get back to your ship tonight. Now, you may as well come out. I know you’re eavesdropping from the second floor."

Kish grumbled but came out from around the corner. However, he only floated over to the balcony railing and sat upon it. His feet dangling in the air. He looked down at Ichigo, "Better?"

"Good enough, for now," she added. She knew he was still pouting about his secret being revealed and she couldn’t really blame him. Narrowing her eyes at Tart, "I may have saved you, but you really need to stop pushing him. I know you and Pudding are close, but that wasn’t your secret to share. It hurt him, even if he won’t admit it."

Tart caught Ichigo’s eyes, "Sorry."

It was weak and soft, but Ichigo had heard. She gave Tart a slight nod, "We’ll talk later."

Ryou explained what had happened and the plan he and Kish had come up with, including Kish’s idea to make it look like the girls were killed as well. “Only thing we can’t figure out is what to do about Keiichiro and me. They know of our existence, even if they don’t know who we are.”

“Always gotta cause a mess that we have to clean up,” Mint accused as she glanced up at Kish.

“It wasn’t all his fault! I was there too,” Ichigo quickly defended.

“I know. And I’m just as disappointed in you, but we’ve already had our fight for today,” Mint shot back over her teacup.

Before things could escalate, Zakuro turned attention back to the problem at hand. “Kish’s idea has merit. But as Ryou said, what do we do about them,” she said gesturing between Ryou and Keiichiro.

Tart spoke up, “What if we made it look like it was us the entire time? That we created you, but you turned on us? Like we couldn’t remove all your humanity so instead of being on our side like we designed, you chose to fight us to save the Earth.”

Kish floated down beside Ichigo, but his eyes were on Tart. “Not bad, Brat. It would be believable since some of our chimeras were a mix of humans and animals. We could also let it slip somehow that we were the ones communicating with the government to keep them from getting involved while we tried to invade. But we’ve come back to reclaim our property, the girls.”

Ryou’s eyes lit up. “That could actually work. We probably wouldn’t even need to make the ship blow up if it looked like you captured the girls and left.”

Kish shook his head, “I think it still needs to look like we all died, and everything was destroyed. It will keep the governments from further investigating.”

Slumping his shoulders, Ryou reluctantly agreed. “I still don’t like putting the girls at risk like that.”

“Neither do I, but it’s the only way to get the governments off everyone’s backs for good. If anyone has a better suggestion, I’m all ears,” Kish said with a toothy grin as he tried to lighten the heavy mood.

“What you’ve come up with is a rather good plan. I support it. And I know you’ll do everything you can to protect Ichigo and the rest of us,” Zakuro said solemnly.

“You have my word,” Kish swore.

“Kish said it would take about five days for him to get the skiff retrofitted. If no one comes up with anything better until then, then we go with Kish and Tart’s plan. In the meantime, the café will remain closed. I want all you girls to come by each afternoon for a meeting. To further discuss or come up with other ideas. Also to lend Kish and Tart a hand if they need it. Keiichiro and I will start dropping hints here and there that we were actually the aliens, as well as monitor the chatter and movements of the governments and the militaries. Now that that’s all settled, I’ll leave you to catch up. Because even though we must save ourselves again, there is a wedding to plan.” With a grin, Ryou left for the lab followed by Keiichiro.

As soon as the boys were gone, all eyes turned to Ichigo. “Alright, time to dish. How exactly did this happen?” Mint gestured between Ichigo and Kish. “How long have you two been back? Why did you come back? Is Pai here too? And please tell me you have some ideas for the wedding so that I can correct them and make it more stunning and tasteful.”

“And that’s Tart and I’s que to leave. Come on Brat, you and I have some serious talking to do before we get to work on the skiff.” Kish said eyeing Tart as he backed away from the girls.

Tart gulped.

Whipping around, Ichigo shot out of her chair and grabbed Kish’s wrist. “Not so fast, mister.” Quickly, Ichigo pressed her lips to Kish’s in a quick but heated kiss. “Now, you’re free to go,” she grinned.

A smirk slowly grew on Kish’s dazed face. “Heh… Now who’s stealing kisses? Later, Kitten. Call if you need me.” Grabbing Tart, the pair vanished into a ripple of air.

“Told ya, he’s rubbing off on you,” Pudding giggled.

Ichigo blushed as she saw all eyes on her again. Just don’t kill him," she quickly told Kish.

Chuckling, "Only because you asked." Kish replied before focusing on the very scared looking Tart. “Relax, Brat. I’m not going to kill you. Ichigo would get pissed. And I rather like the idea of being able to have kids one day,” he muttered the last bit mostly to himself. “However, I’m still beyond pissed at you. How could you? That was incredibly private. Ignoring the fact that you know how much I hate talking about anything to do with what that bastard did.”

Trembling, Tart tried to quickly apologize. “I’m sorry. I told Pudding it was a secret. It came up after you threatened Masaya at the mall. She was scared that you really might kill him. I told her what happened in your defense. That you had a right to hate him as you did. I didn’t think she’d tell everyone, especially like that.”

Kish began pacing the engine room where he had teleported them. “I appreciate you sticking up for me. But it still wasn’t your secret to tell. I still have nightmares from what that bastard did to me. Now I get to explain it all to Ichigo because she isn’t going to let this go. And the worst part is, I know it’s going to hurt her because she’ll blame herself. I was tortured because of her. There’s no getting around that. You’ve really got to stop bringing up the worst of my past.”

“I know and I’m sorry,” Tart apologized again. With his head lowered, he never saw the punch coming.

Kish nailed Tart right in the gut and stood over him when he doubled over. “Maybe that will make you think twice before you share anything else,” he said with narrowed eyes. “Now, let’s start figuring out what we need to get the skiff ready.”

Wincing, Tart followed after Kish as he made his way to the skiff at the back of the engine room.

Pulling her focus from the chattering girls around her, "Was that really necessary?" she scolded Kish.

"Eh. It made me feel better," Kish replied.

Ichigo could literally feel the grin in his words. Sighing, she refocused on those at the table. She’d fully explained everything to do with her and Kish. She understood Kish and Ryou’s reluctance to repeat themselves. It was becoming tiresome and tedious having to constantly explain why Kish was back and about their mate bond. ‘At least this should be the last time,’ she thought.

"Until we get to my planet. I know my family and friends are going to interrogate you, which I’ll go ahead and apologize for now," Kish added.

"Oh goody," Ichigo grumbled. "Shouldn’t you be rigging a ship to explode instead of eavesdropping on me?"

Kish chuckled, "Tart and I are making a list of everything we need and drawing up blueprints for the devices and the best places to put them. Everything needs to be precise so it will be convincing. I’m also not taking any chances with your safety. How’s the current interrogation going?"

Slumping in her chair, Ichigo tuned out the girls as she filled Kish in. "Wonderful," she said sarcastically. "Mint managed to pry more details out of me than I meant to share. I think Lettuce is permanently red. And before you ask, yes, I may or may not have bragged about your tongue again. Pudding also just had to bring up the gift I got you. Although now they’re currently interrogating Pudding about her and Tart. Looks like you were right. They did sleep together Saturday night. But, according to Pudding, they didn’t start the bonding process. Says she’s just not sure if she’s ready."

Smirking, Kish let his eyes drift from the blueprints to Tart.

Feeling eyes upon him, Tart looked up at Kish, “What?”

“So, you and Pudding? Hmn?” Kish grinned wickedly.

Flushing bright red, Tart stuttered, “Wh… What about me… me and Pudding?”

Kish’s wicked grin grew sly as his golden eyes sparkled. “Finally took the next step, did ya? Finally gave up your virginity?”

Tart’s blush turned crimson as he scrambled for a response. Feeling defensive, he lashed out. “Don’t act all knowing. I know you were a virgin before Ichigo. And I bet you’re jealous. I got my girl at the same age you were when yours was still denying you.”

“Watch it, Brat. It was my choice not to sleep with anyone, not that I didn’t have ample opportunities,” Kish countered quickly. “Besides, I hear you two haven’t started the bonding process.”

Tart looked down in concern. “Not yet. Pudding wants to wait until she’s sure and I respect her decision. She’s still young. I won’t pressure her into anything.”

“Don’t get upset. I’m only teasing. I have no doubt she’ll agree eventually. Just give her some time. I’m sure you’ll have your mate soon enough. Don’t rush it.”

“Says the one who started the process without even talking to their chosen first,” Tart goaded.

“Ichigo and I’s situation was completely different. You didn’t have to deal with an annoying, dull, tree hugger getting to your girl first. She was mine, she just didn’t realize it yet,” Kish snapped defensively. Cocking his head, Kish caught something Pudding had just reluctantly admitted to the girls. With a disapproving and shocked look, Kish eyed Tart. “Really? You waited for years to be with Pudding, and you couldn’t even give your girl any foreplay?”

Tart’s blush was back in full force. “How in the Abyss do you know that?”

“Mint just got Pudding to spill the details. She said you made out then had sex. Nothing before or after. And you call yourself an Ikisatashi.”

“Hey! Pai’s never been with a girl. Besides, it’s not like I have experience with this sort of thing. We can’t all have it as easy as you do when it comes to girls,” Tart said in both embarrassment and jealousy.

Kish snickered, “Contrary to popular belief, Pai’s not a virgin. However, he sees sex more as a chore then the pleasurable act it is. It’s more of a simple stress relief to him. Though, I’m sure he’d change his tune if a certain Fishy was involved. Anyways, I’d be more then happy to give you some pointers on how to please your girl.”

Tart slapped a hand over his face and shook his head. “We are sooo not having this conversation.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Kish focused back on the blueprints. “Suit yourself. But I’m here if you ever change your mind. One piece of advice before I drop it, don’t be embarrassed. No harm in giving things a try. Practice makes perfect.”

Tart shuddered. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to look the girls in the eye again.”

Kish laughed out loud. “It could be worse. At least your mate isn’t constantly bragging about how well you use your tongue.”

Tart shook his head, “Difference is, you enjoy the attention.”

“True,” Kish smirked.

Kish watched Ichigo yawn as she stretched out in their bed before snuggling under the covers. “Long day, love?” Kish asked as he stripped for bed.

Ichigo nodded sleepily. “I’m exhausted. Today was like an emotional roller coaster. And I forgot how ruthless Mint can be when prying information out of you. Those girls can be exhausting when interrogating for gossip. But I love them. Be glad you escaped when you did, or you’d have suffered the same torture.”

Kish sighed as he slid in beside his mate. “Speaking of that, do you still want me to explain or are you too tired?”

“You’re not getting off that easily,” Ichigo said as she snuggled against Kish’s chest. They were lying on their sides facing each other and she couldn’t help the happy smile that appeared when his arms circled her.

“Figured you’d say that.” Holding her closer, Kish closed his eyes. "Come join me, mate."

Ichigo immediately understood and quickly slid into his mind. As soon as she appeared, Kish took her hand.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, “Normally, I’d take you up to the control room so you could fully experience my memory, but not this time. I don’t want you to feel the pain I went through. So, we’re going to stay down here so you won’t get the full affect.”

Ichigo shook her head, then stared deeply into his golden eyes. “No, Kish. I want to know and feel everything you went through. Even your pain. It was my fault you suffered.”

“Don’t make me do that, Ichigo. I swore to always protect you. Even from myself. You don’t deserve to be subjected to that kind of pain,” he pleaded desperately.

But she stood her ground. “Please Kish. I need to know. If it becomes too much, I’ll let go of your hand.”

“Dammit, Ichigo. Just once can you not be so stubborn. You’re human, I’m not. I can manage more pain and more mental abuse then you can. Deep Blue didn’t use physical torture. He didn’t have a corporeal form at that time. He ensnared my mind. Made me believe I was being hurt. Made me see things that ate at my heart. Plus, he couldn’t risk injuring my body. I was one of his elite warriors. I was too valuable to him. Instead, he tried to break my mind and spirit.” He begged as tears welled in his eyes. Just thinking of what Deep Blue had done to him was painful enough, but subjecting his mate to that was more than he could bear.

Gently, Ichigo reached up and cupped Kish’s cheeks. “You know I’m strong. I can handle this. I need to understand what you went through. I’m sorry for making you relive this, but I’m not backing down. If you don’t show me, I’ll just seek it out for myself. I’d rather have you at my side for this though.”

As soon as he saw the fiery determination in those chocolate orbs, he knew he had lost. Swallowing thickly, “Fine. But I refuse to show you the worse ones. I’ll show you a bad one, but not the worst. Maybe eventually, but not now. That’s all I’m willing to concede. Don’t push me on this, Ichigo. And you better jump out if it becomes too much for you. Swear to me.”

“I give you my word, if I can’t take it, I’ll let go,” she swore to him without breaking eye contact or any hesitation in her words.

“Stubborn cat,” he muttered under his breath. Grabbing her hand, he quickly flew up to the floating door. Slamming his hand down on the palm reader, he impatiently waited for the door to open. Once it was, he wasted no time in placing them both before a large inky black mirror to the left of the computer. Turning his head, he regarded Ichigo. “You ready?” he snapped.

Ichigo could feel waves of fear, anger, and despair rolling off him. She didn’t like it, but she still felt like this was something she needed to do. She had been the catalyst for so much of his pain. This was the least she could do. To share some of that burden. Glancing into the mirror, she saw a dark distorted image of Kish. His skin was paler than she’d ever seen, and his eyes were dull. A shadow fell over his image, and he looked broken. Like his spirit was gone. Swallowing the lump in her throat that had formed at the broken sight of her mate, she turned towards Kish. She gave him a weak but reassuring smile, “Yes.”

With a shaky hand, Kish reached out and touched the inky mirror.

Immediately, Ichigo was transported into complete darkness. There wasn’t a scrap of light anywhere. It was like she had never opened her eyes. Then, suddenly, images started to appear. Like randomly sized and overlapping movie screens. Of her running into Masaya’s arms, with tears in her eyes as she called for Masaya, and her where she looked at someone with hatred. She realized they were Kish’s memories of her stuck on replay for him to watch over and over again. A booming voice echoed within her skull. The cold detached voice of Deep Blue sent chills down her spine. “See how she runs into that human’s arms and how she calls out for him. How she looks at you with fear and hatred. You will never be the one she runs to. Never be the one she calls for. She will always fear and hate you. She’s a worthless human. A worthless human who will never love you.”

She felt hot tears slide down her face. “You’re wrong!” she heard Kish yell desperately. Her wrists began to burn as Kish struggled against unseen restraints. “She will love me. She’s mine! Mine! I know she’ll love me if she’d give me a chance,” he continued to argue.

A dark laugh erupted around her in the blackness. “You’re a fool. She will never love someone like you. Such a dark and twisted soul. She’s a lowly human. Unworthy of a great warrior as yourself. To her, you’re a vile enemy. She will always hate you. Kill her and the others. Her death will release you from this foolishness and end your pain.”

“Never!” Kish shouted angrily. “I could never kill her. She’s mine! I’ll never give up. She was always meant to be mine!”

An image of her face appeared in front of her. Seconds later a searing pain jolted through her. Like lightning or fire was searing through her veins. If she hadn’t been restrained she would have doubled over into the fetal position. Another image of herself flashed before her and it felt as though a jagged knife had been plunged into her thigh. A high-pitched keening wail broke from Kish’s lips. The pain brought fresh tears to their eyes. And still another image flashed and this time it felt like a clawed hand had ripped through her abdomen. Warm liquid dribbled down her chin. A burning pain seared her lip. She realized Kish had bitten down on his lip to keep from screaming out in agony.

Ichigo wasn’t sure how much more she could take. Pain seared her flesh. Fire burned through her veins. She swore blood was oozing from the wounds, but she knew it was only in her head. The blows weren’t physical. But her brain was having a tough time making sense of things.

The booming voice returned. “Say you’ll kill her, and the pain will end. If you keep resisting it will continue. The longer you resist, the worse it will become. Soon you won’t be able to even look at her without feeling pain. That will be all she will become for you. Nothing but pain.”

“Never,” Kish cried as he struggled harder against his restraints. “Anyone but her. I’ll kill whoever you want, but I won’t hurt Ichigo!”

“Enough of this!” Deep Blue shouted. A searing bolt of electricity shot straight through Kish’s heart. A pain like she had never felt before ripped through her. She felt Kish’s body jerk and convulse in absolute agony. She couldn’t take it anymore. Her body wanted to collapse from the overwhelming pain. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. Seeing her mate suffering like this was killing her faster than the pain. With every bit of waning strength she could muster, she ripped her hand away from Kish and collapsed to the floor.

Sliding to his knees, Kish gathered his mate and cradled her close. One hand gently ran over her fiery locks as tears streamed down his face. “I’m sorry mate. Please be alright. Dammit, Ichigo, wake up!” he pleaded.

Ichigo started to stir, but an intensely painful shudder wracked her body. She started to tremble as Kish’s memory resurfaced. Two arms tightened around her, and she felt Kish bury his nose against her neck and breathe deep.

“Shh… Calm down, love. Focus on me, on my voice. The pain will go away. I promise,” he whispered. When he felt her cling to him tighter, he shifted his hold, so she was pressed more fully to his body and her head rested on his shoulder. Without warning, she disappeared from his arms. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. Being so overwhelmed, her mind had pulled her consciousness back into the safety of her own mind.

Scrambling to follow, Kish’s eyes shot open, and his arms tightened once more around his mate, holding her close. “Ichigo. Please… Just focus on me. Take deep, slow breaths.” When he felt her trembling calm and her breathing even out, he nuzzled his chin atop her crown. “That’s it mate. The pain’s not real. Stay focused on me and your breathing.”

“Hurts…,” she whimpered weakly into his chest.

“I know, mate, I know,” he whispered sadly. His heart was breaking at how much his mate was suffering. But he inhaled her scent deeply and steeled his resolve. His mate needed him to be strong for her.

“How? How could you endure that?” she croaked out as tears started to leak from her clenched eyes.

“Alien, remember. Our bodies and minds are built to handle things better. But mostly you. If you had stayed in longer, you would have seen how I coped. By picturing you. That faint blush upon your cheeks as you glanced my way. Or when you saved me from Pai’s attack. Seeing you fear for my safety. Even imagining it was my arms you were running into instead of that human’s. Anything I could think of as long as it was of you. You gave me the strength to survive and fight. It’s always been you.”

His words were soft and gentle, and Ichigo clung to them. They gave her strength. Gave her the ability to fight the residual pain from Kish’s memory. Still, her mind struggled to comprehend how he’d continued to love her, even after all that. How he hadn’t come to despise her for all the pain she had caused him.

Kish chuckled dryly, “If you haven’t figured that out by now, then you’re more of a lost cause than I thought. Because I couldn’t. I love you, Ichigo. I could never hate or despise you. You are the missing piece of my soul. Without you, the world has no meaning. From the moment I laid eyes on you, my world was filled with color. Your unbreakable will and fiery passion reached the depths of my darkened heart and filled it with light. I would have endured that torture a thousand times over as long as you remained safe, and I had the chance to lay eyes on you again.”

Rubbing her eyes of her tears, Ichigo raised her head so she could look upon her mate’s face. “But I didn’t deserve your loyalty, and especially not your love. I hurt you so many times. And now this! And you even said that wasn’t the worst of it. How can you stand to even look at me?”

Lifting a hand, Kish cradled Ichigo’s cheek. “Because you’re my mate, Kitten. You burn brighter within me then any pain I’ve ever suffered.”

Her arms rose to tangle around his neck. Her lips found his in a soul searing kiss. She couldn’t even begin to fathom the depths of his love. To have withstood that kind of pain and torture just for her. And that she was the image he had clung to to get through it. The only thing she could do was cling to him and try to show him how sorry she was and how much she loved him. She fed him the warmth and strength of her love through their kiss and down their shared bond. She pressed her body harder to his, needing to feel his cool skin and his heart pounding rhythmically against her chest. She took comfort from him and returned it. This alien had endured so much because he loved her beyond reason. Had proved it countless times. A deep resolve bloomed in her chest. She would happily spend the rest of her days returning that love. To ensure he never suffered another day in his life. For she finally understood that their souls had always been intertwined. They had always been made for each other. He’d finally gotten her to see what he had all along. They belonged to each other. She was his. He was hers.

Pulling back, she looked deep into his warm golden eyes. A love so deep and pure shimmered back at her. She trailed a finger down his jaw, along his neck, then pressed her palm over his heart. “Make love to me, Kish. I need to feel you wrapped around me. I want you to chase away the remnants of that memory. And I want you to feel me. To know I’m yours. That I will forever be yours. Just as you will forever be mine.”

A small smile appeared on Kish’s face. “Anything for my Kitten.”

Two hearts, two minds, two souls, and two bodies became one as they made love to each other well into the night.

Kish desperately wanted to shift his numb arm, but he loathed the idea of disturbing the sleeping beauty that was currently using it as a pillow. He’d awoken around ten minutes ago and had passed the time by watching his mate sleep soundly curled against him. Flashes of last night drifted through his mind. His heart still ached at what he’d put her through, but once again Ichigo had shown how strong and resilient she was. It also felt as though their bond had grown stronger, more complete. Having been more like a rubber band that stretched and thinned, but now felt more like a steel cable linking them. Something impossible to snap or weaken.

The tingling grew worse, so he finally decided to risk the chance of waking her as he shifted their positions. He tried to roll her over so he could slip his arm free. However, she clung even harder to him, her hands digging into his back. When he felt the tips of her nails prick his skin, he knew it was time to wake her. Those ‘claws’ could do serious damage. Carefully, he began nudging her awake. “Come on, Kitten. Time to wake up.”

Ichigo’s eyes fluttered open. “I don’t wanna,” she grumbled through a yawn. Swiftly, she reburied her face against his chest.

Rolling his eyes, Kish shook her a bit harder. “Too bad, sleepy head. My arm’s gone completely numb. And you may not have work today, but I do. That ship isn’t going to fix itself.”

A jaw cracking yawn was his answer as Ichigo rolled over, freeing Kish’s arm. “There, now I’m going to sleep a little longer. Yesterday was beyond exhausting. Plus, someone kept me up half the night,” she muttered, curling into a ball, and snuggling deep under the covers.

Chuckling at his adorable mate, Kish slid over to the lump hidden under the covers. “I don’t recall you complaining last night. In fact, I’m quite sure you were the one who asked me to make love to you,” he teased as he stretched his stiff muscles and worked the blood through his tingling arm.

“Shush, I’m trying to go back to sleep,” the Ichigo shaped lump complained.

Leaning over her, Kish kissed her cheek through the blankets. Or at least what he figured was her cheek. “Alright, alright. I’ll be down in the engine room when you feel like getting up. But don’t forget, you have a Mew Meeting this afternoon. Love you, Kitten.” As Kish slid out of bed, he heard a soft, “Love you too,” come from under the covers.

It was close to eleven before Ichigo finally rolled out of bed. The extra few hours of sleep had done wonders to rejuvenate her body and frayed mind. Stretching, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from replaying the horrors from last night. A shudder coursed through her as she headed to the bathroom. A long, lazy, hot shower was just what she needed to clear her head and let the pain from last night disappear down the drain. She grabbed her shower stuff from her unpacked bag that still sat on the floor. After her shower she’d get around to putting her things away.

Placing her things on the shelf at the back of the shower with Kish’s, Ichigo flipped on the water. She loved that she never had to wait for the water to hit the right temperature. Throwing her head back, she closed her eyes and let the hot water stream over her face and down her body. Her mind wanted to linger on last night, but she forcibly shoved those thoughts aside. Instead, she focused on the plan the boys had come up with. She worked her brain for any other possible way. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. So, she began working through their plans. Looking for any weak spots that she could shore up or anywhere she could improve upon them. One area stood out and filled her with concern. "Hey Kish. This plan of yours, how can we guarantee the governments will be paying attention when and where we want them to?"

A small jolt of electricity zapped the tips of Kish’s fingers when Ichigo’s voice startled him and momentarily pulled his focus. "Cripes, Kitten. A little warning next time. I nearly electrocuted myself."

"Heh. Oops. Sorry, love," Ichigo sheepishly apologized.

"It’s fine," he said waving her off. "That’s a concern I’ve had as well. But I don’t know your systems well enough to offer any sound suggestions. Though, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few ideas."

"Hmm… That could work though I’m sure Ryou’s not gonna like it," she muttered mostly to herself as she thought over what Kish had come up with.

Kish’s hands paused as he focused more closely on Ichigo. "What could work?"

"You’re idea about a second mock fight. Where you threaten us and demand we meet you at a specific time and place. Letting it slip to the government where their attention should be focused," she answered without thinking anything of it.

"Ichigo… Were you actively trying to force your way into my thoughts and memories, or did that information just come to you?" Kish asked, choosing his words carefully.

The surprise and concern in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by Ichigo. "Umm… It just came to me when I wondered what ideas you had. I didn’t force my way into anything. Why? What’s wrong?"

"Well, damn. Seems since last night, my shields no longer work on you. Don’t get upset, but I’ve kept my memories shielded from you all morning. You’ve been thinking about what happened to me on and off since you woke up. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened last time when my memories overwhelmed you. Especially with those ones in particular. I’m not trying to hide things. I’m just trying to protect you." He was worried. There were a lot of memories that could seriously hurt his mate. He’d never keep anything from her if she genuinely wanted to know, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to see those things. But if his shields no longer worked on her, then they’d both have to be careful.

"That happened because I wanted to know what happened. Part of me may be curious on how things could have been any worse than what I saw, but I also know I couldn’t handle that, at least not right now. I’m still coming to terms with what I did see. But I can see your point. I’ll be careful. I know you’d never intentionally hide anything from me anymore. I know you’re just trying to protect me." Something suddenly dawned on her. Actually, she realized she and Kish had reached the same conclusion, she only affirmed it for him. "I think after last night the bond grew stronger. I think being so completely connected to your mind has strengthened my mental abilities. They seem calmer, easier. It also feels like there’s an invisible cloth around my thoughts. I don’t think shielding myself from others will be such a problem now."

"Guess we found another gift from the bond. You’ve gained my race’s natural mental abilities. That will definitely help when we return to my planet."

Ichigo giggled as she stepped from the shower. "At least this doesn’t feel like a drastic change. And it’s something that will not only come in handy, but seems to come naturally, like I’m not even trying. Surprised you didn’t pop up here and tackle me with this good news. Especially since I was in the shower," she teased.

Kish grinned, "Believe me. If I wasn’t elbow deep in wires and components, I would have been right behind you the second ‘shower’ crossed your mind."

She shook her head, "Good to know even you can stay focused when you need to."

Kish scoffed, "I’m not that bad."

"Whatever you say, mate," she giggled. "Anyways, need any help? I’ve still got a few hours until I have to get to the café."

"I could definitely use an extra set of hands. Tart’s practically useless when it comes to machines and tech," Kish replied happily.

"Be there in a sec then. Though I don’t know how much help I’ll be."

"Can’t be worse than Tart. Besides, with you in my head, you’ll know exactly what to do," he said with a cocky smile.

"Point. Be right there." Quickly, Ichigo dressed in a pair of jeans and a comfortable T-shirt and headed down to the back of the engine room. Reaching the skiff, Ichigo used their link to find Kish. She found him on a small, raised platform under the back of the skiff. The small ship was roughly the size of a fighter jet. Kish was laying on his back as he pulled and rearranged wires and mechanical elements. A grin slid upon Ichigo’s face. “There’s just something about guys at work.”

Chuckling, Kish scooted out from under the skiff’s engine and, rolling onto his side, glanced down at Ichigo. “Don’t tempt me. I’m trying to get some work done.”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” she said acting innocent.

“Teasing cat. Now get that cute, fuzzy tail of yours up here and give me a hand.” Kish propped himself up on an elbow and beckoned to her with the curl of his finger. While he waited for Ichigo to climb atop the scaffolding, Kish rolled to his back.

Glancing at Kish, Ichigo grinned slyly. Before Kish could disappear back under the skiff, Ichigo stepped over Kish’s waist and sat down atop him. “So, what did you need help with exactly?”

Kish glared playfully up at Ichigo. “Evil, evil woman.”

Glancing around, “So where’s Tart?” Ichigo’s voice held a teasing lilt.

And Kish immediately picked up on it. His hands settled in the curves of Ichigo’s waist, leaving faint oil and dirt smudges on her jeans. “He’s taking stock of the equipment room. Why?” he asked with a cocked brow.

Ichigo’s eyes traveled along her mate’s body. Specifically, how his tight, sleeveless crop top hugged his sweat slickened form. How the speckling of dirt dusted his forearms and shoulders. A small smudge of dark oil under his left eye caught her attention. Leaning over him, she gently rubbed the smudge away with her thumb. “He going to be back any time soon?” Ichigo’s eyes turned sultry as they locked with Kish’s.

A warm shiver ran down Kish’s spine. He couldn’t even begin to quantify how much he loved it when his Kitten was being playful and tempting him. His heart rate quickened, and he licked his lips. A pearly fang slid over his moistened bottom lip. “Long enough, I’d imagine,” he winked slyly. “What’s gotten into you?” Though he was more than happy to follow Ichigo’s lead, he had to admit to himself that her behavior was a bit odd. She wasn’t normally so brazen. Flirty and teasing at times, but usually never this forward. Of course it wasn’t like he was complaining. Just pleasantly surprised.

“Hopefully you,” Ichigo answered coyly. Even she couldn’t really explain her behavior. But seeing her mate hard at work had stirred something within her. “Like I said, there’s just something about guys at work. Especially when they have so much skin on display.” Teasingly, she trailed a fingertip down his chest and along the middle crease of his abdominal muscles. She grinned with satisfaction when she saw his muscles shudder at her touch.

“I suppose the ship can wait for a bit. Not like it’s going anywhere,” he said as his eyes glittered with mischief and lust. Gripping her hips tighter, Kish allowed them both to sink through a portal.

When Ichigo regained her bearings, she couldn’t keep from grinning in approval. They had appeared within the cockpit of the skiff. Kish was sitting in the pilot’s chair with her straddling his lap. “Someone’s feeling adventurous.”

Kish raised a brow. “You’re one to talk,” he volleyed right back. He let his hands slide up the sides of her body, pushing her shirt up along the way. “Besides, you can’t deny that you’re enjoying this.”

Lifting her arms, she let Kish push her shirt the rest of the way off and he tossed it atop the console behind her. She arched her back sharply when his mouth found the swell of her breasts above her bra. “Perhaps,” she breathed. His lips had moved up to her neck and now she could feel the tips of his fangs prick over her delicate flesh.

"Such a seductive little kitty-cat. Tempting me away from my work. I swear you get more and more perfect every day," Kish whispered. His voice was husky and silky smooth.

It slid through Ichigo like the finest warm caress. “Glad you approve because this is all your fault. I was an innocent virgin until you showed back up. And now that I’ve had a taste of you, I can’t help but want more. More of you in every possible way.” Her hips involuntarily pressed hard to his when she felt one of his hands slip down to caress and softly knead her rear.

With a nip to her ear, Kish drew back and gazed up at his mate. That cocky smirk of his beamed proudly upon his face. “Addicting, aren’t I? And to think, you denied this, denied me, for so long.”

Leaning forwards, Ichigo’s lips found his. The tip of her tongue snuck out and traced along his bottom lip. When his mouth opened for her, she sucked his lip between hers, drawing it into her mouth. Her teeth locked around the swollen flesh, just shy of being painful. Pulling her head back, she tugged at his lip then let it slip from her mouth. It was something she knew he loved. He’d never said anything, but his body language and reactions spoke volumes every time she did it. As it was, she could feel his arousal grow harder between them. Seeing him come alive solely at her actions pleased her more than she’d ever admit. She loved the power she had over him.

Molten chocolate eyes met shimmering gold. “For once, I won’t fight it. You’re right.” Her voice was soft and low. Filled with seduction but edged with a teasing lilt. Not giving him time to savor that victory, Ichigo began trailing kisses down his jaw then down his neck. She licked at the sweat glistening at the hollow of his throat. The tip of her tongue catching the salty yet earthen flavor. His unique scent peppered the taste with a slight metallic note.

Savoring that win he most certainly was. His Kitten always fought him. He may always win in the end, but she never made it this easy. He certainly wasn’t complaining though. Especially when he felt her tongue tease over the exposed part of his mark that peeked out from beneath the strap of his shirt. An intense shudder caused his muscles to contract when she slipped a hand down between them and stroked his straining arousal. His mate seemed to be getting impatient.

And she was. At least to a certain extent. She was rather enjoying herself as she caused his body to tense and, at the same time, melt under her ministrations. He was always the teasing one. Always the one brimming with lewd thoughts and seductive comments. But now it was her turn.

Sliding further back atop his thighs, Ichigo got to her feet and knelt between his knees. The cockpit was a bit cramped between the pilot’s seat and the console behind her, but she made it work. Settling on her knees, she rose up and slipped her fingertips into the band of his pants. With as low slung as they always were, she didn’t have to pull them down very far before his large erection sprung free. Giving her mate a playful glance, Ichigo licked her lips then swirled her tongue around his tip.

Kish’s eyes grew wide for a moment when he realized her intent. But then his pupils narrowed as he watched her intently. The feel of her warm tongue wrapped around his head caused a pulse of heat to throb in his abdomen. The sight of her kneeling before him made his heart rate quicken. But the feel of her mouth upon him forced his blood to speed through his veins, bringing a healthy flush to his pale skin. His pupils were blown wide when her hot mouth fully engulfed him, and he threw his head back with a moan.

“Gods, Ichigo. That mouth feels incredible,” he gasped out. His nails dug into the arms of the pilot’s chair. She’d begun pumping her mouth up and down. Her sharp nails pressed into the tops of his thighs, but he barely registered them. Every ounce of his being was solely focused on what her mouth was currently doing to him. It was driving him insane. That’s what it was doing.

Ichigo continued to bob up and down his length. She kept her rhythm slow and steady. She didn’t want him reaching his peak too quickly. No, the ache between her legs demanded attention and soon. And, though as an alien, she knew Kish would recover quickly for another round, she didn’t want to tempt fate too much. Who knew when Tart might pop back in. However, that also added to the thrill.

Kish was practically vibrating with intense pleasure. She may like to brag about his tongue, but Gods damn, her talented mouth was something else. And he did have the experience to make comparisons. Her talent out shown everyone he’d ever been with. She knew exactly how much pressure to apply. Where to run her tongue. Even on keeping her pace from becoming stagnant. She’d speed up for a moment or go even slower than her current pace, keeping him guessing. Though, she never allowed her pace to move too quickly. She kept his build gradual, but her random shifts seemed to be timed perfectly to what he needed. She kept him utterly enthralled and at her mercy. A sudden gasp broke past his lips when she swallowed around him, and her movements intensified.

She almost grinned in pride around him when she’d picked up on his thoughts. But she also couldn’t help the small twinge of jealousy that shot through her. Swallowing, she increased the pressure within her mouth and quickened her speed. This yanked his focus back to strictly on her. Gauging his reactions and body language, Ichigo forced him to climb higher faster. But before he either grew accustomed to her new rhythm or before she pushed him over the edge, she drew her mouth up and let him slip from her lips with a wet ‘pop.’ After a bit of squirming and wiggling, Ichigo shimmied out of her jeans and crawled back atop his lap.

Kish’s hands gripped her hips and greedily pulled her body flush to his. His mouth hungrily claimed hers in a soul devouring kiss. As he kissed her breathless, he shifted a hand between them. The feel of her scorching heat pressed against him was becoming too much. He could also feel her intense need and desire thrumming like a hot wire through their bond. Tugging her panties to the side, Kish angled his hips until he pressed into her opening. Wasting no time, he pushed inside.

Ichigo’s head fell back, and her body arched in response. She’d never tire of that initial shock of pleasure whenever her mate entered her. He made her feel like she was on cloud nine. It astounded her how much she craved his touch. How much she needed to feel him not only physically, but to also feel the light touch of his mind against hers. How she had survived so long without this connection was a mystery. One she hoped she’d never solve for she never wanted to be without his presence again. Shifting her hips, she let him slip deeper. That deep seated ache began to subside as their hips met each other’s movements.

Moving one hand around to Ichigo’s backside, he roughly palmed her ass, helping to guide her movements. His other hand snaked up along her spine and cupped the nape of her neck. His strong hold allowed his mate to lean further back, giving their hips more freedom to move. He took full advantage and rocked his pelvis harder, grinding against hers. Her scorching warmth felt exquisite wrapped so thoroughly and tightly around him. Again, he knew without a doubt that he’d never get enough of her. Her body molded so perfectly against him. Her frame settling neatly within his own. There were no doubts within him that she had been made for him just as assuredly as he’d been made for her. They fit together like a lock and key.

His heart reached out to her. The need he had for her engulfed her entirely. Leaning forwards, his mouth found the valley between her breasts. He licked a hot trail down to her bra then across the tops of each soft globe. He lavished her warm skin with this tongue and lips. Savored her unique taste. The slightly sweet and salty flavor tingled over his tongue. He memorized every dip, every curve, and every taste as he licked every inch he could reach. He let it all burn into the recesses of his mind. He was like a starving addict, and she was his drug of choice. Feeling his peak draw near, he shifted her position.

Ichigo found herself leaning against the console, the edge digging into her lower back. Moving her arms, she rested her elbows on the edge of the console to support some of her weight. Flicking her eyes to Kish, she watched him lean back in the pilot’s chair, their bodies now forming a wide ‘V,’ the point being where their hips were connected. His hands had moved to her hips both to help hold her up, but to also force her into the position he wanted that allowed him to hit harder and push deeper. Breaths becoming quick, labored pants, Ichigo felt herself teetering on the edge.

Kish wasn’t far behind. Holding his mate and watching her as she arched over the console was a feast for his senses. And though he’d fantasized taking her in the cockpit of his ship, this was certainly checking the box. The risk of getting caught by Tart only made it all the more intense and exciting. Though, he knew Tart would never let him live it down if he did catch them. At the moment he didn’t care. His mate looked and felt amazing. Kish picked up his speed, racing to push them both to their peaks. His fingertips dug into her waist, pulling her to meet his hips with each powerful thrust. The delicious sound of her moans reached his ears. But when his name crossed her lips in a breathless whimper, his muscles contracted, and he plunged into her deeply. That sound being all it took to push him to his release.

His release was what drove Ichigo over hers. Her hands clenched around his wrists and her body shuddered as she rode out the waves of warm ecstasy coursing through her system. “Kish,” she gasped when he moved his hips as he too rode out the aftershocks. He was still buried deep, and he’d inadvertently brushed against that hidden button that made her body tremble.

Slipping a hand to her lower back, he pulled his mate to him. He tucked his nose into the curve of her neck. “God’s I love you, but you say my name like that again and I won’t be held responsible for what comes next,” he teased in a low breathless whisper.

Ichigo wrapped her arms around Kish’s neck and kissed his cheek. “You’re insatiable.”

Kish snickered, “When it comes to you, absolutely! The feel of that tight, hot, little,” he began, but before he could finish, the door behind them slid open.

“Kish, you in here?” called Tart.

Ichigo’s eyes bugged wide, and her cheeks darkened with embarrassment. Scrambling, she searched for her shirt, but Kish solved at least that problem with a snap of his fingers. However, they’d have to disentangle themselves from each other before Kish could fix below their waists. Quickly, Ichigo ducked her head and buried her face against Kish’s chest. She hoped Tart wouldn’t see her or their compromising position past the pilot chair.

“Yeah. Got distracted by something. I’ll be out in a minute,” Kish hollered over his shoulder as he glanced down at his mate with a sly grin.

“You couldn’t have possibly gotten the relays hooked into the main console already. So, what are you doing in here?” Tart asked. Suddenly a sneezing fit struck him as a certain scent hit his nose. Kish’s amused chuckle and a quietly whispered, “Don’t you dare,” caught his attention. His eyes grew round in surprise and a bit of disgust. “Seriously?! In here? You two are beyond terrible.”

Snickering, “What can I say? But we certainly gave new meaning to the term ‘cockpit.’” That little sentence earned him a smack on the chest from Ichigo.

Tart groaned. “I’ll never be able to look at that chair or hear that word the same way again.”

Kish laughed and picked Ichigo up so he could slip from her. With a snap of his fingers, he had them both fully redressed and presentable. “What’s the matter? Jealous we beat you to it?”

Rolling his eyes, Tart spun around when he saw Kish start to stand. “Abyss no! Unlike you two, I prefer to be behind closed doors.”

Kish placed Ichigo on her feet and moved to stand in front of her. He knew she was still beyond embarrassed at being caught. "At least we finished before he showed up," he snickered to her. “Technically, we were behind closed doors until you opened them.”

Ichigo poked Kish in the back, "That’s not helping." She was currently trying to figure out if she was more embarrassed at being almost caught or pissed at Kish with how easy he was handling getting almost caught in the act.

Deciding to keep up with his teasing, “Besides, it wasn’t my fault this time. I wasn’t lying when I said I got distracted.”

“Kish!” Ichigo complained, momentarily forgetting about hiding from Tart.

Again, Tart rolled his eyes as he glanced between Kish and Ichigo. “Same old, same old. You not getting things done because she’s pulled your focus.”

“It’s not my fault she’s so damn beautiful and now can’t keep her hands off me,” Kish grinned. “And besides, she may have kept me distracted, but we still technically fulfilled our mission. Just in a different way,” Kish defended himself. He was getting a bit tired of everyone constantly bringing up how distracted he had been in the past, even if it was true.

Coming to her mate’s defense, Ichigo crossed her arms and stared at Tart. “Stop picking on him for that. It’s starting to grate on him.” "Besides, I believe I should be the only one to get to tease you for that," she added just to Kish.

It was Kish’s turn to roll his eyes. "Teasing cat but thank you."

Tart crossed his own arms, “Not gonna happen. It’s just too easy.”

Kish shot Tart a glare. “Shut it, Twerp. Did you get that inventory list finished?”

“Nice way to change the subject,” Tart snickered. “But yes I did. If you two are finished, we can get back to work.”

“Oh, we finished alright,” Ichigo shot out. Suddenly, she clamped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said. The words just flew out of her mouth without her even noticing. Spinning to face Kish, “Dammit! That was your thought wasn’t it?”

Kish about doubled over in laughter. “The look on both your faces is fucking priceless.”

“This is not funny! I didn’t even realize that wasn’t one of my thoughts until just now. Just how connected did we become last night?” Ichigo whined in exasperation.

Catching his breath, Kish wrapped Ichigo in his arms. “Calm down, mate. You have to admit, that was fucking hilarious. Not only did you beat me to the punch line, but the look on Tart’s face was fantastic.”

“Well, it was weird. It was something I’d have expected from you, but she said it,” Tart defended when he got over his shock.

Ichigo groaned and poked Kish in the ribs, “I’ll deal with you later. I’m gonna go get cleaned up.” She saw the look both boys gave her, and her cheeks burned crimson anew. “Not a word! Either of you! We’ve got to head to the café soon.” Spinning on her heel, she brushed past both aliens. Thankfully, being in Kish’s mind had some perks, like finding the layout of the skiff so she could make a quick exit.

Once Ichigo was out of earshot, Kish focused on Tart. “You can tease me all you want about this, Brat, but lay off Ichigo. She may not seem it, but she’s not used to this. It still embarrasses her easily. We also reached a new level of our bond last night. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s mimicking a lot of my traits.”

Tart giggled, “You think? Kinda hard to miss your words coming from her.”

“Just lay off her until she gets it under control, and I’ve had a chance to speak to her about it. Our bond is developing much faster than a normal one. This wasn’t the first new development that caught us off guard.”

Concern crossed Tart’s eyes. “Everything alright?”

Kish sighed. Tart may be young and mostly inexperienced, but he was a Cyniclon. It might be nice to discuss things with someone else who could understand more thoroughly. “It’s more than alright. Just surprising.” Kish slowly made his way to the outer hatch so they could continue to talk. “Our bond is growing unnaturally fast. My best guess is the influence of the Mew Aqua. Ichigo and I have both been exposed to it more than the others. It’s like we’ve been bonded for years. The other night I was even able to take an injury of hers upon myself. Left me drained as Abyss because I didn’t even realize what I was doing at the time. And, thanks to you and Pudding yesterday, I had to share one of my memories of what that Bastard did to me with Ichigo. And of course she had to demand to experience it herself.” Closing his eyes, Kish leaned against the scaffolding at the back of the skiff. “I won’t go into details, but she felt my pain from one of those sessions. Fully experienced the torture I endured. Gods, seeing her suffering through what I went through ripped my heart to pieces. But, as a result, we became even closer. Our bond grew deeper. Resulting in what you just saw.”

“Again, I’m sorry about that, Kish. Even more so knowing she made you share it with her. I can’t imagine how hard it was to see your mate suffer like that. Though I’m surprised your sharing so much,” Tart said as he floated up to sit on the top of the scaffolding above Kish.

Kish folded his hands behind his head. “You know and understand mate bonds. With Ichigo, I have to explain everything. I’m not complaining, but it’s nice to be able to discuss things with someone who knows what I’m talking about. It’s also a heads up for any further happenings that may occur. So, you’ll understand what might be going on.”

“Well mate bonds never bring anything negative, so why worry?” Tart asked.

Glancing up at Tart, Kish explained, “I’m not really worried. More concerned for Ichigo. This is all so new to her. Even for me at times. She doesn’t always show it, but I know she’s struggling. I mean, she is taking everything remarkably well, but I can see the fear and hesitation in her eyes now and then. I’ve put so much on her and so quickly. I guess even I needed a moment to let it all sink in. Thanks for listening, kid.”

Tart looked down at Kish. He was genuinely surprised. Kish tended to keep anything serious to himself. For him to be so open was new to Tart. Then a light bulb went off. “I don’t think Ichigo’s the only one being affected. It’s not like you to talk about your feelings so openly. I think you’re channeling some of her like she did with you.”

Kish’s arms fell to his side in shock, and he stepped away from the scaffolding to look up at Tart. “Damn. I think you’re right.”

Tart chuckled, “That aside, you know you can always talk to me. We are family and I probably know you better than most. Probably better than my own brother. Not gonna lie, it might also give me insight on what may come about if Pudding and I ever bond. She’s human too and we’ve also been exposed to the Mew Aqua. Probably not as much as you and Ichigo though.”

“If her emotions keep getting tangled with my own, I just might. Now about that inventory. Suppose we should have something to show when we meet at the café.” Kish grinned as he floated up to sit next to Tart.

“Says the one who just used the pilot’s chair as you and your mate’s bedroom. You better disinfect it if you ever expect me to go back in there,” Tart grumbled teasingly.

Kish chuckled and waved his hand dismissively, “Fine. Fine. Whatever you say.”

“Well, that was pointless,” Ichigo muttered to herself. They had finished the Mew Meeting and nothing had changed. Not a single one had come up with any new ideas or suggestions. The only progress anyone had made was Kish and Tart making some headway on retrofitting the skiff. Ryou and Keiichiro hadn’t even gotten anywhere in their hint dropping. So, she decided to take a walk through the park. Maybe some sunshine and fresh air would do her some good. Kish had hovered around her for a bit until she’d finally driven him off. She needed some space to think things through. Kish hadn’t been happy about it but had finally relented.

She had heard most of what Kish and Tart had talked about through her eavesdropping. The information wasn’t all that surprising, but it made her realize that she wasn’t quite as fine as she’d led everyone to believe. The fact that Kish had subconsciously picked up on her inner feelings when he’d channeled her made that clear. She was by no means upset or regretting anything, she just needed some time to herself to process things.

Though he was focused on his work, Ichigo could still feel Kish paying close attention to her thoughts. She couldn’t really blame him. She had snapped at him pretty harshly as she walked the park before he left. He’d only been concerned about her, but as usual her temper got the best of her. She wasn’t even mad at him, just frustrated with everything really. Her life had gone from being incredibly mundane and wishing for more action to anything but. ‘Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,’ she thought to herself bitterly. Truth be told though; she had no real reason for complaints. She’d been reunited with a man she'd been in love with for years. Becoming his mate and future wife. Her friends were all back together. There was even a new threat on the horizon. Although, that one could be something to complain about, even if she secretly found it thrilling. It was just that everything was happening all at once. She’d barely catch her breath before another shoe would drop.

“Alien! Ichigo! Alien alert!” Masha suddenly cried out from her side. And just like that, another shoe seemed to drop. Snatching the puff ball before anyone took notice, she slipped behind some trees. “Kish, I swear if you’re spying from the trees, I’m going to kick your ass.” But she got no response. "Kish? Where are you?" she asked reaching out to him.

"Oh, now you want to talk to me?" he snapped at her.

"I’m not playing around. Where are you?" she snapped right back.

"Working on the skiff. Where the Abyss do you think I am?"

"So, you’re not down here spying on me?" she asked nervously.

"You made it very clear my presence wasn’t welcome, so I’m giving you space like you asked. Why? What’s wrong?" Kish had caught the nervousness in her voice.

"Tart with you?" she asked quickly. Her eyes were now darting all around the park.

"Yes, now tell me what’s going on," Kish demanded.

"It’s fine. I’ll handle it," she answered. It was probably just another minor predacite left over from years ago. Leaping into a nearby tree so she wouldn’t be seen, Ichigo quickly transformed into her Mew form. “Where’s the alien Masha?”

“This way! This way!” Masha chittered as he flew off deeper into the park.

Jumping down, Ichigo raced after the flying puff ball. Skidding to a stop near the far end of the duck pond, Ichigo saw a horrifying creature crawling out of the water. It was huge. About the size of a school bus. It was covered from head to toe in rotting water plants and algae. The front legs looked like they came from a huge scaley green lizard and had long black claws. It’s hind feet, which were still partially in the water, were huge, webbed frog feet. A long thick tail swayed back and forth in the water behind it and had a row of fin covered spines running along the top that continued up its back. The tail reminded Ichigo of a sinewy sea serpent. The creature’s head resembled that of an alligator with long sharp fangs jutting out from beneath its slimy lips. Fin like ears rotated like satellites as they zeroed in on her position. Bright red beady eyes locked on her. She’d been spotted.

The creature released a gurgling roar and lunged for Ichigo. It may be huge, but it was incredibly quick. Ichigo just barely managed to dodge a swipe of its claws. This creature was definitely no minor predacite. It was a full-on scary chimera. Nimbly jumping over another swipe, Ichigo summoned her bell and took aim. Before she could finish the attack, the creature’s tail whipped around and slammed into her side. She was sent flying straight towards a nearby tree. Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she braced herself for the impact. But it never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw she was hovering about ten feet off the ground.

“Handling it, huh?” Kish snarked from behind her.

She then realized Kish was holding her bridal style. He must have caught her when the creature threw her. “What are you doing here? And put me down! I’ve got to stop that thing!” she demanded angrily.

“Geeze. Not even a thank you. Always so mean, Kitty-cat. I happened to have been worried about you.” Floating to the ground, Kish set Ichigo on her feet. Flicking his hands to his sides, Kish summoned his sais. “Looks like you could use a hand, Kitten. Whattya say? Mind letting me in on the fun?” His eyes glittered dangerously as they darted from Ichigo to the creature. He was ready to tear it limb from limb for daring to attack his mate. Twirling his sais nimbly through his fingers, a sadistic grin slid across his face. Oh yes, he was itching for a fight.

Ichigo’s eyes flashed with anger, but under that was a dark sort of glee. She too was rearing for a fight. She almost felt sorry for what was about to rain down on the poor creature. Her eyes flicked back to Kish, and she saw he was as himself. Pointy ears and strange outfit. He was definitely battle ready. She tossed Kish a wicked smile then darted towards the chimera. “Try to keep up!” she hollered over her shoulder.

Immediately, Kish teleported above the creature. “Looks like you need to keep up, Kitten,” he called out gleefully. He was fully in his element. He was a born and bred fighter. And what made it all the better was getting to fight alongside his mate. Even if he did have to keep his instinct to protect her locked down. He watched in pride as she sailed through the air and raked her claws across the chimera’s muzzle. In the same breath, Kish dove at the chimera’s side, bringing his sais up to block its powerful tail from lashing at Ichigo. Twisting his blade, he let the razor-sharp side shear into the creature’s flesh, slicing a chunk out of its tail. With a pain filled howl, the chimera retreated into the pond and disappeared from sight.

Panting, Ichigo stepped away from the water’s edge, but never took her eyes off the churning surface. “We’ve gotta get it away from the water. This is one of yours, can’t you control it?” she asked when she heard Kish land near her.

Reaching a hand towards the water, Kish concentrated. He could feel the chimera’s hunger and rage. But it was unresponsive. “It’s definitely one of mine. I can feel my signature within the infuser. But it won’t listen. It’s gone feral. All I can feel is its intense hunger and anger. It’s probably been living and growing in the pond for years. Your presence must have caught its attention. I did create them to kill you Mews after all.”

Ichigo’s eyes flicked to Kish, and she scowled at him. “Don’t have to remind me. Why the hell did you leave so many behind?” she asked, shifting her eyes back to the rippling water.

Kish shrugged, “Forgot about them honestly. There were times I released many infusers at the same time to cause chaos. A few got lost and at the time I didn’t notice or care that much. I was here to destroy, not protect. But if we weaken it, I should be able to take back control.”

“We still need to get it out and away from the water,” Ichigo shot back.

Grinning, Kish twirled his sais. “I’ve got an idea for that, but it’s going to be extremely pissed off when it comes out. I’m gonna need you to catch its attention and lure it deeper into the park. Away from the water and any innocents. Though, I doubt it will want to be anywhere near the water in a moment.”

Sucking in a breath, Ichigo calmed her nerves and racing heart. She gripped her bell tightly and let her instincts rise. She prepared herself for when the creature would emerge. Looking around, she got her bearings and found the best path to pull the creature towards. “Alright. I’m ready. What ever you’ve got planned, do it.”

Kicking off the ground, Kish soared above the pond. He located the chimera after homing in on the connection he still had with it. Drifting a bit further down, he brought his arms up and crossed his sais. Concentrating, he let his blades resonate with each other, building up an electrical charge. A crackling blue ball grew in the air before him. Once it reached about three feet in diameter, he angled his blades towards the water below him. Flinging his arms aside, he fired the ball of electricity at the water, right above the chimera.

Electricity shot through the water and the concentrated ball hit the chimera square in the back. The water churned and bubbled as shocks coursed through the pond. Small dead and stunned fish and frogs floated to the surface. A huge surge of water sprayed over the shore near Ichigo as the chimera erupted from the water trying to escape the shocking pain. It lunged at Ichigo, but she quickly bolted for the trees, leading it away from the pond and deeper into a more secluded area of the park. Kish flew after them, keeping hot on their heels.

As soon as Ichigo reached a decent clearing to fight in, she spun around and planted her feet. The chimera wasn’t far behind her, and she spotted Kish flying just above it. He was right. The creature was beyond pissed off and barreling straight for her. Bracing herself, she raised her bell and took aim. The attack struck it squarely in the chest. It howled in pain and reared up on its hind legs. Its tail whipped chaotically behind it. Lunging forward, it slashed at Ichigo with its sharp claws. She narrowly avoided them, leaping out of the way to safety.

Kish dove towards its face, slashing with his sais. He kept it distracted long enough for Ichigo to get back to her feet. Dodging snapping jaws, Kish hollered to Ichigo. “Another blast or two should do the trick. I’ll keep its attention.”

“Should?!” Ichigo shouted. “Three shots is the most I can do per fight. If three hits don’t work, then I’ll be too drained to try for another.”

“Let’s hope it’s enough then,” he said as he darted away from a particularly close bite.

“You better be right,” she snapped and took aim.

“I always am, Kitten.” Seeing the flash of her attack out the corner of his eye, Kish shot straight up in the air, narrowly avoiding both it and the chimera. “Damn, Kitten! Just which one of us were you aiming at?” he panted while glaring down at her.

Ichigo smiled sheepishly, “I knew you were fast enough to dodge.”

“Heh. Finally acknowledging my skills?” he preened, but his attention quickly shifted back to the chimera as it shook off its daze and got to its feet. Diving down, Kish slammed the pummel of his sai into the back of the chimera’s head. “Anytime, love. This isn’t as easy as I make it look,” he shouted, nimbly dodging the animal’s snapping jaws. His energy was starting to wane. Maintaining flight, attacking, dodging, and the energy blast from earlier were starting to take its toll.

Planting her feet, Ichigo shakily raised her bell. She was almost at her limit. Using her bell always left her drained. It was why her attack was always the last when fighting alongside the girls. It was the most powerful, but it could remove her from the fight.

Kish teleported to the other side of the creature to give her a clear shot, but then his heart nearly stopped. Ichigo had let out a pained scream as the chimera got a lucky hit in with its claws as it flailed around. “ICHIGO!” he screamed as he flew to her side, momentarily forgetting about teleporting in his panic to get to his mate.

Blood oozed down her cheek and over her chest. The chimera’s claws had snagged her under her eye, along her jaw, and across her collar bone. Thankfully, she was still conscious, but the cuts burned like crazy. Ichigo moaned in agony as she reached up to cup her cheek. Her hand came away sticky with blood.

Dropping to his knees, Kish gently brushed her sweat matted hair away from the wounds so he could see them clearly. His pupils narrowed to slits and red tinged his eyes when he saw the blood coating her soft skin and trickling down her neck. He was torn between rage and concern. He wanted to whisk his mate to safety, but he also wanted to utterly destroy the thing that had hurt her.

Reaching out, Ichigo weakly grabbed Kish’s hand. “Go. I’ll be alright, but you have to stop that thing.”

Kish growled, “Ichigo…”

She shook her head. She could see the creature heading right for them. They didn’t have much time. “It’s coming! Go now!”

With another frustrated growl, Kish tore himself from his mate’s side. Leaving her wounded and vulnerable ripped at his heart and tore at his instincts, but she was right. The chimera needed to be dealt with. He let his anger and rage bubble up over everything else. Let himself become cold and numb. His focus was solely on the chimera heading for him. Picking up his sais that he’d dropped when he’d gotten to Ichigo’s side, he raised his red rimmed golden eyes and locked them on the creature.

Stepping away from Ichigo, Kish crossed his sais again. He didn’t have time to let the energy build, but he didn’t need to. He shot a single thick energy bolt straight to the chimera’s heart. It did exactly what Kish was hoping. The precise hit had temporarily paralyzed the chimera. Kish knelt and slammed the point of both his sais into the ground at his feet. He stretched his right hand out and moved his left slowly back and forth between him and the chimera, his fingers curling as though he was holding a ball. Using the last of his strength, he focused intently on the predacite he could feel pulsing within the chimera.

Mentally, he reached deep within the chimera and brushed against the predacite within. He demanded it listen to him. He was its master, its creator. Slowly, he began pulling his hands back, forcibly tugging on the invisible tether between them. The parasite resisted but eventually it released its hold and popped free of the creature. It quickly floated into Kish’s open hand and hovered above his palm. His anger was still in control as he narrowed his eyes at the little floating infuser. Closing his hand, he crushed the small animal between his fingers, reducing it to glowing specs that dissipated into the air. Without the parasite to hold it together, the chimera disintegrated into a small green gecko and a puddle of water plants. Quickly, the confused gecko shot off into the underbrush.

Kish quickly turned his attention to Ichigo when he heard her gasp in pain. Dropping to his knees, he carefully pulled her into his arms. “Mate?” he asked softly and with worried concern.

“Burns,” she weakly answered as she shifted closer to him, seeking comfort from her mate.

There was a sickly green substance in one of the cuts and Kish realized it was probably poison. Fear seared his heart. His mate was hurt far worse than either of them knew. Drawing forth every scrap of energy he had left, Kish focused on her wounds. He knew it was a bad idea in his weakened state, but he didn’t care. His mate’s safety was his only concern. Without another thought, Kish pulled her wounds onto himself. A white-hot light engulfed Ichigo’s face and chest, then appeared around him. His cheek and collar began to burn intensely. He smiled through the pain when he saw Ichigo’s flawless skin, free from any wound. Her beauty now only marred by the splash of red blood, the only trace of her earlier wounds. A commotion behind him caused him to turn his head. An excruciating pain shot through his system and burned his face like acid. His eyes watered and he clenched his teeth. Through his watery vision he saw the other Mews and Tart race to them. “A little late to the party…,” he trailed off as he slumped over, passing out. The pain and extreme fatigue had finally pushed him well past his limit.

Ichigo quickly caught him and moved so his head could rest in her lap. “HELP! Kish is wounded and I can’t carry him,” she yelled as the girls approached. Then she saw Tart floating above them. “Tart! Thank God you’re here! Can you teleport us to the café? Ryou needs to help Kish. He’s hurt badly!”

Tart quickly landed beside the pair. “What about you?! You’re covered in blood!”

“Don’t worry about me! Just please help Kish! I can’t lose him. Not again!” She was starting to become hysterical. The adrenaline was fading, and tears were starting to pour down her cheeks. Kish’s breathing was becoming ragged, and his pale skin was losing what little color it had. His only coloring was his flushed cheeks as the poison spread through his system. He had also started to sweat and shake, meaning he was becoming feverish.

“Meet us at the café,” Tart told the girls then quickly placed his hands on both Ichigo and Kish. They promptly disappeared and reappeared on the floor of the café’s dining area.

“RYOU!” Ichigo screamed as soon as they appeared. She gently cradled Kish’s head and softly ran her fingers over his sweaty brow. She refused to lose him. Not again. Her heart pounded but felt as though it was being squeezed. Seeing her mate bloody and unconscious was killing her faster than poison ever would have.

Racing into the room, Ryou quickly assessed the situation. Ichigo was covered in blood, but she was alert and seemed fine, relatively speaking. Kish, however, needed urgent care. And by the fear in Ichigo’s voice and eyes, it was dire indeed. Dashing to their side, Ryou went to pick up Kish, but Ichigo refused to let go. “Ichigo. You have to let him go. I promise I’ll do everything I can, but I need to get him down to the infirmary.” Ryou kept his voice soft so as not to startle the hysterical girl and upset her anymore then she was.

Tart gently pulled Ichigo away from Kish. She struggled, flailed, and screamed, but Tart held her firm. He pulled her hands over his head, so her arms were around his neck. Slowly, he stood up and scooped her up bridal style. Holding her close and trying to soothe her jerky attempts to free herself to get back to Kish. Tart whispered to her, “Calm down, Ichigo. Ryou’s going to take Kish downstairs. We’ll be right behind them. Just calm down and hold onto me. I promise we won’t let anything happen to him. And I’ll have you back at his side in a moment.”

Tart’s soft voice finally reached Ichigo and her struggles gradually ceased. However, her eyes never left her mate. She watched as Ryou picked up Kish and then they all headed down to the basement.

Gently, Ryou laid Kish upon the first of the infirmary cots and got to work quickly. Kish’s pulse was thready, and his heart rate was sluggish. Keiichiro appeared and Ryou began giving orders. “It looks like he’s been poisoned. I need you to get me some clean hot water, rags, and sterilize a scalpel. Once his wounds are tended too and cleaned, I’ll focus on curing the poison.” Keiichiro hurried to get the supplies while Ryou scraped a sample of the poison from Kish and set it aside. He cut Kish’s shirt open for better access to the wound across his collar bone. When Keiichiro returned, Ryou snatched a cloth and dipped it into the hot water. Carefully, he began to clean away the blood, dirt, debris, and torn flesh from each gash. A tremor coursed through Kish, and he let out a painful whimper when Ryou dabbed some antiseptic on the shallower wounds on his cheek and jaw.

Kish’s body suddenly jerked and convulsed. It took both Ryou and Keiichiro to hold him down. Injecting him with a sedative and some antibiotics that Ryou knew were safe to use on the alien, they finally got the seizures to die down. But Kish wasn’t looking good, so Ryou doubled his speed and efforts.

Ichigo nearly lost it when Kish whimpered. Tart had sat on the next bed over and kept Ichigo wrapped tightly in his arms upon his lap. He knew Kish would have thrown a fit if he saw how he was holding his mate, but Tart didn’t care. Ichigo needed someone right now and she was family. She nearly shot out of his arms when they heard Kish’s painful gasps, but he held her tighter. He refused to let her go. Ryou needed space to work and though his heart broke at keeping the mates separated, Tart knew it was for the best. He may not have a mate yet himself, but he knew the power of mate bonds. Knew how badly Ichigo was suffering at seeing her mate in distress. And holding her, he could feel it all. Could feel her sanity slipping bit by bit each time he refused to let her go to him. Her tears and blood were soaking into his shirt and arm wraps. But still he held on to her. Still, he tried to calm and soothe her. She had become his big sister. He would do everything he could to help her. Besides, he knew Kish really would kill him if he let anything happen to her.

An idea struck Tart. It would help to calm Ichigo and get her to focus on something besides Kish’s prone form. “Ichigo. Ichigo, I need you to look at me,” he said calmly. When she refused to tear her eyes from Kish, he teleported them upstairs. They appeared on the floor of the café. He needed her to focus, and she wouldn’t be able to with Kish so close.

Ichigo wailed and thrashed harder. “Kish! Take me back! KISH! Take me back to him now!”

Tart carefully forced Ichigo to look at him. “Ichigo! Calm down! I’ll take you back in a second. But I need you to listen to me. It will help Kish.”

That got her attention, and she stopped screaming and struggling, though her tears never relented. She would do anything to help her mate.

Tart sighed in relief when she finally seemed to calm down. “You may not be able to hold him right now, but you have other ways to go to him. I need you to focus on your bond. Feel the link between you. Don’t try to enter his mind though. It will be too chaotic and unfocused. You haven’t been trained in any mental abilities yet. You could become lost or end up hurting Kish. Stay on your side of the bond but let him feel your presence. The bond is natural and instinctual. You’re a part of him now, just as he’s a part of you. Let him know you’re there. I promise it will help him. You and I both know how possessive he is when it comes to you. I can almost guarantee he’ll reach out and latch onto you. Be his tether. Keep him from slipping too far away from us.” Seeing her slowly nod, Tart teleported them back into the infirmary.

Ichigo’s eyes quickly locked back onto Kish. She wrapped her hands around Tart’s wrists to keep herself grounded. Closing her eyes, she stretched wide their link and her emotions, but was careful not to follow it down to Kish. Instead, she flooded her side with her love, worry, concern, and hope. She let him feel her completely. A gasp crossed her lips when she felt Kish respond. Though his side was filled with darkness and pain, a tiny spark of love flickered in the darkness. She could feel a tug on their link. Tart was right. Kish had reached out and grasped at their bond. He knew she was there. Relief swept through her. He still wasn’t out of the woods, but he was still there. Still grasping for her. She smiled for the first time in what had felt like ages but had only been hours.

Ryou had finished cleaning and disinfecting the wounds. He’d even sewn up the deeper one on Kish’s collar. He’d had to cut out some of Kish’s flesh that had become necrotic from the poison, but at least it didn’t seem to be spreading. Some color had returned to Kish, and it seemed like he was fighting harder. Turning to Tart and Ichigo, “I still need to make an antidote for the poison, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s stable for now. It’s like his body was infused with new energy.”

Tart grinned and nodded to Ichigo who was still in a trance like state. “That’s because of her. She’s resonating with him, letting him feel her presence. He’s instinctually latched on and is siphoning a small bit of her energy. Not enough to harm her, just enough to help fight off the poison and heal. Actually, it’s more like she’s feeding him her energy. Energy sharing is one of Kish’s many abilities. Most of my race can actually, but he and Pai are naturally good at it. I’m not.” Ichigo’s grip tightened around his wrists, and he felt a bit weak. “Well damn. Scratch what I just said. She’s pulling energy from me and giving it to Kish. I didn’t notice until just now when she pulled more. Anyways, because of the mate bond, she’s tapped into that ability of Kish’s.” Tart shook his head, “Those two are way too stubborn to ever let go of each other.”

“Fascinating. Is that how you got her to calm down?” Ryou asked with curiosity. As they spoke, he was running tests on the sample of poison. Working to devise an antidote. His analysis revealed that it was a common toxin found among many amphibians like frogs. An antidote shouldn’t be too hard to synthesize.

“Yeah. I got her to focus on their link. To let Kish know she was there. She was desperate to touch him. This gave her a way without getting in your way. I never imagined she’d take it a step further and feed him energy. But mate bonds are powerful, and she was desperate to help him in any way she could, so it’s not surprising she found a way. Although, I’m going to need to get her off me soon. She’s pulling too much energy. I can feel myself growing weaker. I doubt she even knows what she’s doing, let alone how to control it. She’s also ripped wide her emotions. As an empath, I’m struggling to shield myself from her overwhelming intensity. Touching her isn’t helping that either.”

Chuckling, Ryou stepped from his desk and approached Ichigo. Gently, he began prying her hands from Tart’s wrists. “Girl’s got a heck of a grip,” he teased.

“You’re telling me. At least she hasn’t sunk her claws in yet. I’ve seen the scratches on Kish, and I’d rather not experience that,” Tart muttered.

Ryou laughed, “Yeah, Kish has mentioned her claws more than once.”

Ichigo suddenly released Tart as she seemed to snap back to reality. Seeing Ryou hovering over her and not Kish, she immediately started asking questions. “Is Kish alright? Did you make a cure yet? Can I go to him?”

Ryou rolled his eyes, “I’m synthesizing an antidote now. It will be ready soon. He’s stable and should make a full recovery. But it may be a while before he wakes. His body needs time to heal and fight the infection. Thankfully, with all the tests and research we’ve been doing, I have a good grasp on his biology and how his body works. He’ll be fine.” Shifting out of her way, he gestured towards Kish. “Your long-eared freak is all yours. Just be careful not to jostle his wounds.”

Without hesitation, Ichigo lept out of Tart’s lap and raced to Kish’s side. She carefully wrapped her fingers around his and used her other hand to brush his sweat soaked bangs off his face. “Kish… You’re such a dumb alien. I could have handled it. But thank you for saving me again. You’ve really got to stop putting your life on the line for me. I don’t want to survive if you’re not with me,” she whispered. Fresh tears trailed down her cheeks. “You die on me again and I’ll kill you myself.” Leaning down, she placed a light kiss on his forehead. He was still burning up. A spark of amusement lit up his side of the bond for a mere millisecond before vanishing into the silent darkness. A small smile graced her lips. He was still there. Still fighting. She’d felt him on his end of the link if only for a moment. It gave her hope that he really would be fine.

Ryou got Tart’s attention. “Let’s leave them be. It will take a bit until the antidote is ready. They both need to rest and I’m sure the girls will be back soon if they aren’t already. They’ll want explanations just like me.” He and Tart made their way to the door. Before closing it, Ryou called out to Ichigo, “There’s enough room, just be careful.” He gave her a wink and shut the door behind him.

Understanding Ryou’s meaning, Ichigo carefully crawled onto the bed next to Kish. She curled on her side and rested her cheek on his uninjured shoulder. She wrapped an arm around his and twined the fingers of her other hand through his. Pressing herself close to her mate, she let the exhaustion finally win out. Closing her eyes, she breathed in her mate’s scent. Her nose twitched. His scent was peppered with the smell of antiseptics and the odd mix of medications Ryou had injected him with. The scent of his blood also burned her nose. But past all that, she could smell him. Smell her mate tinged with her scent of strawberries. Breathing deep, she let the scent calm her and she finally succumbed to sleep.

By the time Tart and Ryou emerged upstairs, the girls had returned and were frantic with worry. They had tried to go downstairs but Keiichiro had blocked their way. Telling them that Ryou had everything under control and that both Kish and Ichigo would be fine but they needed to stay out so Ryou could work. They had reluctantly agreed. They swarmed Ryou and Tart as soon as they appeared, demanding answers and to see Ichigo.

Holding his hands up, he got the girls’ attention. “Everyone calm down and take a seat. Ichigo is fine and Kish is stable. They’re both resting right now. As for what happened, I’m just as in the dark.” Pulling out his phone, Ryou tapped a few keys and Masha floated through the doorway from downstairs a moment later. “Masha, can you show us what happened?”

“Masha show! Masha show!” he chirped. Floating near a blank wall, Masha’s eyes glowed a bright blue and began to project his recording of the fight, starting when Masha alerted Ichigo to an alien presence.

“Why didn’t she call for us? That thing was huge!” Mint exclaimed.

“And why wasn’t Kish with her in the first place? He never leaves her side,” Pudding wondered.

“I’d like to know what that bright light was around them,” Zakuro added.

“I was wondering that as well,” Lettuce said softly as she nodded towards Zakuro.

“Well, I want to know why that chimera seemed so much stronger than the others Ichigo’s fought over the years. And what exactly Kish did at the end there to defeat it,” Ryou said as his eyes drifted to Tart.

Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Tart gulped. “I… Uh… I think I can fill in most of the gaps. But I have no idea why she didn’t call for you. My best guess is that she’s gotten used to managing the rogue chimeras on her own for the past four years.”

Pudding’s eyes dropped to the table in sadness and shame. “Taru-Taru’s right. And I know Ichigo always feels bad about bothering us if she doesn’t have to. We’ve all got important things going on in our lives that keep us busy, while Ichigo doesn’t. So, she handles as much as she can by herself, so she doesn’t have to bother us.”

Mint slapped her hands onto the table. “That’s absurd! She knows she can call on us whenever she needs us!”

“That’s not what Pudding said, Mint,” Zakuro interjected calmly. “I’m sure Ichigo knows we’d all be there for her in a heartbeat. But think about it. Where were you just days ago? In Paris at a ballet recital. While I was in America filming a movie. Lettuce has college and Pudding has the dojo and her siblings. We all have lives. But everyone at this table knows how Ichigo always puts everyone before herself. Making up for our absences is what her life has become.”

Nobody could say anything. Zakuro was right and a deep cloud of shame and regret settled over the table.

Ryou shook his head. “Enough of that. Ichigo has never begrudged any of you for following your dreams or being there for your families. She may whine and pout, but not once has she ever truly complained about having to deal with the left-over chimeras on her own. In fact, I know she enjoys it most of the time. She told me once that it gave her a purpose. She may have been flakey when she was younger, but she takes her role very seriously now. No different than each of you. If you want to make it up to her for some reason, then help her now. Show her that you support her choices,” here he narrowed his eyes at Mint. He knew of her disapproval of Ichigo’s choice in Kish. “But let’s get back to the present. Tart?”

Nodding, Tart continued. “As for Kish, he was with me. Let’s just say he and Ichigo had an argument after the meeting earlier. I won’t say what it was about. I’ve broken his trust enough lately and he barely forgave me for the last secret I spilled. If you want to know, ask them. But as you saw, no matter what, Kish will always be there for Ichigo. Their bond allows him to do no less. Not even taking into account his extreme possessiveness over her.” He mumbled that last bit mostly to himself.

“That white light, well, I have a pretty good idea what happened. This is also technically something between Kish and Ichigo, but since you can all plainly see it happening, I don’t think they’ll get too upset with me for explaining. You all saw Ichigo get attacked?” When they all nodded, he carried on. “An effect of mate bonding is the chance to gain new powers to support your mate. Like gaining telepathy between the pair for easy communication. One of these gifts is the ability to take an injury from your mate and onto yourself. Kish gained that ability not too long ago. He accidentally removed a wound from Ichigo and took it upon himself. I won’t go into details because, again, that’s between them. It was a surprise for both of them at the time. Needless to say, Kish has full control over that ability now. That’s why Ichigo was covered in blood, but had no wounds, while Kish did. He took them upon himself.” Not only had Kish explained about gaining the ability, but Tart had noticed the bite on his shoulder later and had stupidly asked about it. Kish had shared a bit too many details in Tart’s opinion on where the bite had come from.

“And the unnaturally strong chimera?” Ryou prodded.

“That’s a bit harder to explain, but I’ll try. Kish can fill in better when he wakes up.” Tart took another sip of tea to moisten his dry lips and throat. “Kish has an unnaturally strong connection with infusers, predacites, and chimeras. It’s like a sixth sense. He’s also greatly adept at creating infusers. One of the best among my people. I’m sure he’s bragged about this, but almost every single chimera you all fought was one of his creations. Anyways, as large as it was, I’m sure that chimera had been feeding in that pond for years and it recently became strong and aware enough to emerge. As for its strength, that’s because of Kish and, by extension, Ichigo. Her presence probably drew its attention. Kish created the infusers and predacites to specifically seek out and destroy you Mews.”

This time, Lettuce interrupted. “What exactly is the difference between an infuser, predacite, and chimera? I’ve heard you and the others intertwine those words.”

“Umm… Gah, Kish could explain it better, but the infuser is like the base form. It’s what Kish creates. When it bonds to a creature it becomes a predacite. Like a parasite, it feeds off the creature then takes control. Basically, imposing Kish’s will over the animal and transforming it into a new creature, the chimera.”

“Can Kish control what form the creature will take?” Lettuce asked timidly. She wanted as much information as she could get and couldn’t wait to discuss all this more fully with Ryou and Kish.

“Partly. He’s told me that he can influence and guide the creature to best suit whatever he has need of at the time, but the creature’s final form is always heavily influenced by the original creature the infuser infects. That giant moth is a perfect example. It was one of Kish’s finest creations. He spent months developing, refining, and coaxing it to be exactly what he wanted. A weapon of mass destruction. He focused solely on what the chimera’s abilities would be, leaving the form as very little priority. So, since he used a moth for the infuser, that’s what the final form looked like. While other chimeras he created changed more drastically because that’s what he focused more on.” Tart’s ear twitched. “Hey Ryou, Ichigo’s awake and says your machines are beeping.”

Without asking how Tart knew that, Ryou only nodded and quickly headed to the basement.

“You could hear Ichigo all the way up here?” Mint asked.

“If I were really focusing and she used a loud voice, I probably could. But she was speaking to me telepathically,” Tart admitted.

“But I thought that was only for mates?” Mint continued, now confused.

Tart shook his head. “No. Mates gain telepathy with each other. But many of my race can use telepathy. Mate bonds just make it much, much stronger and clearer between the pair. My telepathy is terribly weak unlike Kish’s and neither of us is anywhere near as strong as Pai’s capabilities. There’s only been three others that I’ve been able to speak to. My mother, Pai, and Kish. And that’s because I’m so close with them. Ichigo was a surprise. But since she’s Kish’s mate and I’ve always been incredibly close to Kish, seeing him more as a brother than a cousin, she became like my sister. So, I can hear her too.” Tart blushed at revealing that, but then his eyes met Pudding’s and he blushed even harder. They may not be bonded, but because he loved her so much, he’d been able to establish a mental connection with her as well. It was still incredibly weak and broken on both sides, but the connection was there.

Downstairs, Ryou shut off the machines and filled a syringe from the vial of antidote. “Any changes?” he asked Ichigo.

“I just woke up when your machines started going off. But not that I’ve noticed,” she answered, tucking herself back against Kish’s side. She didn’t care if Ryou teased her for it. She needed the contact. Besides, it had been Ryou’s suggestion in the first place.

Nodding, Ryou moved to the other side of Kish’s bed. Extending Kish’s arm, Ryou flicked the needle before inserting it into Kish’s vein. “That should help him fight off the toxin. I’m not sure how long he’s going to be out though. It could be hours or days while his body repairs itself. I’m going to hook him up to an I.V. drip just to be on the safe side. It will keep him hydrated and provide extra vitamins to keep his body healthy. He’s explained that his abilities are draining and that he needs a decent supply of food to sustain them. The I.V. drip will also help with that.”

Ichigo nodded sleepily, “He’s told me about that too. Anything that will help him get better faster.” Tears started to well in her eyes again. She missed her mate. The sound of his voice, that cocky smile, his playfulness, and the feel of his arms wrapped around her. “This is all my fault. He always ends up hurt trying to protect me,” she whispered sadly.

After Ryou had the I.V. drip set up, he walked to Ichigo’s side and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Because he loves you. Even a blind person can see what you mean to him. But you were foolish. What were you thinking trying to take on something so large and powerful by yourself?” He both comforted and scolded her.

“I didn’t realize it was that strong until it was too late. The other chimeras weren’t anywhere near that powerful. If Kish hadn’t of shown up when he did, it would be me laying there. But he did, just like he always does. With him there, there was no need to burden the others. We could handle it. And we would have if I had been paying better attention and if it hadn’t been for the poison,” she defended herself with a sniffle.

“Tart and Pudding said the same thing. That you wouldn’t want to bother the others. But Ichigo, they’re your teammates. You may not realize, but you hurt them when you didn’t call them for help. They want to be there for you. Just like you’ve always been there for them. I’m sure even Kish would be relieved if you had help. Even if he’d prefer to be the one saving his lady.” Ryou gave her a wink. “Now get some sleep. You may not be anymore, but you were injured as well and had a rough go of it. The rest of us are upstairs if you need anything. Just call Tart like you did before.”

Once back upstairs, Ryou volleyed the girl’s questions. “Ichigo is fine. I promise. She went back to sleep after I took care of Kish. Who’s also doing fine, I might add. He’s still unconscious, but his vitals are getting back to normal. He’s just fighting off the effects of the toxin and healing. I doubt Ichigo will leave his side until he wakes. All I ask is that you leave them alone, at least for the rest of today and tonight. They need rest. Now, Tart, please explain what Kish did at the end of the fight.”

Sucking in a breath, Tart did his best to explain. “As I said, Kish has an unnatural ability when it comes to creating and controlling infusers, predacites, and chimeras. He knows their strengths and their weaknesses. Even has some sort of mental connection with them. I’m only guessing here, but it looked like the predacite was refusing his orders, so he and Ichigo needed to weaken it. He was then able to forcibly take control using that connection. His hand movements were him literally pulling on their link to extract the predacite from the chimera. He’s the only one among my people that can do that. Remove an imbedded predacite without causing harm to the host or the infuser. You all can do it by physically damaging the host and your magic abilities weaken the hold of the predacite. You know, Kish could always feel it when you attacked his chimeras. As Kish explained it once, that was one of the reasons the predacites were so loyal to him. Not only did he create them, but he shared their pain and their feelings. Which is why it surprised me when he killed the infuser at the end. But then again, it had hurt his mate. His rage and instincts to protect were probably in control.”

“You never finished explaining why that chimera was so strong,” Zakuro reminded Tart.

“Oh right! Like I said, Kish has a connection with predacites and infusers. They’re stronger with the ones he creates, but he can connect with all of them. They also recognize and respond to him. Predacites aren’t truly sentient, typically taking on the sentient level of the creature they infect. But they do have simple thoughts and can run the gambit on feelings and emotions. This is the only part I fully understand being an empath. Kish taps into those feelings and manipulates them towards his goal. Like dangling a carrot to make a horse run. But when they’re connected with Kish, they also feed off his emotions. Which was why at the beginning of our fights our chimeras seemed stronger, but as the fight wore on and Kish became tired, bored, or got distracted by Ichigo, the chimeras became weaker or lost their focus. Their connection with Kish weakened. The connection with Kish also raises their intelligence level, letting them think for themselves and making it easier for Kish to give commands, but only if Kish allows a full connection. It can be dangerous if a powerful chimera can think for itself. Kish learned that the hard way. We all did actually. Most of the chimeras you fought were levels one through five. The higher the number, the stronger the chimera. The levels are based on not only their size, but their power and abilities as well. The moth was a level eight. That dream chimera that nearly killed you all was a six and it took me and Pai together to create it. The highest our rating goes is to ten. Think of something like…,” Tart trailed off as he looked at Pudding. “What’s that giant lizard movie your brothers like to watch?”

“You mean Godzilla?” Pudding offered.

“Yeah. That’s it. A ten would be like your Godzilla. Kish created a ten once and only once. The only one who ever has. He did it on accident when he was thirteen. Not too long before he came here. He was testing his limits and unfortunately poured too much of himself into the infuser. Gave the predacite full sentience and incredible powers. It took him and a sizable portion of our military to bring it down. Eventually, Kish was able to remove the predacite, but the damage was extensive. An entire section of our underground city was destroyed under rubble. Thankfully, no one was killed, but many were injured. Kish himself passed out after disconnecting the predacite. The pain from the chimera became too much for him to bear, and he had exhausted his energy in trying to control the predacite. Spent about a week in a coma. After that, he swore to never make another ten ever again. They were too dangerous. The moth was as far as he was willing to push it. Deep Blue tried over and over to convince him to make another ten, but he refused. Originally, because he was worried of losing control and it turning on us, then because of Ichigo. Kish also realized way before Pai and I that Deep Blue had secretly been counting on that. That a ten would destroy not only everything on this planet, but us as well.”

Swallowing another sip of tea, Tart continued his explanations. “Anyways, the connection with Kish is what bolsters the predacites and, in turn, the chimeras. But Kish also has a connection with Ichigo now. My best guess is that Ichigo herself drew the chimera’s attention, but when it sensed Kish’s presence within her, it allowed a partial connection with Kish. Giving the chimera more strength and power then it should have because Kish wasn’t actually in control of it.”

Ryou folded his arms in thought. “I’m beginning to wonder how we ever survived if Kish is as powerful as you say.”

Tart grinned. “Thank Ichigo. His love for her not only kept him distracted but also had him holding us and himself back. He sabotaged many of me and Pai’s plans in his desire to keep Ichigo safe and to himself. The rest of the girls also helped. They showed us compassion. Proving that humans weren’t the monsters we were led to believe. Kish also has a tendency not to take things too seriously. Be glad he was hesitant with the invasion in the first place. If he had truly put his mind to the task, I doubt we’d be sitting here as friends.”

When he saw Lettuce and Pudding yawn, Ryou glanced at the clock. It was getting well on past eight. “Thank you for explaining, Tart. If anything changes with either Kish or Ichigo I’ll let everyone know. Otherwise, you aren’t due back until three tomorrow. Dismissed.” He noticed the girl’s reluctance to leave. “You can see Ichigo tomorrow. Right now, she needs to rest. But I’ll let her know you’re all worried about her.”

Pudding saw Tart heading to the basement. “Then why does Taru-Taru get to go visit them?”

Tart’s eyes fell to the floor before flicking to Ryou then landing on Pudding. “Because they’re my family. The only ones I’ve got here.” Quickly, Tart spun around and flew down the stairs. He hated how childish he’d sounded in front of everyone, especially Pudding. But it was true. Kish, and now Ichigo, was the only family he had here on Earth, so far away from his home. He would see to Ichigo’s needs as she saw to Kish’s. Otherwise, he’d go stir crazy aboard the ship with worry.

Floating to the infirmary side of the lab, Tart hovered near Kish and Ichigo. Checking on them, he saw that Kish hadn’t moved an inch and they were both still asleep, or unconscious in Kish’s case. Ichigo had one arm wrapped tightly around Kish’s between them and her other was curled around Kish’s waist. Tart’s eyes watered at how desperately Ichigo clung to Kish even in her sleep. It had hurt him deeply when he’d had to keep Ichigo away from Kish. Away from her mate. Even if it had been needed at the time. Mate bonds were intense and revered in his culture. Add his empathic nature and it had ripped him apart. He had felt every bit of pain and fear that Ichigo had.

For a moment, he even wondered if having a mate was worth it. To let someone else hold that much power over you. To suffer that kind of pain when your mate was hurting. He’d felt a moment from Ichigo where she’d have been willing to just give up on life if her mate had left her. Again, was having a mate worth all that? A flash of Pudding’s smiling face entered his mind. He realized, even without a bond, if Pudding had been the one laying there, he’d have been no different than Ichigo. Sure, pain came with the bond, but so did immense joy. He’d felt how happy Ichigo and Kish were together. Abyss, he’d nearly walked in on them sharing in that love and happiness. Could feel it in the air around him when they were near. It was trying times like these that made that happiness all the sweeter.

Gently, Tart pulled the sheets up over the tangled pair. Kish was closer to him than his own brother. Seeing the bandages on Kish caused tears to slip down his cheeks. Some color had returned, and his breathing had leveled out. But he was still flush with fever and sweat coated his brow. And though his wounds were bandaged, some blood had seeped through the cloth.

It reminded Tart of when the Blue Knight had torn Kish apart. He still bore the large scar near his shoulder that traveled over his collar bone, close to where the current bandage was. That was the first time he’d ever seen Kish so hurt. And it had scared him. Sure, Kish had been wounded many times during his training at the academy, but nothing like that. And he had even refused treatment at first. His anger and pain at Ichigo’s rejection caused him to lash out. Tart had had a tough time dealing with that. Kish had never pushed him away so harshly before.

Carefully, Tart removed Kish’s hair bands. He knew Kish preferred sleeping without them. He smiled at the bands in his hand. He was happy when Kish had started wearing them again. They had originally belonged to Kish’s mother, or so his own mother had once told him. He’d never gotten used to seeing Kish without them. And he didn’t agree with Kish in the slightest. The bands didn’t make him look younger; they were simply a part of who Kish was. At least to Tart.

Wiping his eyes, Tart set the bands on the table beside Kish. This was why he distanced himself from people. Being an empath, emotions were always much more powerful to him. Harder to control or hide. But because he’d been so focused on helping Ichigo earlier, he hadn’t let everything sink in. But now it was, and all Tart wanted to do was cry. He could have lost Kish. Lost his brother. Lost the only blood family he had here. He would never have forgiven himself. He hadn’t bothered to follow Kish when he’d said Ichigo was in trouble. Instead, he’d gone straight to Pudding. And because she still wasn’t comfortable with teleporting, he’d stayed with them and took the slow way to Kish. If he had followed Kish, he could have helped. Or if he’d just have teleported from Pudding he’d have been there sooner, and Kish may not have ended up in such a bad state.

Sighing, Tart floated down and sat on the next bed over where he’d held Ichigo earlier. Closing his eyes, he drew his knees up under his chin and buried his face between them. He locked his arms around his legs and let the tears flow freely.

That was how Ryou found him moments later when he’d come to check on Kish and Ichigo before turning in for the night. Quietly, Ryou walked over to Tart and rested a hand on his shoulder. “They’re going to be fine. You said it yourself earlier, they’re both too stubborn to leave one another.”

Tart’s heart skipped a beat as he was startled from his thoughts. He hadn’t heard Ryou enter. Rubbing his wrist over his eyes, he glanced over at Ryou who had sat down beside him. “I know. It just hits too close to home. Before the Mew Aqua, death was a constant and very real threat. Something we’d all grown a bit numb to. But now there’s hope. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to see a loved one at death’s door. And sometimes I forget that Kish is no different than you or me. He can be just as vulnerable. He’s always been this larger-than-life kind of person. Able to take on anything and doing it with that cocky smile of his. He’s so powerful it’s almost scary, but he’s never let that change who he is. Never let it go to his head. Sure, he can be an arrogant jerk at times, but he’s always cared. Always made sure those he held close were taken care of. If it weren’t for him, not only would you all be dead, but I would have been too and before we even came to this planet. He kept me from starving to death when we were children. And I wasn’t even there to help him.”

Ryou gave Tart’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I used to hate him. Used to want him dead. All three of you, actually. My parents were killed by one of your kind when I was a child. I never saw you as individuals. Just alien scum that needed to be destroyed. But Kish changed my way of thinking. He told me what happened to his father. Both our parents had been killed by his, your, people. I realized we weren’t so different. The girls had tried to tell me that for years. Well, mostly Lettuce and Pudding and even Ichigo in her own way. But it was Kish himself that made me see what they had all along. I now know there’s good in your people because you, Kish, and Pai had to have learned it from somewhere. What I’m saying is, don’t blame yourself because I know Kish won’t. You went to Pudding just as Kish went to Ichigo. Because you love her. Just like Kish loves Ichigo.”

“But how did you?” Tart started to ask, but Ryou cut him off.

“How’d I know you were with Pudding? My computers alert me to you aliens’ whereabouts when you’re on Earth. It was how the girls found you so quickly when you’d attack. And their pendants allow me to track the girls. When Masha sent out the alien alert, I activated the tracking system. I saw Pudding’s yellow dot and your orange one appear next to her soon after.” Seeing the shock on Tart’s face, Ryou quickly elaborated. “The girls know I can track them, but I only use it when there’s a threat. I may be a controlling jerk, but I do respect their privacy.” Pausing, Ryou patted the bed they sat on. “Now, why don’t you take this bed and get some rest. Those two are down for the count and I know Ichigo is going to refuse to leave Kish’s side as long as he’s like this. She’s going to need her new brother to look after her because everyone knows she won’t listen to me.”

Tart shot Ryou a surprised and confused look.

Ryou grinned, “Ichigo may have mentioned it a couple of times. How she thinks of you as a little brother, and you see her as a sister. She’s proud of that. Of getting to be your sister and of being a part of your family.”

“Everyone wants to be part of our family,” Tart muttered bitterly. But he couldn’t hide all his happiness at what Ryou had said about how Ichigo felt.

Ryou flicked Tart’s ear. “You really think so low of her? She knew nothing about your family when she became Kish’s mate. And she still didn’t when she proclaimed you her brother. And yes, I know about your powerful family. Kish had been spending his days with me while Ichigo worked. Letting me study him and learn about your people and culture.”

“I’d forgotten about that. Is that how you were able to treat Kish so easily?” Tart asked with a yawn.

“Yes, now get to bed. I’ll be down early to check on them. If anything happens, my room’s the door at the end of the hall on the second floor. Don’t hesitate to come get me.” Ryou got to his feet and flipped off the lights but left his small desk lamp on. “Goodnight,” he said as he shut the door. As he headed to his room, he muttered to himself, “I’ve got to stop spending so much time with Keiichiro. People are going to start thinking I’m actually nice.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” Keiichiro asked, leaning in the doorway to his room.

“Yes,” was all Ryou would say.

Sighing, Keiichiro shifted gears. “How are they?”

Ryou leaned against his door and faced Keiichiro. “Ichigo’s fine. Just exhausted and worried about Kish. A good night’s sleep and she’ll be good as new, well as soon as Kish wakes up anyway. Kish is still unconscious, but his vitals are holding steady. I’m hoping he’ll wake up in no more then a day or two.”

“Let’s hope for Ichigo’s sake,” Keiichiro said with concern.

Ryou only nodded. “Night,” he said then disappeared into his room.

“Night,” Keiichiro said to Ryou’s door before he too snapped the hall light off and went to bed.

The next two days seemed to fly by for everyone except Ichigo. As Ryou predicted, she refused to leave Kish’s side. She was never more than a foot from his bed except to run to the bathroom. Tart took it upon himself to be sure she ate and looked after herself. This had led to the fight she and Tart were currently having halfway through the second day since the attack.

“Enough, Ichigo. He’ll be fine without you for a few moments,” Tart said in exasperation.

“I don’t care! I’m not leaving him and that’s final!” she said turning from Tart and back to Kish.

“You leave me no choice then.” Without warning, Tart grabbed ahold of Ichigo and teleported directly into the bathroom upstairs. He’d already taken Pudding to their ship earlier so she could gather some of Ichigo’s clothes and shower things. They were in the bathroom waiting to be used, but Ichigo had refused to leave Kish’s side long enough to even shower. Tart hated to say it, but she was starting to smell. He’d made this plan with Pudding and Ryou. Pudding got her things and while Tart forced Ichigo to shower, Ryou and Keiichiro could change Kish’s bedding and dressings.

Giving Ichigo a gentle push away from him, Tart quickly teleported to the other side of the door. “I’m not letting you out until you’ve showered. Do you really think Kish wants to wake to his mate smelling of old sweat, dirt, and dried blood?” The banging suddenly subsided from the other side of the bathroom door. It seemed he’d finally gotten through to her.

“Fine! But if he wakes and I’m not there, I may never forgive you,” Ichigo shouted as she gave the door one last hard thump. She didn’t want to admit it, but Tart was right. She was starting to smell a little ripe. And what Tart said rang true. She could only imagine how worried Kish would be if he awoke to the smell of her blood. Spotting her things on the counter, she quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. Though she’d been a Mew when she’d gotten hurt, and she had detransformed while Ryou saw to Kish, the blood on her skin and hair had stayed. Then spending two days wrapped around a feverish Kish, she’d gotten more than a little sweaty. Not to mention, the sweat and dirt still on her from the fight.

She showered as quickly as she could, but her frayed nerves and the separation from Kish started to get the better of her. Without being able to feel Kish’s pulse beneath her fingertips, she’d lost her only connection to him. His side of the bond was still dark and quiet. Other than that first night, she hadn’t felt anything from him. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and slid to the floor. It all became too much, and she let the tears flow.

Tart was getting worried. It had been a good while since he’d heard the water shut off. She should have been demanding to get back to Kish by now. “Ichigo?” he called out. When he got no response, he strained his ears to pick up whatever he could. He caught the faint sounds of sniffles and hiccups. Hesitantly, he stuck his head in the door. “Ichigo? Are you alright?” He still didn’t get an answer, so he opened the door a bit wider. The sight before him nearly broke his heart.

Ichigo was curled on the floor against the shower door. She was crying into her hands as she rocked herself back and forth. “My fault,” was all she said on repeat through her sobs.

Tart quickly came to her side and scooped her up into his lap. “Shh… It’s not your fault, Ichigo. It’s not your fault.”

“My fault,” she repeated and sobbed harder into Tart’s chest. “What if he never wakes up? I can’t feel him anymore. It’s just dark emptiness where he should be. I need him! I can’t lose him again! I just can’t!”

Tart began to stroke her hair, “Calm down. You’re not going to lose him. I promise. You’ll see. He’ll wake before you know it and be back to his cheeky self. Back to annoying everyone again with his cockiness and that infuriating all knowing smirk of his. But you’ve got to stay strong for him. Cause he needs you just as much as you need him. So, dry those tears and get dressed. Your mate is waiting for you. If I know him, he’ll refuse to wake unless you’re there.”

Sniffling, Ichigo rubbed her eyes. “Umm… I think I need help. I feel too weak to stand.”

“I’ll go get Pudding,” Tart said softly.

Ichigo’s hands twisted in Tart’s shirt. “NO! Please don’t leave me alone.”

Tart couldn’t say no, so he gave in. “You do realize Kish is going to kill me if he finds out I helped you get dressed?”

“I can get dressed under my towel. Just let me lean on you. My legs feel too shaky to stand on my own. You can close your eyes if it makes you more comfortable. And I won’t let Kish hurt you for this. I promise. I just don’t want to be left alone. The emptiness from Kish’s side is killing me.”

Floating to his feet, Tart carefully set Ichigo on hers, but kept an arm around her waist for support. “Fine. But I’m holding you to that. Unlike you, Kish has no problem kicking my ass.” When he felt her move, he quickly clenched his eyes shut.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked as she shimmied into a pair of clean underwear. If the circumstances had been different, she would have been terribly embarrassed at getting dressed in front of Tart, even if his eyes were closed. But she meant what she’d said. She couldn’t stand the thought of being alone right now. She’d be better once she could feel Kish’s heartbeat again.

“It means I’m not as good as you. I can’t even come close to defending off Kish if he were to come at me. He also has no qualms with landing some serious blows to me as I’m sure you well know.” Tart moved his arm higher when he felt her pull up her pants but was very careful not to move too high. Death by Kish would be all but assured if he touched anything too intimate on his mate’s body, even accidentally. Tart nearly let go of her when he felt her open her towel and begin to slide it off. “I… I thought you were going to get dressed under the towel?” he stuttered out.

“I was, but this is easier. Besides, your eyes are closed, and I trust you not to peek. Otherwise, even I wouldn’t be able to hold Kish back,” she teased. She didn’t know how he was doing it, but Tart was making her feel better. She was still worried sick and couldn’t wait to get back to Kish, but she really was feeling better.

Tart gulped and clenched his eyes tighter shut. “You can be really cruel; you know that Old Hag?”

Ichigo smiled a full genuine smile. “Haven’t heard that for a while, Brat. Thanks. You can’t see, but you got me to smile.”

A blush creeped over Tart’s face. Partly because of what Ichigo had said, but mostly at the feel of Ichigo’s bare stomach under his hand as she dropped the towel completely. “I’m so a dead man,” he grumbled.

Hooking her bra in place, Ichigo pulled a pink tank top over her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from Kish when he finally wakes up.” Her words became shaky as fresh tears threatened to fall. Thoughts of her mate not waking began to plague her mind again.

When he felt her shirt fall over his hand, Tart pulled Ichigo into a tight hug. He could feel her sadness and fear returning. Tears were starting to well behind his own clenched eyelids. “Stop it. Kish will wake up. He has to for both our sakes.”

Her hands clenched at his sides, “I’m so sorry, Tart. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own grief that I didn’t even notice yours. He’s your family. Your flesh and blood. You’ve been hurting too.”

“Hush. You have nothing to apologize for. He may be my family, but he’s your mate. And because I’m an empath, I don’t have to imagine how much pain you’re in. I can feel it. So don’t apologize.”

“It’s safe to open your eyes, by the way,” she offered.

Slowly, Tart peeked his eyes open. Seeing Ichigo was fully dressed, he let his eyes open fully. “You look and smell much better.”

Ichigo blushed. “Thanks. And thanks for the help. As you can see, I’m clean so will you please take me back to my mate?” she pleaded.

With a nod, Tart teleported them both back downstairs to the infirmary.

Ichigo wasted no time as she scrambled back onto the bed with Kish. She wrapped one hand around his wrist and laid her head atop his chest. The steady pulse under her fingers and the rhythmic thumping of his heart soothing her as nothing else could at the moment.

Ryou gave Tart a nod. He thankfully had had just enough time to switch Kish’s sheets and redress his bandages.

Chapter Text

It was now Saturday, the morning of the fourth day since the attack. Kish still hadn’t woken, and Ichigo was currently drifting in that world somewhere between being awake and slumberland. Subconsciously, Ichigo didn’t want to wake up because she knew Kish wouldn’t be there to greet her, but another part of her wanted to, so she’d be there for him if and when he woke up. And so, she remained stuck in sleep limbo. She let her thoughts wander. Thinking of Kish and any and everything to do with him. His smile. His voice. His teasing. Anything. ‘Please, please wake up Kish. I miss you.’

Her mind conjured an image of her beloved. “I’ve missed you too, Kitten.”

“Great. I really am starting to lose it. I’m imagining you’re awake,” Ichigo sighed.

Kish snickered as he made his way to her through the misty and surreal dreamscape of her mind. Reaching her, he tugged her into his arms. He flashed her a fang filled smirk. “So, you still dream about me, hmn?”

Ichigo nuzzled against his chest. “All the time. But I miss my Kish. The real you. I need my mate. I don’t know how much longer I can stay strong for you. It’s getting too hard. Too painful. Everything feels so empty without you there. Please wake up and come back to me.”

Gently, Kish wrapped his fingers around her jaw and tilted her face up to meet his eyes. He gave her a tender smile, one of the ones he reserved only for her. “Anything for my Kitten. Now, open your eyes.”

She was confused by what he meant for a moment since her eyes were open. But then her mind started to shift more to the waking world. Slowly, she became more aware of her surroundings. A pressure around her jaw became noticeable, exactly where her dream Kish had gripped her. Finally, her eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring into bright, glittering, golden eyes.

“Hey Kitten. Nice of you to finally join me out here,” he smirked. A pearly fang slipped over his bottom lip.

Ichigo’s eyes grew wide. “KISH!” She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek against his. “That was you!? You’re really awake?!”

“Easy, mate. I’m still healing. That was really me and I woke up just a bit ago. You looked too cute asleep at my side, so I didn’t want to wake you. But I missed you too, love. So, I couldn’t help but peek in on what you were dreaming. Can’t say I was disappointed when I saw you thinking about me. So, I dropped in. And thank you, Ichigo. You may not have felt me, but I felt you. I could feel your presence against me the entire time. You and the energy you shared kept me fighting. It was touch and go there for a bit, but I was able to grab the lifeline you offered. You saved me, Ichigo. Thank you.” Kish’s arms wrapped tightly around his mate as he held her possessively. He was beyond grateful and happy to finally have her back in his arms.

Tears of happiness and relief streamed down Ichigo’s cheeks. Kish was finally back. Finally awake and holding her again. Leaning back slightly, she caught his eyes. Gods how she’d missed those mischievous glowing amber pools. “You’ve got to stop doing this. Stop risking your life for me. You almost died in my arms. Again!”

Reaching up, Kish cupped her cheek and brushed her tears away with his thumb. “I can’t promise that, Ichigo. I will always risk everything to protect you. But I can promise to try to postpone the next time for a while,” he grinned.

“You better make it a very, very long time,” she growled playfully. She was much too happy to even pretend to be upset with him.

He smirked cockily. “I’ll see what I can do.” Tenderly, he pulled her down and captured her lips with his. Her lips had never tasted sweeter, and he craved more. Slipping his hand back, he cupped the back of her head and tilted it to give him a better angle to deepen the kiss. His tongue traced along her bottom lip, and she instantly responded by opening her mouth wider. Hungrily, his tongue swept forwards, savoring her taste. He licked and explored every crevice of her mouth he could reach. Pulling back, he ran his tongue along the inside of her bottom lip then sucked it between his teeth. The tips of his fangs grazed the swollen flesh before he released her to catch her breath.

Ichigo melted into a gooey puddle of warm love and happiness. Her hands slid down, releasing his hair and resting on his chest, being careful to avoid his bandages. “Damn,” she muttered breathlessly as she licked her tingling lips.

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Mint agreed in awe. She’d seen Kish steal kisses from Ichigo before, but nothing like this. She found it hot yet incredibly sweet and romantic.

Ichigo blushed furiously and scrambled to put a bit of space between her and Kish. Then she heard him snicker and she poked him in the ribs. “You heard her come in, didn’t you? Why didn’t you stop?” she growled in embarrassment.

“And interrupt our first kiss in days? Not on my life. Not like I care who sees anyways,” he grinned toothily.

“Don’t stop on my account. That was actually pretty hot,” Mint teased.

Ichigo whipped around to face Mint. Growling, “He’s mine! What are you doing here anyways?” There was no hiding the possessiveness or snap in her voice.

“Damn, I missed that. You getting all possessive over me,” Kish snickered to Ichigo.

“Shut it you,” but there was no bite to her voice. She was still too filled with joy at his return.

Mint rolled her eyes, “Relax. He’s not my type. He’s not rich enough for me to be interested.”

“Actually, I’m probably richer than you now,” Kish interrupted with a smug grin.

Crossing her arms, Ichigo glared at Kish. “Trying to make a play for Mint now? That coma make you forget you already have a mate?”

Kish cocked a brow. “Really? You should know better than that. I was just correcting her. My interest only lies in feisty kitty-cats, not stuck-up birdies,” he defended as he ran a fingertip along Ichigo’s jaw. It did just as he hoped. She immediately relaxed and leaned into his touch.

“I’d love to see you prove that one day. But anyway, I came down with your breakfast, Ichigo. Tart had to see to Pudding this morning. One of her brother’s is sick. So, he asked if I could keep an eye on you until he got back.” Mint set the tray of fresh waffles and strawberries on the bedside table, being careful not to spill the glass of milk or the small pitcher of syrup. “I’m sure you’re starving since you finally woke up. Want me to get you something, Kish?” she reluctantly offered. She wouldn’t normally play the part of servant, but she figured she owed both Kish and Ichigo for her behavior.

Both Ichigo and Kish looked at Mint in surprise. “Since when do you offer to do things?” Ichigo questioned.

Mint raised her nose slightly and placed a hand on her hip. “I can always rescind the offer. And don’t get used to it. I… Well, I feel bad, okay.”

Ichigo looked at Mint with concern and confusion.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that!” Mint snapped. “It’s just I owe you both an apology. I know I’ve already apologized to you, Ichigo, but Kish needs to hear this too.” Mint sucked in a breath and shifted her feet uncomfortably. “After seeing how you protected and saved Ichigo, it’s clear you’re no longer an enemy. Something that I should have realized a long time ago at how you’ve always acted around her. But every time I look at you, I can’t help but relive the fear you brought. Relive you attacking my brother and dog. But Ryou, and, well, everyone really, made me see there was more to you than just a cruel, psychotic alien. I’m still working on forgiving you, but I can accept you and Ichigo. And I’m sorry for how I reacted the other day. Besides, you two freaks are perfect for each other.”

“And you started so wonderfully there. Oh, wait. Is that a blue feather on the floor?” Ichigo said, gesturing behind Mint.

Spinning around, Mint scanned the floor as her hands searched her back for her wings or tail. Hearing Ichigo giggle, Mint whirled back around. “Ooh! Why you little cat!”

Kish chuckled. “Careful, Birdy. Cats eat birdies for breakfast. Which, if the offer still stands, I’d love whatever you brought Ichigo because it smells delicious. And thanks, Birdy. That meant a lot to both of us. Maybe one day I’ll be able to earn your full forgiveness because I really am sorry for all I did back then.”

Shooting Ichigo another glare, Mint looked to Kish. “Perhaps one day. In the meantime, you better continue to make this pathetic feline happy or I won’t hesitate to draw my bow on you if you ever hurt her.”

Kish’s arm snaked around Ichigo’s waist, and he sat up straighter. His eyes flashed with a hardness and a menacing fang slipped from his curled lip. “Bold words from such a little Birdy. But you have my word. My mate’s happiness and safety are always my highest priority.”

Mint took a hesitant step back, “Good. Then I’ll be right back with your breakfast.”

As soon as Mint left, Ichigo flicked Kish’s chest. “You didn’t have to scare her. You heard her, she’s already scared of you. And she was actually being nice for once,” she scolded.

His eyes shifted to his softer gold, and he shrugged. “Until the freak comment and calling you a pathetic feline. Consider that payback for that and the scar she left on my shoulder. You all weren’t the only ones repressing fears each time we went to battle.”

“You can’t tell me you were actually afraid of Mint or any of us?”

“Of you all, not in the least. Your attacks however… They didn’t exactly feel like a warm hug. You forget, your magic was designed to specifically harm us Cyniclons. Getting hit by any of your attacks wasn’t a walk in the park,” Kish explained as he relaxed back into the pillows.

A moment later Mint returned with Kish’s food and handed it to him timidly.

Seeing her hesitation, he smirked. “Relax. I was only teasing earlier. I don’t bite. Well, except for Ichigo.”

“Kish!” Ichigo protested.

“I sooo didn’t need to hear that. But didn’t think you’d be the one to enjoy the rough stuff, Ichigo,” Mint teased now that she was feeling much more at ease around Kish.

Ichigo’s cheeks flamed scarlet. “I refuse to answer that. And you shut it,” she snapped at Kish when she heard him chuckle.

“So that’s a yes. Wow! I’d expect it from someone as psychotic as him. But you, Ichigo? That is surprising. I bet Lettuce will be permanently red when I share this little tid bit. Anyways, I told everyone to leave you alone for the next thirty minutes. But expect your little love nest to be invaded shortly after now that everyone knows Kish is awake.”

“Don’t you dare say a word, Mint!” Ichigo pleaded angrily.

“Ooh, so you do admit it,” Mint chirped.

Ichigo tried to lunge for Mint, but Kish’s strong arm around her middle held her back. “Down, Kitten. Or I just might have to sink my teeth into you to keep you restrained,” he smirked evilly and tossed a wink towards Mint.

Eeping, Ichigo buried her face in her hands in mortification. “I hate you both,” she grumbled when she heard both Kish and Mint giggle.

“That’s not what you were saying earlier, Kitten.”

“And this is where I leave. I suggest you two eat and get whatever this is out of your system because you now have less than thirty minutes to yourselves. Later.” Mint turned and left, shutting the door behind her.

“At least I know you’re still the same Kish as always,” Ichigo remarked as she reached for her tray. Seeing Kish wince when he tried to cut up his food, Ichigo set her tray back down. “Here, let me help so you don’t keep aggravating that wound on your collar bone.”

A sly grin spread over Kish’s face as he set his knife and fork down. “Going to be my nurse and feed me?”

“Don’t get used to it. It’s just until you’re healed. Now open,” she snapped.

Kish opened his mouth and slowly pulled the bite of waffle off the fork. “Oh, I could definitely get used to this.”

“Keep it up and I’ll leave you to fend for yourself,” Ichigo warned as she continued to feed Kish.

“Yes, Miss Nurse Ichigo,” Kish teased.

“Must you really make everything more difficult than it should be?” Ichigo muttered.

“Of course. Otherwise, things wouldn’t be nearly as much fun,” he winked.

Ichigo sighed. He’d just awoken from a coma and yet he was already in one of his difficult moods. But even this, she’d missed. She’d missed everything about him, even his tendency to drive her up a wall.

Kish gathered his mostly empty plate and sat it on the table next to him. His molten eyes sought out her chocolate ones. “Either eat or kiss me. Because I’ve missed you just as much, Kitten. I can’t and won’t hold back much longer.”

Quickly, Ichigo grabbed her plate and began stuffing her face. Though the food was delicious, it tasted like ash when compared to Kish’s kisses.

Leaning forwards, Kish licked at the corner of her mouth. “You had a bit of syr…”

Ichigo didn’t let him finish. Instead, she moved the plate and sprung forwards. Her lips sealed over his, hushing him. She needed to taste him again. Needed to feel his cool skin against her own. Needed to know he was truly alive and back with her. She could have purred in happiness when she felt the warmth of his mind brush against hers again. When she felt his emotions like bursts of colored lights where there had only been dark emptiness. But she did purr when she felt his cool hands slip under her shirt and grasp her waist. She lost herself within everything that was Kish. Drank him in like water. She had been starving, suffocating and he was filling her with food and air. Clinging to him desperately, she poured her very soul out to him through their kiss and down the bond.

Kish was drowning. Drowning in his mate’s overwhelming emotions. Yet, he still clung to her just as desperately. One hand continued to grip her waist as his other moved up her back under her shirt. He caressed her smooth skin. Delighting in the feel of his mate beneath his hands once again. She may have been in agony because she hadn’t been able to feel him through their bond, but he’d been in agony because he could feel her. Had felt her suffering but had been unable to comfort her. Had felt her love but had been unable to touch her. It had been more painful than the toxins searing through his veins.

Long ears twitched at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. ‘Dammit, there’s no way it’s been thirty minutes already,’ he pouted to himself. Reluctantly, Kish started disentangling his lips and hands from his mate.

“Guess the others are coming?” she asked as she worked to compose herself. She smoothed her hair and crawled off Kish to sit beside him.

“Yeah, dammit. But you can be damn sure, the first chance I get, we’re picking up where we left off,” he swore as he wrapped his hand around hers between them. “I love you, Ichigo. So, so much. Gods, I missed you.”

"Gah, stop it. I’m going to end up crying again. I love you too, Kish," Ichigo replied just as the door to the lab swung open and in filed all the girls, including Pudding. Tart, Ryou, and Keiichiro were also there.

Tart hurried to Kish’s side and hugged him tightly. “You are awake! How are you feeling? Don’t scare me like that again!” Tears were welling in his eyes. He had really been worried about his ‘brother’ and relief was flooding his system.

“Oi! Careful, Brat. It still hurts. I’m going to be fine thanks to you and especially Ichigo.” Kish said gently patting Tart’s back. “However, you ever touch my mate when she’s only in a towel again and it will be you in a coma next time,” he threatened.

Tart squeaked. “It wasn’t my fault! She needed help! I swear!”

At the same time, Lettuce gave Ichigo a hug. “You both had us worried. I’m glad he’s better and that you’re alright. Is there anything either of you need?”

“I’m fine. Sorry to have worried you all. And Kish will be fine too. He just needs to rest some to fully recover,” Ichigo answered, but she had heard what Kish had said to Tart. Pulling away from Lettuce, “Just a sec.” Ichigo then turned to Kish and snatched the end of his ear, causing Kish to both hiss in pain and arousal.

“Ichigo! I don’t think that’s the best idea in his condition,” Tart winced. He was well aware of how mates affected each other’s ears.

Ichigo glared at Kish. “Oh, I know. And he can just suffer,” she answered Tart. Focusing more intently on Kish, she continued. “If you think you’re going to get away with threatening Tart, then you’ve got another thing coming, buster. He was helping me while you were gone. Just how the hell do you know anyways?”

Kish shifted uncomfortably. The hold on his ear was piquing his arousal. “While you were asleep, I caught myself up on all that I missed.” Raising his hand, he calmly wrapped his fingers around Ichigo’s wrist. “If you don’t let go then my condition and the audience be damned,” he growled low.

To anyone else it would have sounded like Kish was threatening Ichigo. And, in a way, he was. But Ichigo recognized his tone of voice at once. There were consequences to touching his ears and he was threatening to carry them out with that seductive yet warning tone he carried. She gave his ear another tweak before letting go. “Later. Right now, apologize to Tart.”

All the girls looked on in confusion. They didn’t quite understand what was going on. Well, except for Lettuce and Pudding. They knew of Kish’s particular ear sensitivity to Ichigo and both blushed. “Care to explain what’s going on?” Mint asked.

Ichigo put her hands on her hips and continued to glare at Kish. “As soon as he apologizes.”

“Not happening!” Kish growled. “He just better be glad he kept his eyes closed or I really would kill him.”

Tart whimpered, “I’m sorry! She needed help getting dressed and she wouldn’t let me leave. It wasn’t my choice!”

The girls all stared at Tart. “Oh, this should be interesting. What do you mean you helped Ichigo get dressed?” Mint quipped.

Tart turned ten shades of red as all eyes fell on him, but Ichigo came to his defense.

“Lay off. I had a panic attack after I showered. I couldn’t hold my weight to dress, and I couldn’t bear to be alone. Tart helped. He didn’t see anything. And if it wasn’t for him, I’d be an absolute mess. He was there for me while you were gone!” She poked Kish in the chest, hard.

Kish finally gave in, at least partially, to his mate’s distress. “I won’t apologize. He knows better to keep away from my mate when she’s vulnerable. But I will thank him for taking care of you while I couldn’t.” Turning to Tart, “So, thank you, Tart. Honestly. Thank you for watching over Ichigo. But next time, get Pudding or one of the other girls before you force my mate to shower,” Kish warned but had a sly grin on his face.

“There better not be a next time where that’s needed,” Ichigo threatened.

Kish wrapped an arm around Ichigo’s waist. “I told you, I’d try,” he smiled.

Ryou had been checking the machines that had been monitoring Kish while everyone spoke, but now he made his way to Kish’s side. He checked the I.V. drip first then pulled out a needle. “All your vitals are back to normal. I just need to draw some blood to make sure all the toxins are out of your system and to be sure everything is as it should be.” When Kish nodded and moved his arm, Ryou quickly pierced his vein and took his sample. He wrapped a small piece of gauze around Kish’s arm. “Now I need to check your wounds.”

Again, Kish nodded and lifted his chin so Ryou could easily access all the wounds and dressings.

Starting with the one under Kish’s eye, Ryou carefully peeled away the bandage. The wound was completely healed except for a small, shiny, new scar. Moving to Kish’s jaw, he removed that bandage as well. That one was still healing, but it was mostly just a scratch now. So, Ryou didn’t see the need to rebandage it. He just lightly dabbed a bit of antiseptic on it. Carefully, Ryou pulled off the coverings of the deeper wound on Kish’s collar bone. It still had a while to go before it was completely healed. But the stitches looked good and there didn’t seem to be any sign of infection. Ryou gently dabbed some antiseptics over the stitches to keep them that way.

Kish flinched. “Fuck, that stings,” he said through gritted teeth.

Ryou rolled his eyes as he reapplied fresh bandages. “Some warrior you are.”

“I’d like to see you go through this,” Kish snapped. “A weak human as yourself wouldn’t have survived.” Seeing Ichigo’s raised brow from the corner of his eye, he glanced at her. “You don’t count. You’re not exactly fully human.”

Ichigo crossed her arms, “Oh, so what you’re saying is that I could have survived this?” Her hook was baited.

Kish grinned, “Yup. As you and I have said before, you’re stronger than most and can handle almost anything. Doesn’t mean I won’t always worry or try to protect you though.” Kish didn’t even see the trap she’d set until it was too late.

‘Line and sinker,’ she thought with wicked amusement. She rounded on him and shoved a finger into his chest. “If I would have been fine, then how the hell was it fair of you to take my wounds and force me to suffer without you? It could have been you watching over me just as easily!”

He scrambled for a response before she had him fully in a corner. Her argument was a sound one. “Because I’m still an alien and can take more than you. You saw how close I came. You may not have been so lucky.” ‘There, not bad,’ he thought. Then again, maybe not…

“Bullshit! You were already at your limit. I saw how drained you were after your attacks, the flying, then pulling the infuser out. But you pushed yourself even further to take my wounds. Using more energy than you even had. And don’t you dare deny it! I could feel it. I may have been tired, but I still had more energy than you at that point. I was nowhere near as drained. It would have been easier for me to fight off the poison,” she argued vehemently.

‘Fuck, she had a point,’ his mind railed. How was he going to get out of this one? His mind raced for a solution, but there really wasn’t one. She was right and he loathed to admit it. He settled on the truth. “Dammit, Ichigo! It’s because I love you! I panicked, alright?! Seeing you hurt so badly scared me out of my mind. My instincts and my heart were demanding I do something to help you. I will always do anything and everything to keep you safe. But you’re right. It wasn’t fair and I’m sorry. But that won’t stop me from doing this again if I ever have to.”

The rest of the group had backed away giving the couple some space. They had all seen the fire building in Ichigo’s eyes and knew a heck of a storm was brewing and about to crash down on the unsuspecting head of Kish. Ryou almost had a flash of sympathy for the alien, having been on the receiving end of Ichigo’s temper plenty of times. Even Mint knew better than to open her mouth or she could very well end up Ichigo’s target.

Keiichiro cleared his throat and whispered to the group, “Let’s give them some space.” He waved his hands, ushering everyone out.

All but Ryou left. He needed to run tests on Kish’s blood. He wanted no surprises. Kish had become a part of the team and Ichigo would be devastated if anything were to happen to him, especially under his watch.

Ichigo hadn’t even registered the departure of everyone, she was so focused on Kish. Her anger was still bubbling over, but Kish’s outburst and confessions were causing it to wane. “You dumb, arrogant, egotistical, and pig-headed alien. You could have died! AGAIN! Died and left me alone again. It may not have been ideal, but I could have survived. You took a risk that worked this time, but you may not get so lucky next time. Stop treating me like I’m some fragile kitten. I care too ya know. I love you just as much and don’t want you getting hurt either.” Her argument was losing steam, and she was about ready to collapse into his embrace.

Kish beat her to it and pulled her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. His wounds protested, but he ignored them. “I can’t promise I won’t take risks where you’re concerned, but I can promise to be more careful. I’ll also try to remember that you’re stronger than I may always realize. That’s the best I can do.”

Sighing, Ichigo snuggled against him. Again, she took comfort in the steady thumping of his heart. “It will have to do. As long as you realize I’ll always do the same. I will always be at your side and come to your aid, no matter how much danger it may put me in.”

“Fine. Like you, I may not like it, but I understand. Both so stubborn. It’s a wonder we get anywhere,” he chuckled.

“That’s an understatement. Both your stubborn personalities are unmatched except by each other,” Ryou interjected.

Both Kish and Ichigo jumped. They hadn’t noticed Ryou at all.

“Were you listening to all of that?” Ichigo squeaked.

“Mostly,” Ryou nodded. “My teeth ache it was so sickly sweet.”

Kish’s eyes locked on Ryou’s, “Jealousy doesn’t become you.”

Ryou rolled his eyes. “For the last time. I’m not jealous of you. Nor will I ever be.”

Kish leaned back and began ticking off his fingers. “Let’s see… I’m smarter, stronger, more powerful, much better looking, oh, and I’ve got Ichigo. Plenty of reasons to be jealous.” A cocky grin appeared as Kish folded his arms behind his head and leaned back against the pillows.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Ryou counted to ten. He refused to let Kish get under his skin. Refused to play his little games. “You’ll be happy to know I found no traces of the toxin in your blood. A day or so of bed rest and you’ll be back to peak health. Then you can get the hell out of my lab and take your dramatic girlfriend with you.”

“Ooh… Struck a nerve did I? And she’s my mate. Or, if you’d prefer, my wife,” Kish said with his trademark smirk.

“I’m not even going to justify that with an answer. I’ll come check on you later. Kish, you should be able to leave the infirmary later today. In fact, I insist on it. Just take it easy.” Ryou said as he packed up his equipment and began to unhook Kish’s I.V. Though, he pulled the needle out a little harsher than was necessary.

“Bastard,” Kish growled as he clamped a hand over where the I.V. tube had been.

Ryou chuckled and headed for the door. “Remember, take it easy. If something happens, come get me Ichigo.”

When the door shut, Kish gave Ichigo a sly look. “So, where were we?”

“Oh no. As much as I want to, you heard what Ryou said. You need to take it easy,” she warned with a hand on his chest to hold him back.

“So cruel, Kitty-cat. I don’t think a few kisses will cause any harm.” His eyes flashed mischievously as he slid a hand over Ichigo’s thigh. “These wounds are not nearly enough to keep me from my mate.”

Ichigo cocked a brow, “Can you keep it to just a few kisses?” She lightly traced a finger between his pectorals teasingly.

He snatched her hand and pulled her arm around his neck, effectively tugging her on top of him. “Not if you keep that up, my teasing Kitty-cat. Otherwise, I suppose I can behave… Mostly,” he teased, whispering against her lips. “Kiss me, Kitten. I need to feel those luscious lips and that curvaceous body.” His voice was husky and dripping with lust and need.

Both Ichigo’s arms were now curved around Kish’s neck. Her lips were a mere millimeter from his and her body was pressed tight to his form. “And if I don’t?” she taunted.

Kish’s hand cupped her lower back, drawing her closer. “Would you really deny your wounded mate?”

Ichigo twirled her finger around a strand of his hair, playing with it before giving it a soft tug. “Maybe.”

“Ooh… You evil little woman. Even if I promise to keep it to just a few kisses?” he countered. His lips were now brushing against hers. Not even a breath’s width between them. He ached to close the gap, and yet he also wanted to see if she would give in.

She couldn’t take it anymore either. Soft lips covered his as she gave in. Her fingers twisted in his hair, and she licked at his lips. They parted for her, and she ran the tip of her tongue over a fang. There was no denying, she had definitely missed those fangs of his. A shiver ran through her when he used his tongue to press hers to his fang. The point pricking her tongue. It wasn’t hard enough to draw blood, but it did send a bolt of pleasure and pain straight to her core.

Kish was smirking internally at his victory. “Told you, I always win.” His hands slid down her sides to her thighs. They slipped underneath and wrapped tightly around them. With ease, Kish picked her up and sat her in his lap. Their kiss was never broken. It had only become more intense as their tongues battled. His hands gave her thighs a tight squeeze in delight when his mate finally surrendered to him, her tongue retreating to within her own mouth. “See,” he gloated.

“Oh, shut up and either keep kissing me or let me feel those fangs,” she demanded.

Kish nipped her lips. “With pleasure.” Her feisty demand had his blood running hot. He trailed his right hand up her back, his fingers caressing her warm flesh. Flipping his hand over, he pressed the back of his hand to her skin and slipped his fingers under the band of her bra. Curling his fingers around the band, he used it to tug her away from him just a bit. Dipping his head down, he let his fangs drag over the heated flesh of her neck until he reached the junction of her neck and shoulder. Sealing his lips, he let his fangs prick her skin. At the same time, his other hand traced random patterns across her skin at the base of her spine.

Goosebumps appeared over her skin. She was in heaven, but that little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. If they continued like this they would definitely progress past a few kisses. In fact, they already had. Ichigo’s hands wrapped around his biceps. “Kish… We need to stop. Only a few kisses, remember.” She didn’t want to, but they really needed to. Kish was still healing and who knew what kind of toll the poison had wrecked on his body.

Teasingly, Kish bit her neck softly, then soothed the bite with the tip of his tongue. “Must we?” he pouted in a husky whisper against her throat.

“Yes,” Ichigo said. Reluctantly, she began to disentangle herself and crawl off his lap. “You need to take it easy at least for a day or two until you’re fully recovered. I won’t risk something else happening to you.”

“Why must you always be so cruel, Kitten?” Kish pouted playfully as he laid back and folded his arms behind his head. The movement caused him to wince, and he had to lower his left arm. The position just tugged too harshly at his stitches. Instead, he fisted his hand in the sheets at his side. This helped to keep himself from trying to touch her. His palms already missed the feel of her soft skin under them. Gods, she was addicting.

“It’s for your own good,” she reminded him. Though she could still feel his strong desire rolling off him, she saw his eyelids start to droop. That coupled with his lack of a struggle and major protests when she pulled away were clear signs of how tired and weak he still was. Even if he was trying to keep up his usual cocky appearance. Ichigo leaned over and gave him a peck to the cheek then quickly climbed off the cot before he could stop her. “I’m gonna go find Tart and see if he’ll take me to the ship so I can shower and change. I want you to get some rest. Call me if you need anything. I love you.”

“Fine,” Kish grumbled, but let his eyes fully close. He was tired. Even if his system was still flooded with a hot-blooded need for his mate. “Just don’t stay away too long. I love you too, Kitten,” he mumbled sleepily.

“Never,” she whispered as she tip-toed to the door and carefully closed it. Once he’d given in, he’d quickly fallen asleep. Reaching the top of the stairs, she nearly collided with Ryou who came around the corner. “Watch where you’re going! And you better not be going to bother Kish. He just fell asleep, so leave him alone.”

“You watch where you’re going,” he said with his usual calm and detached voice. “I’ll let him rest for a couple of hours then check on him. He must be doing better if you’re willing to leave his side.”

“Yeah. He’s still weak and tired, but he’s mostly back to his usual self. Have you seen Tart?” she asked.

“I think he went back to Pudding’s. One of her brothers is ill so he’s been keeping her company while she sees to him.”

“Darn. I was hoping to get a lift to their ship,” she mumbled.

“I’m sure he can spare a bit to run you up there, well never mind. Just ask him,” Ryou said as Tart appeared in the café.

“Hey Tart! How’s Pudding and her brother?” Ichigo asked waving to him.

“Hey Ichigo. I guess Kish is doing better? And Pudding is fine and so is her brother. She kinda kicked me out. Seeing someone sick kinda still makes me overly anxious. It was usually followed by death back home. Guess I got a bit too panicky,” he admitted rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I will never understand how you and Kish can smile as much as you do after all you’ve been through.” Ichigo flung herself at Tart, wrapping him in a big hug. “And thank you for looking after me while Kish was hurt. Best little brother a girl could ask for.”

Tart blushed scarlet as he awkwardly hugged Ichigo back. “Don’t mention it, ya Old Hag. Now let go. Unless you really want your mate to kick my ass.”

Ichigo giggled, “He’s asleep, but alright.” She released him and stepped back. “I was hoping I could get you to take me to the ship. I need a shower and fresh clothes.”

“Urgh, fine,” Tart whined, but placed his hand on Ichigo’s shoulder and teleported her outside Kish’s room.

“Thanks, Brat. I’ll call for you when I’m ready to head back down,” Ichigo said as she opened the door.

“I’m not your personal taxi service, ya know,” he huffed.

Ichigo just tossed him a smile as she stepped into Kish’s room. “But you’re such a good one,” she snarked before closing the door. She showered and dressed as quickly as she could. Kish may be awake and well on his way to a full recovery, but she still felt anxious leaving him. She hoped once he was back up and moving, she’d be able to fully relax again. That had been too close a call and it had gravely shaken her. It had been way too reminiscent of when he’d died him her arms. And once again, it had been to protect her.

‘Ever since he came to Earth the first time, all his pain has been my fault,’ she thought to herself as she sat on their bed. It felt odd being in Kish’s room alone, and she suddenly felt very lonely. “Hey, Tart?” she called to him mentally.

“Mess hall,” was his fractured response.

Ichigo quickly made her way there. Upon entering, she saw Tart at the table they’d used for dinner days ago. Although it felt much longer ago to her. It sometimes blew her mind that Kish and Tart had only been back for just over a week. So much had happened in so little time. “Were you waiting for me?” Ichigo asked as she took a seat across from Tart.

“Kinda, but mostly I was getting some lunch. Pudding gave me some left-over stew she’d made for her brother,” he answered, gesturing to the bowl in front of him.

“That wouldn’t happen to be Pudding’s famous dumpling stew, would it?” Ichigo asked. Her mouth was nearly watering at the sight and smell.

Tart rolled his eyes, “There’s still some left in the chiller. Help yourself.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” she said, already halfway into the kitchen. “But you’re gonna have to show me how to heat it up.”

“Such a needy Old Hag,” Tart muttered shaking his head. But he got up and made his way to the kitchen. “Just go sit down. I got it.”

“Thanks again, Brat,” Ichigo hollered as she headed back to her seat. While they ate, Ichigo made light conversation to keep her mind off her absent Kish. “So, other then being on the council, what else do you do back home?”

“That keeps me pretty busy, but I also work in the Science and Development branch of the military along with Pai. Though, we’re in different fields. When the Mew Aqua brought life and stability back to our planet, my plant powers were in high demand. The flora ran rampant and me and a few others with similar gifts were tasked with controlling them and incorporating the plant life into the new towns and cities that were being built. We wanted to coexist, not destroy all the new life springing forth. I can’t wait for you to see our capital. It really is beautiful,” Tart explained. He was smiling with pride. Not only in the work he had accomplished, but with pride in his home. The main city truly was a sight to behold. Most of their new above-ground communities were, but the capital was spectacular indeed.

“That does sound beautiful, and I can’t wait to see it,” Ichigo chimed in with a large smile. “It’s only ben four years. How did you manage to build entire cities already? And how many are there? Do you any of you still live underground?”

“So many questions, geeze. In total we only have three actual cities: The capital, the Steel Clan’s, and our clan’s home city. Novarora is our capital. Translated, it roughly means ‘New Dawn’ in your language. It was the first of our cities to be built and for almost all our people, after the Mew Aqua, was the first time they’d experienced the sun. ‘New Dawn’ kind of became a term to describe life after our planet was healed, so the capital took it as its name. Our clan’s city is called Draconis or ‘Dragon City’ since it’s the home of the Dragon Clan. Civitas Scientia or ‘The City of Science and Knowledge’ is the Steel Clan’s home city. It rivals the capital in technological innovations and houses our largest library and digital database. Though, you’re required to have varying degrees of clearances to access parts of their databanks.” Tart paused to finish his stew then got up to take his dishes to the sink, but he continued as he walked.

“With our people’s varying abilities, construction was a snap. If we hadn’t taken so much time to plan everything out and been super careful about harvesting resources, we could probably have built the capital in a matter of months. As it was, it took roughly a year for most of it to be built. Though, some areas are still growing and being built up. The rest of the clans have small villages or towns found near the entrance to their original caves or cliff side dwellings. The only clan that remained mostly underground is the Moon Clan. But even they have a tiny village at the surface centered around the entrance to their cave. The Wilding and Rose Clans are both large, but they still only have a small village and town. The Wildings are slightly nomadic and live among the trees of a massive forest. Most of the Rose Clan lives in the trade district of the capital. The capital is built in a circle with it divided into five sections: The Trade District, The Entertainment District, The Military Grounds, The Education District, and the Residential District. With the palace at the center.”

“And where do you and Kish live?” Ichigo asked. Unfortunately, at the mention of Kish, some of Ichigo’s separation anxiety kicked in.

Tart noticed this and quickly made an offer. “If you want, I can take you back and we can finish discussing this at the café?”

Ichigo was torn. She desperately wanted to get back to Kish, but she also knew he needed the rest. She also didn’t like feeling so dependent. She needed to get her independent legs back under her. But the emptiness she had felt from Kish was still too fresh. So, her anxiety won out. “Actually, if you don’t mind, then yeah. I’d like to get back to Kish’s side.”

“Sure thing, Old Hag,” Tart said as he placed a hand on her shoulder and teleported them straight to the basement of the café. Kish was still asleep, so they sat on the bed next to his.

Keeping her voice quiet for Kish’s sake, “Thanks, Brat. So where do you two live?”

“We live on the farthest edge of the Military Grounds from the Palace. Most of the higher ups in the military have private homes there. The rest stay in the barracks or what you’d call apartments for those that have families. Oh, that reminds me. There’s something I bet you’d find interesting,” Tart said with a smile.

“Oh? What’s that?” Ichigo asked intrigued.

“When we were building the capital, the council gave the three of us a certain privilege. We were able to name a few things. The three of us made an agreement to honor you Mews for what you did for us. Because without you, our lives wouldn’t be what they are now,” Tart explained.

“What?! You’re kidding me,” Ichigo said in shock but also with a blush.

“Yup. In the Education District, there’s a large library that also houses a large aquarium. It’s named after Lettuce. A huge park that’s a favorite of the younger crowd is named after Pudding in the Residential District. Then there’s the main Trade Hall that’s named after Mint in the Trade District. In the Entertainment District there is a grand theatre and restaurant that took its name from Zakuro. And finally, at Kish’s request, the female barracks and training area is named after you.”

“Dammit, Tart. I wanted to surprise her with that,” Kish interrupted, startling both Ichigo and Tart.

“Sorry if we woke you,” Ichigo apologized as she quickly moved to his side.

Kish smiled and took her hand. Scooting over, he pulled her onto the bed next to him. “It’s fine, Kitten. I would have woken up soon anyways. And since Tart already ruined part of the surprise, there’s also a statue of each of you in front of your respective buildings or areas. The center of the capital outside the Palace is also called Ikisatashi Square and has a statue of the three of us. I didn’t ask for that one though,” he grinned. “I just requested a statue of you. Pai and Tart said it wouldn’t be right to leave the other girls out.”

“Seriously, Kish?! You asked for a statue of me?” she said looking at him skeptically.

Kish shrugged, “What? You deserved it. My people would still be dying and suffering without you. And maybe I missed seeing you.” His grin softened into a warm smile. Though he may have tried to move on, he had dearly missed her and had still loved her more than anything. He also thought it was fitting for the new women’s barracks to share her name. She was one Abyss of a warrior.

Ichigo threw her arms around Kish’s neck. “Full access to your mind and heart, and yet you still manage to surprise me. Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek and looked Tart’s way. “And thank you for making sure all the Mews were honored as well.”

Tart blushed sheepishly, “Don’t mention it, Old Hag.”

Kish’s arm slid around Ichigo’s waist, and he pulled her into his lap, nestling her on her hip between his outstretched legs. Tucking his nose into the crook of her neck, he inhaled deeply of her scent. “Mmm… You smell delicious. It’s been too long since I’ve felt my mate.” The hand at her waist casually slipped under her shirt and softly stroked her warm skin.

Ichigo trembled as a pleasurable warmth spread through her. That soft honeyed voice of his and his feather light touch were sending sparks of arousal straight to her core.

“Achoo! Urgh, that’s my cue to leave. Just remember, you’re supposed to still be taking it easy, Kish,” Tart said as he headed to the door. “But I can run interference for at least an hour. Consider it an apology for my big mouth and for not being there to help with the chimera.” Tart snapped his fingers, and a small metallic cube appeared in his hand, “This may also be useful. No telling if Ryou has any recording devices set up in here.” He tossed the cube to Kish who caught it easily.

“This Pai’s Fritzer?” Kish asked in surprise, but with a spark of mischief in his eyes.

“Yup. He finished it not long before we left. Though he still refuses to call it that. He thought it might come in handy, so he sent it with me. Bet he’d be scowling at both of us if he knew what you were going to use it for. Laters.” Tart shut the door behind him as he left.

Ichigo had been reading between the lines and was blushing scarlet. Tart had left because he had smelled her arousal and had offered to keep the others away so that she and Kish could be intimate. She poked Kish in the ribs. “Oh no you don’t, Mister. You’re supposed to be resting.”

Kish’s grin grew seductive, and his eyes sparked and shimmered with lust and mischief. With a snap of his fingers there was an audible click at the door. “That and Tart will keep out any interruptions. And this,” he said, holding up the cube, “will ensure no one can spy on us.” He slid his thumb in a circle over the top of the device, turning a small, embedded dial. “Any mechanical devices will go on the fritz until I turn it off. I set it to affect only this room. When I turn it off, everything will go back to normal as though nothing happened.” Leaning forwards, Kish delicately nipped Ichigo’s ear. “I may have to take it easy, but that doesn’t mean you do.” His tone had dropped an octave or two and he clicked the button. Everything in the room shut off, including the lights. But thanks to his unique eyes, he could see perfectly fine.

Against her better judgement, Ichigo decided to follow Kish’s lead. She had also missed his touch. She could also tell Kish wasn’t going to back down on this. His mind was set. When the lights went out, she let her cat genes surface. Her eyes adjusted and she could now see much better in the dark. Trailing a finger up his bare chest, “As long as you promise not to push yourself.”

Kish grinned wickedly, “I promise.” Rearranging the pillows, Kish scooted back so he could sit up fully and still rest on them. He then shifted Ichigo, so she was now flush against him, her back to his chest. She was still nestled between his legs atop the bed and Kish rested his hands over her thighs. “Besides, you’ll be the one trembling as I pleasure my mate. Now spread your legs,” he said, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Wh…What?” she stuttered.

He licked the rim of her ear. “You heard me. Spread ‘em,” he husked.

Obeying him, Ichigo hesitantly spread her legs wide.

“Good girl,” he praised in a dark whisper. With a snap of his fingers, her pants and underwear disappeared to fall into a heap on the floor. Thankfully, it was his left shoulder that was injured giving his right arm and hand free reign. He slid his left hand under her shirt and softly stroked his fingers over her abdomen. His right hand shifted to her inner thigh, his fingertips brushing back and forth along her sensitive skin. Teasingly, he slowly inched his way to her center.

Ichigo’s hands rested on his forearms as she relaxed against her mate. She let herself fully succumb to his touches. His gentle, yet teasing, strokes were fanning the flames of her desire, and her core was starting to twist in anticipation. “K…Kish,” she whimpered. “Stop teasing.”

A low chuckle reverberated against her back. “No,” he whispered into her ear. Normally he’d never say no to his mate, but he was enjoying the feel of her bare skin beneath his hands. Enjoying the small tremors that were coursing through his mate’s body. He wanted to take his time and savor this. It had been much too long in his opinion since he’d pleasured his mate. His right hand shifted closer, and he traced a single fingertip along her damp seam. A satisfied grin fell upon his face when her hands tensed around his arms and her heart rate quickened. But his grin grew even larger when her head fell back atop his shoulder and his name escaped her lips in a gasp.

That single, feather light touch sent heat waves crashing through her body. It had been days since her mate had touched her like this and the feeling was incredible. Her hips shifted forwards, trying to press harder to his hand. But that only made him pull his hand away. She groaned in frustration. “Kish…,” she whined.

Kish’s lips traveled up her neck as he licked his way to her ear. Sucking the lobe between his lips, he nibbled at it tenderly. “I said no. Keep still. The only movement I want to feel is your body trembling in the pleasure I’m about to give.”

A bolt of white-hot lightening shot straight to her core. Kish had always been on the demanding side, but this time his voice was dripping with authority. Ichigo found herself unable to deny his command. This time, she completely surrendered to her dominant mate. Let him take full control. Biting her lip when she felt his hand return to her center, she could only nod her head in compliance.

“That’s my girl,” he whispered seductively into her ear once he’d released it. This time, when she gasped as he slid his hand over her scorching heat, he quickly brought his hand up and slipped his fingers into her mouth. “Lick,” he commanded darkly.

Obeying immediately, Ichigo did as she was told and licked at his fingers within her mouth.

Once he was satisfied, Kish removed his saliva slickened fingers and lowered them to her core. Using his thumb and ring finger, he gently parted her lower lips. Keeping them spread, he teasingly used his slick fingers to trace wet circles around her throbbing bud. He refused to give into her desires just yet. When she whimpered, he let his hand drift lower to circle her hot entrance. Again, he only teased, never touching her where she wanted. His lips found her neck again, “Tell me where you want me to touch you, mate. Do you want to feel my fingers inside you, or do you want me to pleasure that secret pearl? You’re choice, Kitten.”

A faint blush dusted Ichigo’s cheeks at his intimate question, and she became torn. His hands were beyond talented, and his fingers felt incredible when they were inside her, but her clit was begging for attention after his teasing. She couldn’t decide, especially with him keeping her thoughts frazzled with his incessant teasing.

“Tick-tock, Kitten. If you don’t decide soon, then we’ll do things my way. And though you’ll still be quite satisfied, it may not be fully to your liking. I do so love to tease you,” his voice may have been breathy and seductive, but there was a dark threat veiled within. He knew he was supposed to be taking it easy, but that certainly didn’t mean he was going to take it easy on her. Nope, he planned on taking his time. He wanted his mate shuddering and gasping as he pleasured her. He wanted to hear her begging for more, or even begging him to stop because it became too much. Either way, he was going to savor every second of this.

A shiver ran down Ichigo’s spine at the wicked inflection of Kish’s voice. She was getting another glimpse of his darker and more possessive side. It always gave her a thrill when he got like this. But she knew he wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on his threats. She could clearly see his plans if she hesitated any longer. Though a small part of her almost wanted to let him do as he pleased, but her body was aching for attention. If he had his way, she’d be aching for his touch for much, much longer. He’d push her almost to the brink before stopping, forcing her to rebuild. Then he’d do it over and over again. Never allowing her to release until he felt like it. It was a thrilling idea, but she desperately needed that release. So, with a slight bit of panic in her voice, she chose. “Inside me.”

“You sure, love?” he asked as he teasingly flicked a finger over her rosebud.

The jolt of pleasure that shot through Ichigo almost made her change her mind, but she nodded her head. “Yes. Please Kish. I want to feel your fingers inside me.” Her blush darkened with her answer. She had sounded so desperate, even to herself. And talking dirty was still new and embarrassing to her. But she also knew her mate enjoyed it, and she absolutely loved it when he spoke dirty to her.

Sharp fangs scraped up her neck until he reached the base of her ear. His lips brushed against the edge, and his warm breath tickled the tiny hairs around it, “As you wish, Kitten.” He dropped his hand lower and gently pushed two fingers into her scorching entrance.

Ichigo threw her head back and a deep moan escaped her lips. Her legs began to tremble, so she brought her knees up. Putting her feet on the outside of his legs, she tucked her toes under his knees. This gave Kish even easier access, but it also helped to keep her still. At the feel of his talented fingers, Ichigo wanted to buck her hips in response, but that was against Kish’s current rules. She knew disobeying him in his current mind set would postpone her pleasure and release.

Settling his chin back atop her shoulder, Kish’s grin grew. “Such an accommodating little mate.” As a reward for her obedience, Kish pushed his fingers deeper. On every third or fourth push, he’d curl his fingers so he’d brush against her sweet spot. He reveled in the shudders that coursed through his mate’s body. The bright bursts of pleasure that sparked from her end of their bond delighted him. Pleasuring his mate not only filled him with joy, but also pride. That he could control her reactions so thoroughly. Bring forth her whimpers and cause her body to tremble so easily. He loved his mate unconditionally and he loved pleasuring her almost as much.

Her mind was split. She wanted to focus on what he was doing to her. To the incredible shocks of warm pleasure that were breaking like waves through her system, but her mind was tangled deeply within his own. She had desperately missed the warmth and even the shrewd coldness of his presence within her. He’d become such a constant part of her that his absence had left her cold and devastated. She was so entangled within him that she was almost experiencing things from his side. She’d buried herself so deep in his mind that she almost forgot about his fingers within her.

Kish chuckled against her throat. He’d felt her snake her way down the bond and plant herself deep into his consciousness. She’d entrenched herself so thoroughly that, even if he had the power and had wanted to, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to push her out. He knew how scared and lonely she’d been. How much it had hurt her when she’d lost their connection. But it made him smile in pride at how completely she’d wrapped herself in his thoughts and emotions. They’d never be apart again. He swore it to himself and to her. “Even when you can’t see me. Even if you can’t feel me. I’m always here, Ichigo. We’re one. I’ll never leave your side. Now, stop thinking and feel.” He curled his fingers and spread them wide. The pads of his fingertips found that hidden button and brushed over it repeatedly. When she gasped his name, he knew her focus had finally been broken. Shifting his thumb, he swiped it back and forth over her swollen pearl. Her reaction was instantaneous.

Everything shattered. Her thoughts, her focus, even her body seemed to crumble under her mate’s skilled touches. But then, when she felt his thumb move over her, it was like her entire being became taut like a bow string. And with every pluck of Kish’s fingers, that string pulled tighter and tighter. Until finally it snapped, and an intense wave of warmth washed over her. Kish’s name fell from her lips in something between a moan and a gasp. Her legs shook and her body trembled. This wasn’t as powerful as some of the other orgasms Kish had caused, but it was up there. It felt wonderful and deeply satisfying. A blissful tranquility settled over her as she melted against her mate.

As connected as they were, Kish had felt everything. Her intense climb then the wave of ecstasy that had crashed over her when he’d pushed her over the edge. As it was, he had to bite back his desires to sink his teeth into her mark and allow his own release. By sheer will alone, he tamped it down. At least he knew, if they stayed this connected, finishing together would never be a problem. He continued to stroke her leisurely as he brought her down gently. It also gave him time to catch his own breath. This girl had quite literally invaded every aspect of his being. And he wasn’t complaining in the least. She’d already owned his heart. He’d already given her his body. Their souls were intertwined. And now their minds were shared. He honestly couldn’t be happier.

Slowly, Kish withdrew his hand. Rubbing his fingers together, he played with her thick essence that coated them. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he licked his fingers clean.

Ichigo’s eyes followed Kish’s hand. Her cheeks were tinged pink as she realized how deep within her those fingers had been. Not to mention, the slickness that coated it. But her cheeks became bright crimson when Kish slipped those fingers into his mouth. It was both embarrassing and yet strangely arousing. Especially, when she could see how much he actually savored the taste.

Kish chuckled, “Delicious is how I’d describe your taste. Just like all of you.”

She shook her head. “If you say so. Now, mind helping a girl out? My legs feel like jelly, but I need to redress. I don’t feel like getting caught again.”

“As my Kitten wishes.” With a snap of his fingers, Kish summoned a damp cloth and gently cleaned her up. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck when he felt her shudder. “Still sensitive, love?” he teased.

“What do you think?” she said in exasperation.

With another snap of his fingers, the cloth disappeared, and her pants and underwear were replaced upon her. He kissed the side of her neck, “Better?”

“Much, thank you. Are you comfortable?” she asked out of nowhere.

Confused by her random question, “Yes, why?”

“Good,” she said as she rolled onto her hip and snuggled against his chest. Bringing her knees up, she curled in upon herself like a cat. Though his skin was always cool to the touch, his body heat was soothing her into a cat nap. Her ear was pressed just above his heart and the rhythmic thumping was also helping to lull her into a relaxed sleep.

Kish smiled lovingly down at his mate. Tenderly, he tucked her loose hair behind her ear. He could clearly see her intentions and didn’t mind being used as a pillow. He wrapped his injured arm around her waist and used his other hand to softly comb over her hair. “Rest, mate. I’ll keep the door locked and the lights off for a while longer.” Kissing her crown, Kish settled against the pillows and let his eyes drift closed. Another nap would probably do him good as well. Before he succumbed to sleep, he reached out to his cousin. “Hey Brat?”

“Ye…,” was Tart’s broken reply.

“Kitten and I are going to take a quick nap. The door’s still locked, but will you tell everyone to leave us alone for a bit longer?” Kish asked.

“Yeah,” Tart responded. Though, he really wasn’t looking forwards to playing guard duty still. Ryou had tried to go check on the pair several times. And even the girls had tried sneaking down the stairs. He’d thankfully intervened each time, but none of them were very happy about being denied access to their friend. Ryou was especially concerned with his unresponsive equipment.

“Thanks, Brat,” Kish said before finally letting himself fall asleep.

A little over an hour or so later, Kish groggily awoke to someone pounding on the door. Yawning, he snapped his fingers and the door flew open.

An irate Ryou stepped into the room. Ryou took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room. “What the hell did you do to my machines and the lights?!”

Kish glared at Ryou until he realized it was pointless because Ryou wouldn’t be able to see him in the dark. Reaching over to the bedside table, he picked up the Fritzer and clicked it off. The lights and all the machines immediately kicked back on. Blinking, Kish let his eyes adjust to the bright lights. “Calm down and lower your voice. Ichigo’s still asleep, and I’d prefer she stayed that way. Our separation frazzled her badly and I know she didn’t get much sleep while I was out. As you can see, your machines are fine.” His attention was drawn to the girl in his lap as she rolled over, so her back was to Ryou and curled up even tighter. Kish gently stroked a hand up and down her side, coaxing her back into a deep sleep.

Once Ryou’s eyes had also adjusted to the sudden harsh lighting, he made his way to his computers. After putting in a few commands and doing a cursory inspection, he deemed that they seemed fine. “Was it really necessary to turn everything off? These computers do monitor any alien activity like chimeras you know.” Ryou stated harshly with his arms crossed. Though, he did keep his tone low so as not to disturb Ichigo.

Feeling that Ichigo had once again fallen into a deep sleep, Kish stilled his hand but kept one arm draped over her protectively. “We wanted a bit of privacy. And unfortunately, this device only works in an area. I can’t choose specific pieces of equipment to affect.”

Ryou cocked a brow, “You’re supposed to be resting. What exactly did you need that kind of privacy for?”

Smirking, “Relax. We didn’t have sex if that’s what you’re worried about. We just wanted some time to ourselves without any prying eyes. I told you, being separated from me for over five days did a number on Ichigo. As mates, the loss of our connection can be extremely emotional and even painful. We just needed a moment to reestablish our link. Which is something very private and personal.” Kish had spoken quietly so he wouldn’t wake Ichigo, but his tone carried authority. That discussion was closed.

“Fine, but a little warning next time you decide to shut off all my equipment. How are you feeling?” Ryou asked as he leaned back in his computer chair.

“Much better. I could probably walk and even fly without any problems. Not sure about teleporting though. I figured I’d stay until dinner. After I’ve eaten something, my energy levels should be high enough to allow me to teleport. Hopefully, you’ll be rid of me by tonight.”

Ryou sighed, “Actually, it might be better if you stayed at least one more night. We’ve run into a bit of an issue.”

Kish’s attention was now fully on Ryou. “Now what?” he asked with concern.

“The militaries caught footage of the battle with you and Ichigo. They saw you fighting with her against the chimera. Our original plan isn’t going to work. Though the first photo has them confused. To them, it clearly shows you chasing Ichigo. But in the recent footage, you’re shown protecting her and even holding her like you care about her. They aren’t quite sure what to make of it. But you being true enemies again seems less likely to be convincing.”

Kish frowned. “It’s not like I could have just sat by when I knew my mate was in trouble.”

“And I’d never ask you to, but this forces us to rethink our strategy,” Ryou quickly countered.

An idea popped into Kish’s head, and he smiled wickedly. “We could actually spin this in our favor. Do you know if Tart or the other Mews were spotted?”

“Not that I now of. Why? What are you thinking?” Ryou would never get over how quickly Kish’s mind worked. Kish could see solutions and problems faster than even he could.

“What if it appeared Ichigo had switched sides? Or rather that I’d finally convinced her to be mine. I’m sure they’ve got to have some footage of how I used to be back then. I was fairly vocal on my feelings towards her. We could make it look like I’d come back for her, and I was stealing her away. The Mews board my ship in an attempt to rescue her. It’s even more believable than them trying to simply stop me. Especially since most of it is the actual truth. It would also explain why I was chasing her and only her. Why I was helping her. And why there haven’t been any real attacks. It’s just me, the lovesick alien, coming back for my girl.” Though a lot of it would be an act, even if it was mostly true, Kish was enjoying this plan much more. He’d be able to publicly claim Ichigo as his. A small part of him was still worried though. This could potentially put Ichigo in even more danger. She could be seen as a traitor. But he shoved that thought aside for now. He’d need to speak with Ichigo about it later. For now, this seemed like the best way.

“Yeah, the news crews got some video of you taunting and flirting with Ichigo. Leave it to you to figure out a way to publicly flaunt your relationship and use it as an advantage. It must be like a dream come true for you. It’s not a bad plan though.” Ryou sighed and looked towards Ichigo. “You do realize it could make her an even bigger target,” he gestured to Ichigo. “They could see her as a traitor and a threat just like you.”

Kish’s arm involuntarily tightened around Ichigo as he glanced down at her. “I know. That’s already occurred to me. And I hate the idea of possibly putting her in more danger than she already is, but it’s not like we have a lot of options. I’m going to speak to her about it tonight. If she’s okay with it, then it’s our best option. I won’t move forwards without her consent.” Another problem made its way into Kish’s thoughts. “But before we do anything, that chimera made me realize we have a hole in our plans.”

Ryou lifted a brow, “And that is?”

“I’m not sure how many chimeras are left out there. But I do know they react violently to the Mews by my design. If we stage the Mews’ deaths then people are going to be shocked if they reappear to fight the chimeras. Either we need an entirely new plan, or I need time to search for any other infusers or predacites.” Kish was mentally kicking himself for not thinking of that earlier. He was also annoyed with himself for having left any infusers around to begin with.

Rubbing his temples, Ryou shot Kish a poignant look. “Tokyo is huge, and Japan is even larger. And we have no idea how many are left, if at all. Do you have a way to search such a large area? My computers can only pick up fully evolved chimeras, and even then it’s not always reliable.”

“The computer aboard my ship can scan all of Japan in a couple of hours. I’ll just have to move the ship out of Earth’s atmosphere while it’s scanning. Unfortunately, infusers are very weak and give off a small signature. The computer will only be able to narrow the search area to about a five-mile radius. Predacites are slightly more evolved but still small. Their radius will be about two miles. I’ll be able to pinpoint any chimeras though. And once I’m close enough, if I’m focusing, I’ll be able to find the predacites and infusers. If they don’t react to me first.” Kish’s attention shifted to Ichigo as she started to stir. Using his uninjured arm, he lightly ran his hand over her hair. “Hey there, Kitten. Enjoy your nap?”

Rolling onto her back, Ichigo stretched out her legs and arms and gave a large yawn. Resting her hands atop Kish’s arm around her middle, she leaned back against her mate. “Yup, and I feel much better. Nothing like a good cat nap.” Noticing Ryou and the heavy atmosphere in the room, Ichigo did a quick search through Kish’s recent memories, catching herself up on what they’d been speaking about.

“Well, I’ll leave Kish to fill you in. We’ve come across a few problems with our current plan.” Ryou went to stand, but Ichigo halted him.

“I already know. One perk of being in someone’s head, you can get caught up easily. And I agree with Kish. If he thinks it’s the best idea, then I trust him. I know he’ll keep me safe. Besides, it’s not like I’m not used to being in danger. Or did you both forget my life used to be in constant danger from my own personal stalker?” she teased as she nudged her elbow into Kish’s side.

Kish chuckled and tugged her closer to him. Nuzzling his chin into the crook of her neck, “Admirer. I’ve told you before, I prefer admirer.”

Ichigo giggled, “If the shoe fits.”

Kish rolled his eyes and looked over to Ryou. “She has a point. And this time I’m on her side. If she could keep three advanced aliens on their toes then the military doesn’t stand a chance. And you can be damn sure I’ll do everything to keep her safe.”

“And the left-over chimeras?” Ryou reminded him.

“Ichigo wanted to spend tomorrow with the girls and her mother to go dress shopping. While she’s doing that, Tart and I can move the ship and begin our scans. Once I have the locations, I can send the data to your computer. Monday, Ichigo and I can start searching for them. I’d rather not involve the other Mews if possible. It will mess with the plan if we’re all seen working together,” Kish explained.

Anxiety started to bubble up within Ichigo. “You think I’m going to leave your side after you were in a coma for five days?! Absolutely not!”

Kish kissed her cheek. “Yes I do. I’ll be fine Kitten, and so will you. I’ll be on my ship the entire time and you can reach out to me whenever you want. You already made plans with everyone.” Privately, he added, “You’ll never shake this fear and anxiety if you don’t face it head on. I know how badly you were hurting. I was right there with you even if you couldn’t sense me. It killed me not being able to reassure or comfort you. But you’re my strong and fiery mate. It’s time to find yourself again. I promise I’ll be alright, and I’ll never be more than a thought away.”

Ichigo slumped against him in defeat. “Why? Why must you always be right? And since when did my psychotic stalker become the voice of reason?”

Chuckling, Kish nipped her ear, “Since you finally stopped being stubborn and realized you were mine. And since we became mates. Someone has to keep an eye on you, my feisty little kitty-cat.”

Feigning annoyance, Ichigo pushed Kish’s lips away from her ear. “Fine. Monday, Kish and I search for any chimeras that are still left. We’ll let the other Mews know what we’re doing and, only if we need them, ask for their help.”

Slapping the tops of his thighs, Ryou stood up. “Now that that’s settled, you feel up to coming upstairs? Everyone’s still here except for Pudding who’s still seeing to her brother. We can fill everyone in on our plans and Tart can relay it to Pudding later. The girls have also been missing you terribly, Ichigo. And even you, Kish. Tart gave us a bit of a crash course on infusers and, since then, I know Lettuce has been dying to pick your brain. Plus, I’m sure Keiichiro will be more than happy to put together dinner for everyone.”

Kish was momentarily shocked. He honestly wouldn’t have thought anyone else would be worried about him let alone miss him. Though, he really wasn’t surprised about Lettuce. That girl was always full of questions, most of them difficult.

Ichigo rolled her eyes at Kish, “Of course they care and worry about you. Not only are you my mate and future husband, but you’re also part of the team now. A part of our family. Just like Tart and even Pai if he ever gets his butt back here.”

“It’s just weird. I was their enemy. Tried to kill and hurt them. Plus, I’m honestly not used to being honestly cared about. Sure, I’ve got friends and admirers back home, but that’s because of my power, good looks, and who my family is. Not many honestly care about me as I am,” Kish revealed. It really was strange for him to have almost complete strangers truly care about him.

Scoffing, Ichigo elbowed him in the ribs. “They aren’t strangers. You fought everyone for well over a year.”

“True, but it’s not like we spoke often. Other than some basic personality traits, I couldn’t really say anything about any of them. You were the only one I spent time actually learning about,” he admitted.

“While you were admiring me, hmm? But I guess you have a point. We’ll just have to fix that starting tonight. So, do you think you can make it up the stairs?” she asked.

Kish nudged her side, “I’d already be up if I didn’t have a kitty-cat in my lap.”

Ichigo blushed and scrambled out of his lap and off the bed. “You could have said something,” she snapped.

“It’s not like I was complaining, just stating a fact.” Kish swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He was a tad wobbly having been in bed for over five days, but he quickly steadied himself. Testing his limits, he hovered a few inches off the floor. It was draining, but he could sustain flight for at least a while. Dropping back to his feet, “See. Perfectly fine. Just need a couple of good meals and I should be back to one hundred percent. You wouldn’t happen to have a spare shirt, would you, Ryou? I’d probably cause the girls to faint if I went up their looking like this,” he said flashing his signature toothy smirk.

Ryou rolled his eyes and Ichigo face palmed. “Arrogant freak. I’ll meet you at the top of the stairs with one.” Ryou turned and headed out the door to his room upstairs.

“Are you this bad at home too?” Ichigo asked with a hint of exasperation in her voice.

“Worse,” he winked.

Keiichiro had put together a healthy and nutritious meal considering they were in a sweets café. They had pushed another table to Mint’s so they could all sit together. Ryou and Keiichiro were at the ends with Tart, Mint, and Zakuro on Ryou’s right and Lettuce, Kish, and Ichigo on his left. While they ate, Ryou and Kish filled everyone else in on the new plans.

Pink dusting her cheeks, Lettuce looked over at Kish. “I…I’m glad y..you’re feeling better.”

Kish grinned, “Thanks Fishy. Ryou said you wanted to talk about infusers?”

Lettuce blushed harder. “Y…Yes, but only if you’re feeling up to it,” she stuttered out.

Setting his fork down on his empty plate, Kish leaned back in his chair and turned towards Lettuce, “What would you like to know?”

Lettuce’s eyes lit up. She loved learning new things, especially when it came to the aliens. “Everything!” she squeaked. Blushing madly at her outburst, she calmed herself down. “S…Sorry. H…How about we start with the infusers? How do you create them?”

Grinning, Kish brought his hand up above the table. Closing his eyes, he concentrated for a moment then snapped his fingers. He opened his eyes when he heard several at the table gasp. Floating above his hand was a pale blue and nearly translucent infuser. “Relax. This little guy is harmless unless I choose for him not to be.”

“What do you mean?” Lettuce asked. She was leaning just a bit forwards as she straightened her glasses to get a better look. To say she was intrigued would be an understatement.

Flexing his hand, Kish coaxed the infuser to bounce and twirl above his hand. “He’s a blank slate. I haven’t put any of my power into him yet or allowed a connection. Until I do, he’s completely harmless. Infusers are biologically engineered. They start as single-cell organisms then those with gifts such as mine coax them to grow. When they reach this state, their ready to be manipulated towards whatever goal I have in mind. Once I connect with it mentally and emotionally, I can instill my will onto it. What I focus on the most is what will be predominant. The more intricate its abilities are or the more powerful, the longer I have to work with it. It’s not easy, even with someone with as powerful as an ability as me. It takes time and a lot of energy. Which is why most of the chimeras you fought were simple ones. That bastard Deep Blue wanted to get results quickly and was impatient. He would get upset with me if I took too long creating the infuser. And let’s just say it wasn’t exactly fun when he got upset. Worked to your advantage though since I couldn’t spend too much time perfecting my infusers.”

“You mean you could have made even stronger ones regularly?” Mint asked as she eyed the floating infuser. A touch of fear was threaded within her voice. “And if you designed them, then what about the ones you didn’t plan? Like when you’d throw one into whatever creature was nearby?”

“Of course he could. I already told you he can make a level ten,” Tart interjected.

“You told them about that?” Kish asked.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to get mad at me about that too?” Tart whined.

Kish chuckled. “Nah. I’m not mad, just surprised. But yes, if I’d been allowed to work at my pace, then there would have been much more powerful and terrifying chimeras. As for your other question, technically I already answered it.” At Mint’s confused expression, he elaborated. “This infuser is a blank slate awaiting to have its orders and design imprinted on it. I have hundreds of them in my lab both on my ship and at home. When I’d decided to make a chimera on the fly, like when we were fighting, I’d give it very simple instructions. Like kill the Mews. I let the chimera randomly become whatever it wanted, but that command would be at its core so it would be hostile and aggressive, being more predator like. And unless I focus heavily on its final form, the chimera will always take most of its physical traits from the host. When I used humans, their form took from their personalities. Now, watch.”

Closing his eyes, Kish focused on the infuser. He let his love and desire to protect Ichigo swell within him. Opening the link to the infuser, he pushed that demand and emotion into it. The infuser danced and pulsed above his hand. Its color started to seep into a soft pale pink. Opening his eyes, Kish smiled down at the infuser. He also gave Ichigo a quick wink. He’d felt her keeping a close eye on what he was doing. “Follow me,” he said as he stood and headed for the back door. Everyone, including Ryou and Keiichiro followed Kish outside.

Spotting a small squirrel not far off, Kish waved his hand and sent the infuser towards it.

“Are you crazy?! You’re going to make another monster?!” Mint shouted in both fear and anger.

Kish only smiled. “Just watch.” Glancing from Kish to the infuser, everyone watched as it disappeared into the squirrel. It froze then a light seemed to pulse around it. Letting their link grow a little stronger, Kish made sure he was in full control of the predacite as it took root within the squirrel.

A few gasps were heard as the squirrel grew to be about the size of a small pony. Its reddish fur lightened to almost a dark pink and it glistened in the sunlight. Its tail lengthened to several feet and became extra thick and bushy, but the fur was incredibly silky and soft. The squirrel’s eyes became large and more intelligent. Even though it had grown large, it looked even more adorable. With a cute chitter, it bounded over to Ichigo and wrapped its fluffy tail around her protectively.

Kish and Ichigo both snickered when they saw Mint and Zakuro tense. Mint had even started to reach for her pendant.

Shaking his head, “You don’t need to be scared. I didn’t put any ill intent into the infuser. As you can see, Ichigo is perfectly fine. Besides, I’d never endanger my mate like that.”

Ichigo giggled, “It’s so soft and tickles. I saw everything he did, Mint. His command was to protect me. I’m perfectly fine.”

Focusing on the chimera, Kish curled his fingers and pulled his hand away from it. “De-fuse,” he said as he gently pulled on the link and freed the infuser from the squirrel. Once it was out, the squirrel looked around then scampered back into the tree completely free of harm. Snapping his fingers, Kish sent the infuser back to his lab and headed back into the café.

When they were all reseated, Lettuce spoke up. “That was amazing. I didn’t know chimeras could be so beautiful or used for good like that. Now that it’s been imprinted with the desire to protect Ichigo, can you write over it or is it permanent?”

Leaning back in his chair, Kish looked over at Lettuce. “Most couldn’t rewrite it, but I can. Though, even if it was another simple command, it would take longer and more focus and energy to write over the current command. But I’ve got a much better idea in mind.” Bringing an arm up, Kish flicked his hand to the side. A crystal dagger just over a foot long appeared in his hand. The hilt was gold, and the grip was wrapped in red bands, the exact same pattern as Kish’s hair bands.

Tart gasped, “But that’s…”

“Shut it, Brat,” Kish snapped, cutting off Tart.

“But Kish,” Tart continued.

“I said shut it. I know what I’m doing,” Kish growled out.

Being curious, Ichigo slipped through Kish’s thoughts for an explanation. Immediately, she raised her hands between them and scooted her chair back away from Kish. “No! I couldn’t possibly accept that!” she shouted at Kish.

Glancing from Tart, then between Kish and Ichigo, “Someone care to explain to the rest of us?” Ryou asked in his normal authoritative tone.

Ichigo moved her eyes from the dagger in Kish’s hand to Ryou. “That was his mother’s.”

A collective gasp was heard around the table. Most knew that Kish’s mother had died while giving birth to him.

Kish’s mouth was set in a hard line as he looked up at Ichigo. “And now I’m giving it to you.”

“No, you’re not! I can’t accept it. That was your mother’s. One of the only things you have left of her. I refuse!” Ichigo said adamantly.

Breaking the tension she saw building, Lettuce cut in. “I don’t understand what your mother’s dagger has to do with that infuser.”

Tearing his piercing gaze from Ichigo, Kish carefully placed the crystal dagger on the table in front of him. Glancing at Lettuce, he summoned the pale pink infuser. “My mother was a warrior like me. One of very few females to ever be. She had two incredibly unique abilities. First, she could enchant items. Much like how I can imprint commands and feelings onto an infuser, she could on an item. Either making it stronger or having unique abilities. And like my infuser, the more intricate the enchant, the more time and energy it took to create. Like enchanting a piece of jewelry that could create a protection barrier around the wearer when they activated it. Things like that.”

Shifting his eyes to the dagger, he delicately ran his fingers along the hilt. “Her other ability was part of the reason she became a warrior. With just a touch she could momentarily steal someone else’s power. Not only would that person be rendered powerless, but my mother could also use whatever power they had for a short while. She enchanted this dagger with that ability. Anyone touched by this dagger would have all their power pulled into it. They would be without powers until the wound caused by the dagger healed. But that power would be stored within the dagger indefinitely until was either used by the wielder or a new power was sucked within.”

Very, very carefully, Kish coaxed the small infuser out of his hand. He directed it over the blade and had it drift down. As soon as it touched the crystal blade, there was a small flash of brilliant light, and the infuser disappeared. The crystal blade now had a soft pink hue to it. Flicking his hand again, Kish summoned a white leather sheath that had red ties around its middle that also matched his hair bands. With a reverent touch, Kish slid the dagger into the sheath.

“To finish answering your question, Fishy, the dagger now holds that infuser within.” Turning towards Ichigo, “If you’re ever in trouble and I’m not there, just hold the blade near a creature and say, “Release.” The blade will release its held power, in this case, the infuser, and it will take over the creature and protect you.”

A single tear slid down Ichigo’s cheek. “I can’t Kish. That was your mother’s. I can’t take that from you.”

Picking up the dagger, Kish placed his other hand on Ichigo’s shoulder. “Excuse us for a moment.” He teleported them both to the balcony they used to appear at the café. This time, however, he collapsed to his knees as soon as they appeared. “Dammit!” he cursed under his breath.

Shaking her head, Ichigo knelt beside him. “Stubborn mate. You know you’re still too weak to be teleporting, especially the two of us. Now, let me help.”

He thought she had meant to help him stand, but then he saw her intentions when she placed a hand on his cheek and wrapped the other around his wrist. A tingling warmth spread through him where they touched. He felt his weakness ebb away and his energy began to rebuild quickly. When the trickle of energy became a large wave, Kish quickly pulled away from Ichigo. “That’s enough, mate. You’re sharing too much. You’ll exhaust yourself to collapse if you keep it up,” he said firmly but softly.

“Sorry. Still figuring out how this works. I wasn’t even sure I could do it again. I wasn’t desperate or had Tart to pull from this time,” she apologized and admitted with a faint blush.

Kish chuckled and drew her into a gentle hug. “Thanks for the help, Kitten. You really are amazing. I would have figured you’d gain my more common and simple abilities like flight or teleporting, but you seem to be gaining the ones more suited for protection and enhancing us as a couple instead of just yourself. You’ve taken my strong mental shielding ability and my energy sharing power, but you’ve also enhanced them to fit you and us better. You can slip past my shields without even trying and, the first time you shared energy with me, not only did you draw from someone else, but you poured it into me without touching. Figured out a way to push it down our link. Talk about an ace up my sleeve if I ever become exhausted and cornered on a battlefield.”

“Plan on using me like a back up battery?” she teased as she poked him in the ribs.

His chuckling grew deeper, and he snatched her hand. “Only in dire circumstances because I already know you’ll be fighting at my side.”

“You’re damn right,” she interjected.

“And that brings us back to this,” he said picking up the dagger he’d dropped when he’d collapsed. “You are going to accept this. I never knew my mother. Only from stories from father and Sisa. So, I don’t really feel like I’m losing anything. And your safety is the most important thing to me besides you yourself. And now that you can use my sais, a dagger isn’t that much different. I also know it will be safe in your hands. You’re a part of me now, a part of my family. Something tells me my mother would be proud to see her weapon passed on to her daughter. We don’t use the ‘in-law’ suffix. To her, you would have simply been her daughter.”

Tears welled in Ichigo’s eyes as she held the glowing gaze of her mate. “Fine. I promise to cherish it and keep it safe, always. And thank you for saying that. I hope I can live up to her and that she finds me worthy of being her daughter and her son’s mate.”

Kish gave her a tender smile, “I may not have known her, but I know she’d have loved you and would have been proud to call you daughter. Just like I’m proud to call you mate.” Reaching up, he gently brushed away her tears then set his mother’s dagger into her hands. “Later, I’ll show you how to access your personal sub-space pocket. I know you can already do it; you just don’t know how to outside of when you’re a Mew. I’ll walk you through it so you can keep the dagger there.”

Ichigo reverently hugged the dagger to her chest. “Thank you, Kish. For this and everything.”

“Anything for my mate. You deserve it. Maybe one day it will become one of your own regularly used weapons. I’d be honored if that was the case.”

“Maybe one day. But you’ll have to start training me with daggers along with your sais.”

“It would be my pleasure,” he smiled wide. Raising to his feet, he tugged Ichigo to hers. “Let’s get back to the others. I’m sure they’re wondering where we disappeared to.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, he teleported them back to the main room of the café.

“And where did you two disappear to? And is everything alright?” Mint asked when the two reappeared and took a seat.

“Everything is fine. Kish just needed a moment in private to convince me to accept this,” she said gesturing to the dagger across her lap.

“But is that really safe? You know how powerful and dangerous that weapon is,” Tart voiced with worry.

“I trust Ichigo with it. And I have a feeling it will act the same with me as it did my father,” Kish said with a knowing smile.

“What do you mean?” Lettuce asked with intrigue.

“Because of their bond, my father was immune to my mother’s power stealing ability and this dagger. If she or her daggers ever touched my father while her power was active, it would have no effect on him. Because I’m their son and bonded with Ichigo, I’m certain I’d be immune as well,” Kish explained.

“I never did understand how her spirit weapons stayed after her death,” Tart openly wondered.

“Spirit weapons? And what does he mean?” Lettuce asked Kish. Her mind was almost giddy to learn even more about the aliens.

“Almost as curious as my Kitten,” Kish teased as he looked to Lettuce who blushed. “Spirit weapons are made from a piece of our very souls. They embody our personalities. My sais, Tart’s clackers, and Pai’s fans are our spirit weapons. It’s part of the induction ceremony when you join the Academy at ten. Though I joined when I was eight, I still had to wait until I turned ten before I could manifest my weapon. It takes a large toll on the body and can be both painful and severely draining. It’s safer to wait until at least ten years of age or the process could be fatal. But it’s also proof that you’re strong enough and worthy enough to join the military. It’s not unheard of for a child to die trying to create their weapon. And if you fail to do so, you are deemed unfit and cast out. To explain Tart’s question, you need to understand that our weapons are tied to us. As I said, they are a piece of our very souls. When we die, our weapons usually disappear. My mother was a special case. They may have been her spirit weapons, but she had enchanted them. According to my father, that made them unique and powerful enough to remain after her death. Ichigo now holds one, and my sister took the other to the Abyss. We don’t bury our dead. We open a portal within solid rock. Anything sent through is ultimately atomized the second it comes through the other side. At my sister’s passing ceremony, my father and I placed one of my mother’s daggers with her.”

Ichigo reached out and twined her fingers with his. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “What was your mother’s name?” she asked softly.

With a sad yet soft smile, Kish answered. “Corfura.”

“How beautiful and unique,” Mint said softly.

Ichigo smiled wide, “And fitting.” Seeing the girls’ confusion, she explained further. “In his language it means ‘little heart thief.’ Not only did she steal your father’s heart, I’m sure, but it fits with her ability.”

Kish grinned, “Cheating cat. Using me to learn my language.” Flicking a hand to the side, Kish summoned a framed photo. “And I can see you looking. Here.” He handed her the photo.

“Oh Kish! She’s beautiful and your father is so handsome. I see where you got your good looks.” The photo was of his parents at their bonding ceremony. Corfura was just a head shorter than Kish’s father. She had long green hair that reached her waist. Two long thin braids framed her face and were tied off with what looked like Kish’s hair bands. She had the palest of green eyes and delicate features. But there was a fiery strength held within her eyes. And her lip was curled into a very familiar smirk as it revealed a pearly fang. She wore a form fitting crop top with long billowing sleeves. It was a bright ruby red, and a half circle cut out bared part of her left shoulder, revealing her mate mark. Ichigo could just make out the gold chain and hanging from it was a small, silver, curved dagger with gold accents. It reminded her of the curved daggers Ichigo had seen in Kish’s inner mind, the ones that had belonged to his father. Corfura wore long flowy red pants that were shear from mid-thigh to her ankles. A gold band cinched them at her ankle and she wore golden flats much like Pai’s shoes. Around her waist was a golden cinched sash that flowed behind her into two gold tails. Also at her waist were her two daggers in their white sheaths.

Ichigo did a double take when she looked over his father. Kish may have gotten his hair, delicate features, and that infuriating smirk from his mother, but the rest was a carbon copy of his father. He looked identical to how Kish had looked when he’d first come to Earth. The only difference being Kish’s hair coloring and style and the color of their clothes. His father wore the same uniform Kish had, but his undershirt, tails, and shorts were gold while his vest and the tunic over his shorts were black. The wrist and leg wraps, his collar, and the band around his waist were red just like Kish’s as were his brown boots. He also had those same intense glittering, golden cat eyes. But his hair was a dark lavender and was pulled into a high ponytail with a single small braid to the left of his face. Ichigo could also see where Kish had gotten his demanding and authoritative presence, for she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off his father.

Kish smirked at Ichigo’s thoughts. “I told you I take after my father, Crumb, though I probably act much more like my mother. Her mate mark was my father’s dagger and his was of her dagger. You see, from what my father’s told me, they were rivals at the Academy. She was a year behind but a prodigy when it came to fighting, but so was my father. She challenged him over and over again in spars, but he always beat her. The day she finally defeated him was the day he asked her to be his. You see, she had always had a crush on my father and the spars were her way of getting his attention. Though, she also wanted to win to prove she was stronger. As a female, it was hard to get military recognition. By besting my father, who was the best, she could prove herself to everyone. It wasn’t her original intention, but through their constant fights and competitiveness, she fell in love with him. He fell for her as well. From what Sisa told me when we were kids, she was also a terrible flirt and a rule breaker. Always finding ways to get attention or to stand out. I may have followed in my father’s footsteps, but a lot of my personality comes from her. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

As the girls oohed and awed over the photo of Kish’s parents, Tart rolled his eyes as he looked towards Kish. “You’re doing it again,” he said with a gesture towards Ichigo.

“Dammit all to the Abyss. You’re right.” Snatching the photo from Ichigo, he lowered his eyes to the table with a blush and dismissed the photo. “Sorry. I’m not usually so open. An effect of our bond means I channel a bit of Ichigo’s personality occasionally, at least until I get better control of it. I didn’t mean to share so much.”

Zakuro shifted her cool eyes to Kish. “I was beginning to wonder. This all seemed out of character for you. However, thank you for sharing. I also know what it’s like to grow up without a parent. My mother divorced my father when I was very young. And because of her fame and money, she got full custody of me. I rarely saw my father if ever. I was always being dragged to wherever my mother’s new movie was being filmed or where whatever modeling gig or competition she’d gotten me into was. I became very independent from an early age. But I was also very lonely, which was why your initial offer was tempting back then, but I could tell you were both lying and weren’t sincere.”

“What are you talking about?” Ichigo asked in confusion.

“It’s nothing,” Kish interjected with a bit of panic.

Zakuro cocked a brow. “He never told you?” she snickered. “He flirted with me. Told me if I joined his side we could rule Earth together. Tempting, but I could see in his eyes that his heart wasn’t in it. Then, when I saw the way he looked at you, I understood. He was in love with you. I would have just been a tool in his pocket. Not only a blow to you all, but a possible way to make you jealous.”

Kish’s eyes bore into Zakuro’s, “You figured all that out after only meeting with me twice? Why didn’t you ever tell her if you knew I genuinely loved her?” His tone was a touch angry and accusatory.

“Because it wasn’t my place. You were an enemy and she loved someone else. It wouldn’t have been right to come between them. Plus, that was something between you two.”

Kish growled, “Fair points. Still, she may have actually believed I loved her if you had backed me up.”

Ichigo smacked Kish’s shoulder, “That was for flirting with Zakuro when you were apparently in love with me. And for trying to turn her against us.”

Wincing, Kish rubbed his shoulder. “War remember? I was willing to use whatever tactic I could. And normally I’m pretty smooth when it comes to the ladies. Wasn’t counting on her to see through me so easily. Even if she had agreed, I wouldn’t have done anything with her. My heart already belonged to you. Maybe a kiss or two to keep the lie going, but that’s it. I swear.”

This time, Ichigo smacked him upside the head. “You’re only digging yourself deeper.”

“Stop that,” Zakuro scolded cooly. “His tactics may have been cold, cruel, and deceitful, but, he said it himself, he was at war. It was a solid plan even if it was underhanded. Looking at it objectively, it even gained him some of my respect which is why I agreed. Though mostly it was for my own amusement. But when I saw how much he cared for Ichigo and how determined you all were, I knew he’d never win. Then Ichigo’s stubbornness is what convinced me to join you all. She and Mint showed me I didn’t have to be alone. There, now you know a bit of my story to keep things fair since you shared some of yours. Besides, you’re part of this team now. It’s only right that you know more about us.”

“Thanks wolf-girl, but did you really need to tell my mate that I came on to you?” Kish said glaring at Zakuro.

“Yup. We don’t have secrets,” she grinned coldly, but there was a touch of wickedness to her smile.

Kish’s uninjured arm shot out and he grabbed Ichigo’s wrist before she could hit him again. “Enough, mate. As you can see, it didn’t work, and you know I only belong to you. Always have.”

Keiichiro, seeing Ichigo’s rising temper decided to diffuse the situation. “I’m noticing a theme amongst the males of your family. Kish, Pai, Tart, and now your father, Crumb. You all seem to be named after food.”

Tart giggled, but Kish, glad for the reprieve from his mate, answered. “I was wondering when one of you would ask about that. Yes, it’s tradition in the Ikisatashi family to be named after food, baked goods specifically and mostly only the males. Don’t ask me how or why it started. No one knows. But my mother actually hated the tradition which is why my name is unique. ‘Kisshu’ is a term in my language that is commonly used for knight or warrior. It was her private joke. By shortening it to Kish, I was her little warrior. Phonetically it still sounds like quiche, a baked food.”

Ichigo looked at Kish, “So if we have a son, we’ll have to name him after a food?”

“Says the strawberry, but yes. But don’t worry. If you don’t like it, I’m sure we can find a work around like my mother did,” he winked.

Ryou stood and began gathering his dishes. “It’s getting late. Give us a hand cleaning up then you all can leave. I’m sure you’d like to get back to Pudding as well Tart and explain to her the new plan.”

Tart nodded and after dropping his dishes in the sink, disappeared.

While everyone was cleaning the table, Kish remained seated and filled his plate with a third helping and another slice of raspberry cheesecake. His eyes drifted to the side when he saw Lettuce hovering next to him and wringing her hands nervously. “Need something, Fishy?” he grinned.

“Umm… Well… I was kinda hoping I could stay a bit longer and ask you some more questions. If you don’t mind that is?” Lettuce stuttered nervously.

Kish’s grin grew. “If you don’t mind that I continue to eat while we talk, then take a seat,” he said gesturing to her chair beside him. “I still need to replenish my energy. I’m still not fully recovered.”

“Of co…course. I d…don’t mind at all. And thank you. I’m sorry if I’m a bother,” she apologized as she took a seat.

“No bother at all, so stop apologizing and ask away.” Kish nodded towards her and started to eat.

“Well, you showed us a fully formed infuser, but where do they come from? You said they were engineered and start as a single cell organism, but were they completely created or were they based off an actual creature?”

“Not starting with an easy question, are ya?” Kish teased.

“I…I’m sorry…,” Lettuce started to stutter an apology, but Kish cut her off.

Waving his hand, “Enough of that. I was only teasing you. Honestly, I’ll never know how such a timid little thing could catch Pai’s eye.” He had muttered that last part under his breath.

“Wh…What was that?” Lettuce asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Kish smirked. “Anyways, yes, the original infusers were creatures native to Cynicla. Many generations ago, someone with similar gifts as mine discovered the parasite. After studying its vast capabilities, they created the first infuser. Almost all the rest are clones from that original one. Except for most of mine. Yes, I originally started with some clones, but cloning has a whole host of problems. Those in my possession I bred. This not only strengthened them, but also allowed me to splice in better traits and breed the best of the bunch. The breeding process and how I splice desired traits is a long and lengthy explanation. Not to mention the accumulation of years’ worth of my work. So how about this? As soon as Ichigo and I take care of the rest of the chimeras, I’ll take you up to my ship and my lab. Let you have full access to my notes and research. Sound good?”

“R..Really? You’d do that for me?” Lettuce’s eyes were huge with excitement. Her mind was racing, which was why she couldn’t seem to stop herself from asking the next question. “Why didn’t Pai come with you and Tart?” Lettuce blushed bright red and covered her face with her hands. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

“I’d be happy to share my research with you. As long as you keep your promise that it stays within those of the Mew Project. I don’t even let those on my planet see my complete work. Call it proprietary information if you will. Pai hasn’t even seen it all.” Kish gave Lettuce a wickedly knowing grin. “As for Pai, he’s keeping an eye on the Council back home and filling in for Tart and I.” Leaning in closer to Lettuce, “Why the sudden interest in Pai? You don’t by chance have a thing for my cousin?”

Lettuce’s blush deepened and spread all the way to her ears. “It’s not… I mean… I…,” she stuttered desperately, but thankfully Ichigo came to her rescue.

Ichigo had been half paying attention to what Kish and Lettuce had been discussing as she helped Keiichiro with the dishes. But when she felt Kish’s curiosity and wickedness spike, she started paying closer attention. Coming out of the kitchen, “Stop teasing her mate. And Lettuce, you know it’s fine if you like Pai. Pudding and I couldn’t be happier with our alien guys.”

“If you say what I think you’re about to, then it could be our funeral,” Kish quickly interjected to Ichigo.

Tossing a wink at Kish, Ichigo continued. “I’ll even let you in on a little secret that Kish let slip. Pai has a thing for you as well.”

Lettuce’s hand fell to her side in shock. “B..But… Me? But I’m not special or anything.”

Ichigo rolled her eyes. “You’re incredibly special, Lettuce. You’re compassionate, beautiful, and beyond brilliant. It’s no wonder you caught Pai’s eye. And I’ve already talked to Kish about this, but I was hoping to maybe convince you to come back with us. You’d be able to see Pai again and I’m sure he’d be thrilled to see you. You’d even be able to study and learn the alien’s culture from firsthand experience. And maybe I’d just like to have another friend there.”

Lettuce was in complete shock and had no idea what to say.

“I think you broke her,” Kish teased.

“This is just all so sudden. Yes, I admit I am interested in… in Pai. But I don’t really know him. So, I can’t s…say for certain if I really li…like him. My summer vacation does start in a couple of weeks. I need to think about this. How long would we be gone?” Part of Lettuce was thrilled at the idea, but mostly she was scared and nervous. She didn’t do too well with change. ‘What if after he gets to know me, Pai decides he doesn’t actually like me? Or what if it turns out I don’t really like him? Or we do end up liking each other? What then?’ Her mind raced with question after question.

“You’ve still got plenty of time before we leave. And we’ll be gone for at least two to three months, but it could be longer. I’ll try to get you back as quickly as I can though,” Kish explained with a kind and reassuring smile.

Lettuce stood and bowed before Kish and Ichigo. “Thank you for the offer, both of you. I must think on this.” Looking at Kish, “And thank you for offering to let me come look at your research. I look forwards to it. I need to be getting home. Have a good night.” Lettuce gave another quick bow then hurried out the door. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a while. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was just a bit until seven. The library would be closed, but she knew of a small bookstore that would be open for another hour. Taking a few shortcuts, she could be there in about fifteen minutes. Straightening her glasses, she headed for the store.

When she turned down an alley to use as a cut through, a shiver ran down her spine. It felt as though something was watching her. Slipping her hand into her pocket, she wrapped her fingers around her pendant. Squaring her shoulders, she took an uneasy breath and continued forwards. She never saw the attack coming that knocked her against the brick wall of the alley. Just before she blacked out, she could have sworn she had heard Ichigo’s voice call out to her.

Unbeknownst to Lettuce, Kish and Ichigo had decided to follow her to make sure she made it home safely since it was getting late. Ichigo was worried about possible chimeras and your run of the mill punks, and Kish was looking forwards to stretching his legs. They kept their distance so as not to alarm Lettuce, but Ichigo got worried when she started to cut down alleys. “This isn’t the way to her home,” Ichigo said with concern to Kish.

“Maybe she’s taking a longer route to think? We did drop a lot on her and gave her a lot to think about,” Kish offered as an explanation.

“I’d believe that if her home wasn’t in the opposite direction,” she countered.

Suddenly, Masha sprang from Ichigo’s side. “Ichigo! Alien! Alien alert!”

“Where Masha?” Ichigo quickly asked.

“Ahead! This way! This way!” Masha chittered loudly.

Thankfully, they were in a dark alley, so Ichigo wasted no time in transforming and Kish dropped his glamour and summoned his sais. Just as they turned a corner, they saw a large rat chimera slash at Lettuce from behind, knocking her into the wall.

“Lettuce!” Ichigo screamed as she hurried to her side, but Kish stopped her.

“Take care of the chimera. I’ll check on Lettuce,” Kish ordered. He had enough strength thanks to the energy Ichigo had given him earlier to fight, but not much. The wound on his collar still hurt when he moved certain ways as well. He’d jump in only if Ichigo needed him. Thankfully, this chimera was only the size of a very large dog and didn’t seem that powerful. However, he knew looks could be deceiving, especially since he was close. The predacite had already tapped into his presence.

“Fine!” Ichigo huffed as she shifted her focus to the chimera. “But as soon as you know she’s okay, try to either take control or force the predacite out. I’ll try to weaken it and keep it distracted in the meantime.” The chimera didn’t look much different than an overgrown rat, but it had six legs instead of four and two long, thick, naked tails. Its fangs were long and dripping thick saliva onto the cement. Red beady eyes scowled at Ichigo as she placed herself between it and Lettuce and Kish. When it lounged for her, she easily dodged and kicked its head, knocking it away from the others. “Stupid rat! Don’t you know not to mess with a cat?” she yelled as she summoned her bell. “For the Earth, I’ll be of service, nya!” she called out as she took a wide stance. Bracing herself, she shot the scrambling chimera with her bell.

In the meantime, Kish had picked up Lettuce and sat her against the alley wall. She was starting to come to as he looked her over for any serious injuries. There was a bad scratch on her leg, and she had a nasty bump on her head. Thankfully, nothing seemed too bad, and nothing looked broken.

Fluttering her eyes open, Lettuce focused on Kish kneeling in front of her. “K…Kish? Is that you? Wh…What happened?” She tried to sit up straighter, but her head swam, and her leg burned.

Kish quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shh. Don’t try to move. You hit your head pretty hard. It was a chimera attack, but Ichigo’s handling it,” he kept his tone soft and reassuring. He also didn’t want to draw the chimera’s focus. When he heard Ichigo attack with her bell, he grinned wide. “That’s my cue. Just sit still. I’ll be right back.” Rising to his feet, Kish turned and eyed the weakened rat chimera. Focusing, he found the link between him and the predacite. “Stand down and come to me,” he ordered.

Instantly, the predacite recognized its master and swiveled its head towards Kish. It dropped its hostility and scrambled over to Kish. With its head bowed and its tails wiggling back and forth it almost looked like a dog coming to heel at his master’s feet. Reaching out, Kish scratched behind one of its floppy ears.

Coming to stand beside Kish, Ichigo eyed the rath with something akin to hunger. Tamping down her cat instincts, she glanced from it to Kish. “You better wash that hand before touching me. And no, we are not keeping it,” she teased with her arms crossed.

Kish chuckled, “Afraid you’ll end up chasing it all over the place, Kitten?” He laughed aloud when he saw her cheeks turn a bit pink. The thought had already crossed her mind. Grinning, Kish turned back to the chimera. With a wave of his hand and an authoritative, “De-fuse,” the predacite released from the chimera and floated into Kish’s open palm. The confused rat looked around and scampered into the dark shadows of the alley. “Naughty little thing. Time to return to your brothers and sisters,” Kish cooed to the light purple floating infuser. It seemed to shiver with the reprimand, but then spun in happiness just before Kish snapped his fingers, sending it to the containment cell within his lab aboard his ship.

“You really do care about those things, don’t you?” Ichigo asked.

“Yes and no. They are merely a tool to be used. But because of the mental and emotional connection I share with them, I can’t help but to care for them at least somewhat,” he explained. A groan from behind them pulled their focus and they both spun around to check on Lettuce.

“Are you alright?” Ichigo asked worriedly as she dropped to a knee beside the dazed girl.

“A little dizzy and I can feel a massive headache coming on, but I’m alright otherwise,” Lettuce answered shakily.

“Should we get you back to Ryou?” Ichigo quickly asked.

Lettuce focused on Ichigo, “That’s probably a good idea. I think I might have a small concussion.” Wobbling, Lettuce tried to stand using the wall for support.

Quickly, both Ichigo and Kish slipped under Lettuce’s arms to support her. “I hate to ask, but think you have enough energy to teleport us?” Ichigo asked, glancing over at Kish.

He shook his head. “Sorry, no. I could probably port myself, but not multiple people. It also wouldn’t be a good idea if she does have a severe head injury. However, I can carry her and fly us there if you can keep up?”

Ichigo grinned, “Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Carefully, Kish swept his arm under Lettuce’s legs and lifted her bridal style. “Try not to move around too much. If you get scared, just wrap your arms around my neck, but watch the stitches. I promise I won’t drop you.” Making sure his hold was secure, Kish kicked off the ground and took to the air. Quickly, he headed straight for the café. He grinned when he saw Ichigo leap to the rooftop of a nearby building and race just below him, leaping from building to building. He couldn’t help the smirk when Lettuce’s arms snaked around his neck.

A scared gasp left Lettuce’s lips when they took flight. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms tightly around Kish’s neck and buried her crimson face into Kish’s chest. She was deathly afraid of heights. But she trusted Kish enough to keep her safe. That didn’t stop the bright blush from working its way to her ears from the intimate way he held her though. She also couldn’t help but wonder if this is how it would feel in Pai’s arms. She suddenly couldn’t stop wishing it was Pai carrying her instead of Kish.

A knowing smirk grew on Kish’s face. “Wishing it was a certain other Cyniclon carrying you?” he teased softly.

Drawing back a bit, Lettuce gazed up at Kish’s smirking face. “B..But… How? H..How did you know?”

Kish chuckled, “Your heartrate started to double after we were flying, meaning it wasn’t the flying or height affecting you. I could chalk it up to being in my arms, but you know I love and belong to Ichigo. And we both know you have some feelings for my cousin. Besides, that blush says it all.” He gave her a wink and turned his focus back to where he was going.

Eeping, Lettuce tucked her even darker flushed face back into Kish’s chest. “S…Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Heh. I’m not offended. So, no need to apologize. I actually find it adorable. And I do hope you decide to come back with us. He won’t admit it, but I know Pai misses you. All Bright knows he needs a good woman in his life, not to mention a distraction. That man works way too much.” He gave Lettuce a warm smile before glancing below him. Gently, he landed on the balcony of the café. Just as his feet touched down, a panting Ichigo leapt onto the balcony as well.

Leaning over with her hands on her knees, Ichigo worked to calm her breathing. “Gah! It’s been a while since I’ve run that far on full tilt.” Glancing up when she heard Kish snicker, “Don’t you two look cozy. Remember, he’s mine,” she warned Lettuce.

Lettuce and Kish shared a knowing look then started to giggle. “Always, Kitten. Her interest lies in a more emotionless Cyniclon just like mine lies in feisty cats,” he winked. Adjusting his hold on Lettuce, “Mind getting the door, love?”

Ichigo quickly got the door, and they all made their way downstairs. It may have been late, but the kitchen lights were still on. Seeing Keiichiro, “Ryou down in the basement? Lettuce got hurt.”

Jumping a bit from being startled, he nodded his head. “Yeah. He’s monitoring the computers. We got the alien alert from Masha. You okay, Lettuce?” His voice was soft and full of concern, especially when he saw Kish carrying her.

“Took a nasty bump to my head. But I think I’m alright. I wanted Ryou to check me over to make sure I don’t have a concussion. Sorry to worry you,” Lettuce explained with a blush.

Keiichiro smiled warmly, “Do please stop apologizing, Lettuce. There’s no need. Best get her down there quickly, Kish.”

Kish nodded and headed for the basement. Stepping through the door, “Hey ya blonde bastard, get over here and take a look at the Fishy. We think she may have a concussion.”

“Take her to the infirmary. What happened?” Ryou asked as he followed the three.

“Another chimera. Thankfully, a smaller weak one, but it managed to get a good swipe on the Fishy before Ichigo and I could intervene. We took care of it,” Kish said as he placed Lettuce on the second cot. The first one was still a mess from where he’d been sleeping.

Ryou hurried over and looked Lettuce over. After examining her head and doing a few eye and memory tests, Ryou concluded she was fine. “Doesn’t look like you have a concussion. Let me clean and bandage those scratches on your leg.”

“Thank you. Sorry I’m such a bother and a clutz,” Lettuce stuttered. She stretched her leg out on the cot so Ryou would have better access.

“What have I told you, Lettuce?” Ryou stated coldly as he cleaned her wound.

Lettuce blushed from both the reprimand and feeling Ryou’s light touch on her leg. “I know. Stop apologizing all the time. So…,” but she cut herself off at a shark look from Ryou.

Tying off the bandage, Ryou shook his head. “You’d think after five years you’d be over this by now.”

“I’m,” again she started but cut herself off. She just couldn’t help it. Some personality traits were harder to shake. She’d managed to become a bit less shy over the years thanks to the girls, but she still couldn’t seem to stop apologizing, even when she knew she’d done nothing wrong.

When Kish saw that Ryou was done bandaging Lettuce, “Mind giving me and the Fishy a moment?” There were some things he wanted to say, and his mate had wanted him to get to know the girls.

Ichigo gave him an encouraging look. She could see what he had planned. “Come on Ryou,” she said as she tugged Ryou out the door.

Lettuce looked at Kish with confusion clear in her eyes.

Kish waited until the door shut then sat hovering in the air near Lettuce. Lazily, he leaned back in midair and gave Lettuce a soft smile. “Tell me why you feel the need to apologize all the time?”

“Huh? Uh… What?” Lettuce stuttered in absolute confusion and a bit of nervousness and embarrassment.

Chuckling, “I want to know why you apologize all the time. From what I’ve seen, you’re brilliant. You have more compassion than almost anyone I know. You’re definitely stronger than I know you give yourself credit for. I’ve seen firsthand how you always strive to see the good in everyone, always giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. And only someone truly exceptional would be able to catch the eye of someone as nearly emotionless as Pai. And I may only have eyes for Ichigo, but I’d have to be blind not to see how pretty you are. So, I ask again. Why do you feel the need to constantly apologize when you have no reason to?”

Lettuce’s face turned brighter than a cherry tomato. It even coated her chest and all the way up to the tips of her ears. She’d never heard that many compliments aimed at her before and certainly not from a boy. Ducking her head, she fidgeted with the hem of her blouse. “Wh…Why? Why would you say all that to me?”

Kish’s smile grew and he cocked a brow, “Because it’s true? I don’t understand why you don’t have more faith in yourself. Everyone else does. Maybe it’s because I’m the exact opposite. Enough arrogance and self confidence for days. But I see such a disconnect. You seem so unsure here, but when you’re a Mew, your confidence seems to grow. You’re still you no matter what form you take.”

The wheels in Lettuce’s head were spinning like mad. Kish did have some valid points, but she’d always been this way. Always shy and feeling like a bother or a burden to others around her. She looked long and hard at Kish. Dropping her gaze once more to her lap, she began to explain. “I… I was bullied a lot growing up. I’ve always been painfully shy and too nice. People took advantage of that. Using me to do their homework, etc. At first I went along with it because I was desperate for friends. It wasn’t until I met Ichigo and the others that I realized what real friends were. Apologizing became my coping mechanism. I didn’t want to upset people. I was afraid of being alone again, even if I was being used. But I don’t understand. Why do you want to know and why do you care?”

Kish clutched his chest overly dramatically. “That hurts, Fishy. Of course I care about you. You’re one of my mate’s closest friends, and as I keep getting told, I’m part of this team now, part of this very odd little family. Ichigo also wanted me to get to know everyone better since I am part of this team. And my cousin is sweet on you, so that makes me curious about what makes you tick. It’s not very often he shows interest in something besides his research, especially in a female. I also thought you might feel more comfortable opening up to a bit of an outsider. Someone who sees things more objectively and without the odd influences of your society.”

A small smile appeared on Lettuce’s face. “I don’t think you’ve ever looked at anything here objectively. If you had, the war would probably have gone much differently.”

A loud laugh broke from Kish. “Alright. You may have me there. The heart wants what the heart wants, and speaking of hearts, I’ll let you in on a little secret. It was when you stood up to Pai and tried to reason with him that you caught his attention. Not only did you let him see your intelligence and compassion, but you gave him a glimpse of that hidden confidence you keep so buried. You confused him. Which is not something that happens often. Now, I’m not saying to change or lose who you are, but it's fine to be confident in yourself now and then. As I said, you’re brilliant. Don’t be scared to speak up or stand your ground. And if you ever need help finding your inner pride or arrogance, I’m your alien.” He tossed her a wink.

Sitting up straighter, Lettuce steeled her spine. Raising her face, she looked kish square in the eyes. “Th..Th,” she shook her head and took a deep breath. Starting again, “Thank you, Kish. I still don’t quite understand why you’re trying to help me but thank you. You made me think about things in another way. And you’re right. Mew Lettuce and I are the same person. If I can be confident while in costume, then I can try to be normally as well.”

A snicker from Kish interrupted Lettuce. “Just like I tell Ichigo, I’m usually always right. And you’re welcome, Fishy.”

Lettuce cocked her head, “Why do you do that? Call everyone by nicknames?”

It was Kish’s turn to blush as a light dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks. Spinning around in midair, Kish fell to his back and tilted his head so as he was laying in the air, he was looking at Lettuce upside down. “Originally, it was because I didn’t see the point in remembering your names since I was going to kill you. They ended up sticking. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know your name, Lettuce. I just prefer my nicknames.” He gave her another wink along with a toothy grin.

“I see. But Tart said you were hesitant about the mission from the very start. If that was true, then why be so adamant about killing us?” Lettuce pointed out. If Kish wanted her to open up, she thought maybe she could get him to do the same.

Kish’s grin faltered. “That brat needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.” Flipping around so he now sat upright in midair, “It’s a bit of along story, but I’ll try to summarize. First, you know my father was executed?” When Lettuce nodded, he continued. “It was because he knew some secrets Deep Blue didn’t want getting out and because he openly spoke out against us invading Earth. Now, originally I was determined to be on that mission so I could prove I wasn’t a traitor like my father. Just before I was given the mission, I learned what those secrets were. I still wanted the mission because I desperately wanted to save my people. To not see anyone else die like my father or sister, but the seeds of doubt had been planted. I wanted to learn for myself just what your race was like. When I arrived and saw how badly you treated the planet, the constant wars taking place for trivial things, and the mass amount of crime over the entire planet, I grew angry and appalled. Deep Blue had been right, and my father was wrong. You were a selfish and hate filled people that should be wiped out.”

A soft smile appeared on Kish’s face as he locked eyes with Lettuce. “But then I met Ichigo and the rest of you. So caring and happy. Willing to put yourself in harms way not only for the planet, but for each other as well. You changed my perspective again. And you know the rest.”

Reaching up, Lettuce timidly placed her hand on Kish’s arm. “Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you came back. Not only for Ichigo’s sake, but for all of us. It gave us the chance to see what Pudding always had and what I had suspected. That you weren’t some mindless evil beings bent on our destruction. That you were thinking and feeling people no different than us. It also let us be friends who we can learn from.”

Kish chuckled, “Your curiosity is almost as bad as Kitten’s. I’m glad I came back too. Mostly for my Kitten, but it’s actually nice getting to know you all and to think of you as real friends. Honestly, I don’t have many of those.”

Lettuce smiled warmly, “You’re more then just a friend. You’re part of our family now.”

Kish’s smile grew. “Thanks. Now, I suppose I should take you home. It’s late and your family is probably starting to worry. I’d offer to teleport you, but it’s still not the best idea with a head injury. So, if you’re alright with it, I can fly you home.”

“I’d appreciate that. You’re right. My family will start to worry soon if they aren’t already. Thank you again,” Lettuce said giving Kish a small bow of her head.

“Anytime, Fishy.” Carefully, Kish picked Lettuce up bridal style and made his way upstairs. When he saw Ichigo sitting on the top steps waiting for him, he flashed her a toothy smile. “I’ll be right back. Going to take Lettuce home. Mind waiting for me, love?”

Ichigo gave him her own large, warm smile. She had heard most of what Kish and Lettuce had spoken about. She had tried to give them some privacy, but her curiosity had eventually won out. When they drew near, she got to her feet and stood on her tip toes to give Kish a peck on the cheek. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Um… Kish?” Lettuce timidly asked to get his attention as they flew towards her home.

“Everything alright?” Kish asked, keeping his eyes forward. He’d never been to Lettuce’s place before, so he wanted to make sure he stayed on course.

“Yes. But, umm… Are you sure Pai would want to see me and that it would be alright to go back with you?” She’d been thinking about it, and after getting to see another side of Kish, she felt much more comfortable around him. She was starting to seriously entertain the idea of visiting Kish’s home and Pai.

A knowing grin appeared on Kish’s face. “He may not say it outright, but I know seeing you again would make him happy. But I won’t lie, things may not be completely safe for you humans on my planet. Ichigo and Pudding already know of the danger. There are still some followers of Deep Blue who aren’t your biggest fans. But I swear my family and I will keep you safe.”

Lettuce’s eyes grew wide, and her voice became filled with concern. “Ichigo knows of the danger and is still going? And what about your family? Aren’t you in danger too? You all helped us and turned on Deep Blue.”

Stopping in midair, Kish glanced down at Lettuce. “Heh, you don’t need to worry about me. Me, Pai, and Tart have been taking care of ourselves for the past four years. And we’ll continue to as well as protect our girls.”

Lettuce shook her head. “No. If I didn’t have a reason before, I do now. Friends look out for each other. I’ve decided to come to help in any way I can.”

“You really don’t have to. Not for that reason. Only come if you wan to, not because you think we need help,” Kish quickly countered.

Again, Lettuce shook her head. “I want to come. Friends stick together. I can help, and I’ll get to see P..Pai.”

Kish gave Lettuce a gentle squeeze. “As I said, you really are one of the most compassionate people I know. I won’t try to talk you out of it because honestly I think you’ll do Pai some good. And I know Ichigo will be thrilled for you to come along.”

“Thank you, Kish.” Looking around, Lettuce saw where they were. “You can put me down on that corner over there. My apartment is just down the street.”

Doing as she asked, Kish gently set Lettuce down in a deserted alley near her apartment. “Laters, Fishy.”

“Goodnight, Kish.” Lettuce gave him a bow and headed to her apartment.

Kish flew up and kept an eye on Lettuce until she entered her apartment. With a smile, Kish teleported back to the café.

As soon as he appeared within the dining area of the café, Kish found his arms filled with one overly happy pink cat girl. “Eavesdropping little sneak,” he growled playfully into her bubble gum hair as his arms wrapped around Ichigo’s shoulders. “This keeps up and my home is going to become a boarding house for Mews.”

A wicked grin appeared on Ichigo’s face when she looked up at Kish. “Didn’t you mention that Pai has his own place?”

“Yes, but what does that…,” Kish trailed off as it clicked. “Ooh… Such a wickedly conniving cat.”

“Which is why I’m so purrfect for you.”

Kish flash his own wicked smile. “Beyond perfect for me. Now, why is my little scheming feline still in costume?”

“I needed the energy and power boost for this.” With her arms around his neck, Ichigo pulled Kish’s lips down to her own. Letting her body melt against his, she intensified the kiss. At the same time, she tapped into her energy and magic reserves. Concentrating, she poured both her energy and some of her power into Kish through their kiss.

A warm tingling sensation started to spread through Kish’s body from his lips. Or rather from Ichigo’s lips. He realized she was sharing her energy with him again, but this time something was different. With a quick glance at her thoughts, Kish nearly jolted back in shock. His brilliant Kitten had discovered not only how to share her energy, but her magical power as well. She was effectively rebuilding his magical stamina. He wouldn’t have to wait for his body to process his normal energy into magical power, effectively skipping a step and greatly shortening his recovery time. When he felt her energy start to flag, he nipped her bottom lip and pulled away. He looked down at her with pride filled eyes as he scooped her up. “Always so full of surprises. You’ve twisted my ability even further than my capabilities. How’d you figure out how to do that?”

A tired but pride filled smile appeared on her face as she powered down. “Now that you’re awake and better, I wasn’t about to spend another night in that infirmary. I miss our bed. But I knew you were probably still too weak to teleport us both all the way to your ship. I knew you’d need more energy. So, I immediately thought of transforming since it gives me a huge energy boost. But I wasn’t sure if that would be enough. Though you had the I.V., you still hadn’t eaten anything for days besides dinner earlier. Then the thought struck me. What if I could bypass everything and give you straight power instead of just energy? I wasn’t sure if it was going to work though.”

“And the kiss?” he asked slyly.

She grinned, “A personal touch.”

A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “A delicious touch at that,” he said licking his lips. A salacious idea struck him, an idea that earned him a whack upside the head from Ichigo and a grumbled, “Pervert,” from her. He had wondered if she could share energy wherever they touched, specifically from more intimate areas. “It was just a thought,” he defended. That tingling sensation in his lips had been rather pleasant.

“Just take me to bed already.” When she saw the wicked gleam in his eye, she shook her head. That dirty mind and insatiable appetite of his were beyond a handful. “Not like that,” she hissed. “I’m tired and just want to snuggle into our bed. It’s been a long day and an even longer week. Plus, we both have a busy day tomorrow.” A large yawn punctuated her statement.

“As you wish, my sleepy Kitten.” Tightening his hold, Kish teleported them both straight to his room. Gently, he sat Ichigo on the edge of their bed. “You’re right. I’ve definitely missed our bed, but, more importantly, I’ve missed seeing you in it,” he said as he started to get undressed.

“I swear. Sometimes I think if it wasn’t for dirty thoughts, then you’d have no thoughts at all,” she teased as she too got ready for bed.

He chuckled and slid into bed. “And sometimes, you’d probably be right.”

With irritation, Kish snapped his fingers to shut off his alarm. A large yawn broke from his lips, and he stretched out to full length, momentarily forgetting about his stitches which pulled harshly resulting in a hiss of pain. Unfortunately, his movement and noise disturbed the girl sleeping on his chest. He winced when he felt her hands start to curl, causing the tips of her nails to catch his skin. A momentary thought of making her wear mittens to bed crossed his mind. He almost couldn’t contain a giggle at that thought. Carefully, he maneuvered the sheets between him and her nails before he gently nudged her awake. “Time to get up, Love.”

Ichigo’s hands slid around to his sides and hugged him tightly. Nuzzling her cheek against Kish’s chest, she grumbled in response. “I hate mornings.” A low rumble vibrated against her cheek as Kish gave a soft laugh.

“I know, Kitten. But we both have a lot to do today. You’re supposed to be meeting the girls and your mother at your parent’s place at nine.”

“Urgh. Whose idea was it to meet so early?” she complained, wrapping the covers tighter around her. Kish would just have to drag her out of bed because she had no intention of getting up yet.

Rolling his eyes, Kish snapped his fingers. The blankets were suddenly gone from the pair and folded at the foot of the bed. “That would have been your mother.”

“Damn cheating alien,” she whined. Glowering at Kish, “I’m still not moving.”

Kish cocked a brow. “Oh really?” In an instant, Kish had teleported them both inside his shower. He held Ichigo in a tight hug, so her toes barely touched the floor. “What was that, Kitten?” he smirked down at her.

Her glare intensified when he flipped the water on. “I really hate you sometimes.”

Setting her on her feet, he gave her ass a firm pat. Taking a step back, he carefully peeled his dirty bandage off and with a snap of his fingers sent it to the bathroom counter. He winced slightly when the water hit his wound. It needed to be cleaned out and redressed anyways. Moving his focus to Ichigo, he stepped towards her which caused her to take a step back. He continued until he had her back pressed to the shower wall. His eyes gleamed with lust as they trailed up and down her body. Leaning down so his lips brushed against her ear, he let his voice drop to a low timbre. “If you hate me so much, then I suppose you wouldn’t want me to do this,” he growled before his lips and fangs found that sensitive spot behind her ears. At the same time, one of his hands palmed her breast and gently ran a thumb over her peaking nipple, while his other hand dipped down between her thighs to teasingly trace along her seam.

“K…Kish,” she whimpered. Her body was already starting to react to his explorative touches. Knees growing weak, heart starting to race, and the quickening of her breath, she couldn’t stop any of it. Her mate’s ability to please her too strong, too hard to resist. Even if she had been annoyed with him, her body was all too happy to succumb to him.

Grinning at her reaction, he slowly slid a finger over her hidden pearl. Shifting closer, he pressed his body to hers, keeping her effectively trapped against the wall. It also kept her upright because he could see how weak her knees were becoming. He nipped her ear, “Yes, honey? Oh, you probably want me to stop since you hate me so much.” Wickedly, Kish removed his hands and placed them on both her hips.

Ichigo almost growled in frustration. “God damn alien,” she hissed. Her body was practically screaming to be touched. She wanted, no, she needed to feel that connection with her mate again. She’d been deprived for too long and he’d already thoroughly stoked the flames of her desire. “If you don’t continue right this second, I swear you’ll regret it.”

His warm tongue continued to trace the edge of her ear. “Mm. So demanding and feisty. Absolutely delicious. But be careful my dear. Attempting to hurt me would only hurt yourself as well.” He kissed his way across her cheek until he captured her lips. Without hesitation, he forced his tongue into her mouth, tasting her deeply. Gods how he’d missed this, missed her. The taste of her lips on his, the feel of her body pressed to him, and her soft, bare flesh beneath his hands. As he kissed her senseless, he focused part of his mind on where she’d entrenched herself within him. Her needs and desires were laid bare before him. “I see how much you missed this connection. Though, I have half a mind to deny you any pleasure for threatening me and for claiming you hate me. But I’ve missed the feeling of your body wrapped around me just as much, if not more. I crave this connection as well. Besides, even when my mate is being cruel, I will always see to her needs.” Within seconds, he’d wrapped his hands around her thighs and picked her up. As soon as her legs were around his waist, he pushed himself deeply inside her. At her gasp, he released her lips in favor of tucking his nose into the curve of her neck. He set a smooth steady rhythm as he made love to his mate.

“Why?!” Ichigo growled in complaint.

Sighing, “We’ve been over this already. You made plans with your mother and the girls. I’ll be perfectly fine on the ship, and you know you can talk to me whenever you want.”

Pouting, Ichigo plopped down on the side of their bed. As she had started to get ready, her separation anxiety had started to appear. She didn’t want to leave him after only just getting him back. “I know. I know. And I know I’m being irrational, but dammit, Kish! I almost lost you again.”

Sitting down next to her, Kish wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “You’re not being irrational. I feel you, Kitten. Just like I know you can feel me.” With his free hand, he tapped her forehead and then placed his palm over her heart, “I’ll be right here and here. We’ll always be connected. Now, where’s my feisty, iron-willed mate from the shower earlier, hmm? Because it’s time to get going.”

Ichigo threw her arm around his neck and placed a peck to his cheek. “Thanks. You’re right, and don’t you dare say it. Just promise you’ll answer me if I reach out.”

Kish tucked a knuckle under her chin and gave her a cocky grin. “I’m always r…,” he stopped as Ichigo pressed a finger to his lips.

“I said don’t say it!” she grumbled.

Removing her hand, his grin morphed into that infuriating all-knowing smirk accompanied by that mischievous glimmer in his eyes. “But Kitten, I was only going to say that I’m always right here whenever you need me. And I promise to answer you when you call.” Standing up, he drew Ichigo to her feet. “Got everything you need?”

Grabbing her purse, she threw her phone and wallet into it. She smoothed down the simple pink dress she’d chosen to wear. “Yup. Oh, and no peeking and be careful if you check on me. I don’t want you to see a dress that I might choose. I want that to be a surprise for our wedding day.”

Kish pressed his lips to her forehead. “I promise not to peek, honey.” Scooping her up, he teleported to her room. “Love you, Kitten. Call upon me whenever you need,” he said with one of his rare, tender smiles.

She returned the soft smile with one of her own. “Love you too. See you later.”

Being unable to contain himself, Kish wrapped his arm around her tightly and captured her lips in a deep kiss. Once he’d kissed her breathless, he released her and floated towards her balcony. “Thanks for the kiss, Kitten,” he grinned cheekily. “Have a good time.” And with that, he disappeared, leaving Ichigo glassy eyed and with kiss swollen lips.

Sighing, she rolled her eyes at where Kish had just been. “Cocky damn alien,” she muttered under her breath. However, a large smile played on her lips.

Ichigo ran one hand through her hair in frustration as she swirled the tea in her cup. She, her mother, and the girls had taken a break from dress shopping to have lunch. They’d already been to several bridal stores and Ichigo hadn’t found anything even close to what she was looking for. The voices of the others droned on around her as she partially zoned out. Her mind flicked to Kish, wondering how his search was going. She’d already checked in with him a couple of times at the start, her separation anxiety flaring up. Kish had answered quickly and immediately soothed away her stress with his calm and reassuring words.

Feeling her subconsciously reaching for him, Kish smiled to himself. “Everything alright, Kitten?” he asked softly.

Realizing she’d inadvertently reached out to him; she quickly stuttered a response. “Y..Yes. Just… I’m just getting frustrated is all. Haven’t found anything close to what I’m looking for. So, I started wondering about you to get my mind off it for a moment.”

“I’m sure you’ll find the perfect one. Even though I know you’ll look beautiful in whatever dress you wear.”

She wanted to shake her head at him but refrained so those around her wouldn’t think she was nuts. “That’s not helping, but thanks. How’s the search going?”

“Finished the scan a while ago. Found around twelve different signatures. Four infusers, six predacites, and two full blown chimeras. Tart and I are trying to narrow down the locations of the infusers and predacites. Looks like you and I are going to have our hands full the next couple of days at least.”

“Oh goody,” she groaned. She suddenly realized Mint was trying to get her attention by snapping her fingers in her face. “Gotta go,” she said quickly as she refocused on everyone around her.

“Hello? Earth to Ichigo,” Mint said in annoyance.

Ichigo blushed, “Ah, sorry! Guess I zoned out there.”

Pudding giggled knowingly. She’d seen Ichigo space out like that plenty of times when she was speaking to Kish. “Hey! Girls only! Tell Kish to leave you alone.”

Ichigo’s blush grew in embarrassment. “Um, it wasn’t his fault. I accidentally reached out to him. Ever since the attack, I get a bit anxious when I’m away from him.”

Sakura’s eyes widened in concern. “Fight? What fight and what happened?”

A cringe slithered through Ichigo. She hadn’t told her mom what had happened. “Uh… There was a chimera several days ago. Kish and I fought it, but I was careless and got hurt pretty badly. Kish took my wounds and ended up in a coma for five days. He woke up yesterday morning. While he was hurt, some of my old anxieties resurfaced as well as my old nightmares about his death. It was a close call and way too similar to that day.”

“Kitten!” Kish yelled within her mind. “Why didn’t you tell me the nightmares were back?” he scolded yet there was obvious concern in his voice.

“Good gracious!” Sakura exclaimed. “Is he alright? Are you alright?”

Ichigo nodded her head. “Just a sec, Mom. Kish just found out about the nightmares, and he’s not exactly pleased with me.” Refocusing on Kish, “I didn’t want you worrying even more about me when you were supposed to be resting. And they haven’t come back since you woke up. Look, can we talk about this later?”

“Oh, you better believe it, Kitten. We’ll definitely be finishing this conversation later.”

Ichigo sighed in relief when she felt Kish mostly withdraw. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, mom. I was too focused on making sure Kish was alright to think about anything else. And yes, he’s fine now. We both are.”

“You better tell me right away if something like that ever happens again. I worry about you. And that boy is my future son-in-law. I care about him too. You shouldn’t have hid things from him either. That’s part of being married, you share each other’s burden’s. I can see why he got upset,” Sakura scolded but in her warm motherly tone.

“I know, Mom. You’re right. I just didn’t want to stress him after what he went through. But I know I’m going to get an earful when I get back to the ship tonight. Anyways, really sorry about that everyone.” Sighing, Ichigo reluctantly turned to Mint, “So, any suggestions on where we should look next. I don’t seem to be having much luck finding what I want.” Internally, Ichigo was crying. She just knew whatever place Mint suggested would undoubtedly have some spectacular dresses, but they would most likely deplete her wallet of every yen she had.

Mint’s eyes immediately lit up and she clapped her hands in glee. “Oh, I know just the place. It’s only about six blocks away. It’s the loveliest little dress boutique around.”

Giving Mint a weak smile, she nodded in agreement. “Then that’s our next stop unless anyone has a place closer that we can hit on the way.”

Lettuce fidgeted with her napkin before speaking up. “Actually, I know of a small family-owned dress shop just two blocks away. A friend of my mother’s works there as the head seamstress.”

Ichigo gave Lettuce a large smile. “Perfect. We’ll stop there first and if I can’t find anything, we’ll head to Mint’s place. Everyone ready to go?” When she saw everyone nod, Ichigo flagged down the waiter. “Check please,” she said. The waiter nodded and headed off. When he returned, Ichigo’s mother snatched the bill before Ichigo could get her hands on it. “Mother!” she protested.

“Oh hush. Let me get this. It’s a real treat getting to spend time with all you girls and I want to do something for you and the wedding,” Sakura explained.

“Fine. But you didn’t have to do that. Thanks, Mom.”

“Of course, dear. Now, let’s be off. I can’t wait to see you try on more dresses, and we still need to find the bridesmaid dresses,” Sakura exclaimed.

Gathering their belongings, everyone made their way to the exit and nudged Lettuce to the front to lead the way.

Pudding wrapped her arm around Ichigo’s as she skipped along the street. “This is so exciting. One of us is getting married! And to one of the aliens no less!”

Ichigo quickly clamped a hand over Pudding’s mouth. “Shh! Not so loud Pudding. People could hear. But it is rather exciting.”

Pudding giggled sheepishly as she pulled Ichigo’s hand away. “Yeah. Sorry, Ichigo. I’m just so excited and I know you’re going to find the perfect dress. Then we’ll all be able to see Kish go completely speechless.”

Mint snickered, “That’ll be a sight to see. I swear he never shuts up. Always prattling on and on about his Kitten.” She rolled her eyes towards Ichigo.

“He’s not that bad,” Ichigo defended, but all the girls shot her incredulous looks. “Okay. Okay. So, he talks about me a lot. That’s not really a bad thing, is it?”

“Absolutely not, but sometimes I wonder if he has any other thoughts in that psychotic brain besides ones about you,” Mint snarked.

Blushing, Lettuce chimed in. “Actually, he’s incredibly intelligent. Much more than even I ever gave him credit for. He also pays attention to a lot more then you think.”

Pudding jumped onto a concrete railing and balanced along it as she walked along with the others. “Yeah! Taru-Taru has told me how smart Kish is. Says he has a brilliant military mind.”

“Do get down from there,” Mint said, scoffing at Pudding’s childish behavior. “And I’ll believe all that when I see it. He certainly didn’t have many brilliant ideas when he was attacking us. Lost every fight I do believe. And there’s no way he’s smarter than that creepy Pai.”

Lettuce spun around towards Mint. “Pai’s not creepy. He just thinks and acts logically without letting emotions get in the way.” Her cheeks flamed scarlet when she finished her outburst.

Ichigo grinned, “Only some feelings for Pai? Hmm? Seems like it’s more than that. One talk with Kish and you’ve gained some self-confidence. Way to go Lettuce.” She both teased and praised the blushing girl.

Mint stopped and looked from Lettuce to Ichigo. “Wait. You’re saying Kish is who helped Lettuce find her confidence? How? We’ve been trying for years. Your psychotic boy toy shows up and poof?”

Lettuce shifted her eyes to Mint. “Like I said, he’s smarter than you give him credit for. He spoke logically to me and broke some things down. Let me see things from a different perspective. I wouldn’t say I’m completely confident in myself yet, but he definitely helped.” She pushed her glasses further up her nose. “Ichigo told him to get to know us better. Maybe you should try talking to him, Mint.” Spinning back around, Lettuce continued to lead them to the dress shop.

Following along, Mint found herself drifting to the back of the group as she lost herself in thought. It seemed like she was completely outnumbered. She just couldn’t understand how everyone could so easily look past all the aliens’ past deeds. They’d hurt many people including her own family. Kish specifically had made Ichigo’s life a living hell and even attacked her and her boyfriend more times than she could count. And now Ichigo loved him and was even marrying him. All the girls seemed to be on the aliens’ side. Even Lettuce seemed to have some feelings for the other alien. A hand fell on Mint’s shoulder, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“I know that look,” Sakura said quietly to Mint. “Both my husband and I wore it often when we first began to realize our daughter’s growing interest in that Kish. We just couldn’t understand. He’d been downright cruel to Ichigo and hurt so many people. How could she have ever grown to care about him? But Lettuce is right, dear. You should try talking to him without judgement, at least until he’s said his piece. That’s what helped me. I chose to ignore what I knew and listened to what Ichigo had to say. Then I did the same with him. He’s nowhere near as awful or cruel as he seemed to be. I’m not saying you have to fully forgive him, but you really should try and give him and the others a chance. At least for Ichigo and the rest of your friends’ sakes.”

Mint looked up towards Sakura and sighed. “You’re probably right, Mrs. Momomiya, but sometimes I feel like I wasn’t given a choice. Like if I don’t accept Kish and the others, then I’ll lose my friends. It’s just so hard to look past all the evil things they did.”

Sakura shook her head. “That’s just it. To them, we were the evil ones. We’re destroying this beautiful planet that was their home while they were dying daily on a cruel and unforgiving world. They were only doing what they thought was right at the time to save their people. Not much different then you attacking them to protect all of us.”

Biting her lip in frustration, Mint clenched her hands into fists. “But they were the aggressors! We were defending against them. We didn’t attack them!”

“In their eyes, we were the aggressors. We took and squandered the planet they had called home,” Sakura defended softly. She was getting concerned at Mint’s sudden outburst and wondered if she’d overstepped her bounds.

“A planet they left who knows how long ago!” Mint shot right back.

“Mint, why didn’t you tell us how uncomfortable you were with the aliens?” Zakuro calmly asked.

Mint suddenly realized that everyone had stopped, and they were all looking at her. “I did! But Ichigo got upset because I wasn’t happy for her because I still didn’t trust her psychotic boy toy!”

Ichigo grew defensive, “I wasn’t upset that you disliked Kish. I was upset because you didn’t seem happy for me at all. I’d finally gotten him back. And you knew how I’d been hurting without him. How I’d missed him. So, it shouldn’t have been a shock. But I never said you had to like him. I only hoped you’d give him a chance.”

“She’s right,” Zakuro cooly interjected. “If you hate the aliens forever, that’s your choice. I’m sure I can speak for everyone that we’ll still be friends regardless of your feelings towards the aliens. But I too believe you should try talking to Kish and Tart. Try to give them a real chance. They are a part of this group, this family, now. But we also don’t dismiss your feelings.”

Stepping forwards, Ichigo embraced Mint in a quick hug. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel dismissed. I really want you to be my maid of honor, but if Kish makes you feel that uncomfortable, I won’t force you to be in my wedding.”

Mint wiped away the tears of frustration that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t care who you’re marrying. I wouldn’t miss my best friend’s wedding. And maybe you are all right. Maybe I’m being too stubborn. The correct and respectable thing would be to at least hear him out. I felt wronged because it felt as though my feelings were being dismissed, and yet that’s precisely what I’m doing to them. So, uh, Ichigo. Would you mind if I waited with you once we’re done for Kish to pick you up so that I can speak to him?”

Ichigo smiled brightly. “Sure! I’ll even do you one better. Once I find my dress or we call it quits for the day, I’ll treat you all to ice cream. And I know it’s a girls’ only day, but I know Kish has something he’s wanted to say to everyone. Afterwards you and he can speak.”

Pudding clapped her hands, “Yay! Ice cream! And if Kish is going to come, can Taru-Taru come too?”

"That will be up to Kish,” Ichigo answered. Threading her arm through Mint’s she started in the direction Lettuce had been heading. “Let’s go! I still have a dress to find!” she happily sing-songed.”

They’d been in the little boutique and Ichigo was starting to lose hope. But then she saw Lettuce move a hanger aside and it was like a pillar of light shown down upon the dress. Hurring over, she quickly stopped Lettuce and pulled the dress from the rack. As she held the dress up to herself, she saw Lettuce’s eyes grow wide.

“Oh my!” Lettuce exclaimed.

Ichigo nodded enthusiastically. “Right!”

“Oh honey. It’s stunning!” Sakura said after she came to investigate Lettuce’s gasp.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go try it on, you silly cat,” Mint snarked as she shooed Ichigo towards the dressing rooms.

After she’d carefully stepped into the dress, she called for her mother to help lace her up. Stepping out into the show room, Ichigo stepped onto a small platform in front of several full-length mirrors. It let her see the dress from all angles. A collective gasp drew her attention to her friends.

“If you don’t pick that dress, then you really don’t have any fashion sense,” Mint quipped.

Pudding was bouncing on her toes. “You have to pick that one! You look magical and I know Kish will lose his mind when he sees you. I wasn’t wrong about the green and pink outfit, was I?” she teased happily.

Ichigo blushed in embarrassment, “Shush, Pudding.”

“I have to say, I believe you found the one,” Zakuro quickly added. After Mint’s prying, Zakuro was well aware of what outfit Pudding was referring to and wanted to move things along before Mrs. Momomiya inquired into it.

Glancing down, Ichigo smoothed the dress out and made a slow turn in front of the mirrors. Her breath was nearly stolen when she got a good look at herself. It was perfect. Beyond perfect. It was exactly what she’d been looking for. The top of the dress was a tight satin corset that was encrusted in intricate beadwork that sparkled when the faceted beads caught the light. The neckline was an off the shoulder sweetheart cut. A thin layer of lace ran just under the top edge, keeping her cleavage visible but modest. Satin bands held the sleeves in place then fell into beautiful lace to her elbows. The sleeves grew into large bells that draped down from her elbows almost to mid-thigh. The corset came to appoint at her abdomen and the satin dress flared over her hips and fell to the floor. More crystalline embroidery danced along the bottom in intricate swirling patterns. Lace was under the crisscrossing strings at her back that tied the corset. The corset also swept low once it reached under her arms, making it only about six inches up from the top of her rear. Thickly gathered and layered lace fell from under the ties of the corset to fall down her backside to the ground then spread out in a semicircular lace train behind her that was about four feet long along the ground.

All in all, the dress looked like it came right out of the pages of a fantasy novel. Ichigo could easily imagine some wonderous princess wearing this to marry her knight in shining armor. And what’s more, it fit her like a glove. The only modification that it needed was for the sleeves to be shortened just an inch or two. She also hoped she could find a veil that would match or at the very least compliment the lace in the dress, as well as the slightly opalescent shimmer of the satin. The color was one of the things she loved most. It wasn’t pure white since she herself wasn’t pure, but it didn’t have that dull dingy look of cream or ivory.

She ran her hands carefully over the beaded bodice and turned to face the girls with tears glistening in her eyes. “It’s perfect! This is it! This is the one. Thank you so much for all your help. But especially with agreeing with me. This is exactly what I imagined. I just hope Kish likes it too.”

Mint rolled her eyes. “If he doesn’t then he’s a blind buffoon. You look amazing. Absolutely gorgeous. That alien will be lucky to even get to stand next to someone so beautiful.

“Aww. Thanks, Mint. You’re going to really make me cry,” Ichigo said as she tried to keep her tears at bay.

“That boy will never know what hit him when he sees you, dear,” Sakura said, wiping her own tears away. “You look possibly radiant. As if that dress was made specifically for you.”

Hurriedly, Ichigo stepped off the platform and wrapped her mother in a tight hug. “Thanks, Mom,” she blubbered against her shoulder as her tears started to flow freely.

Sakura pattered Ichigo’s back. “Enough of that. Go get changed so we can purchase it and set an appointment with the seamstress if there’s any alterations you want done. We don’t have a lot of time before the big day. And we still need to find bridesmaid dresses and a few other details need to be nailed down.”

Ichigo sniffled, “You’re right. So much to do, so little time. Be right back.”

While Ichigo changed, Sakura and the girls looked over the selection of bridesmaid dresses and chattered about a few other wedding details. When they saw Ichigo emerge from the dressing room, they waved her over.

Mint gestured to three bridesmaid dresses that she and the others had liked, “What do you think of these? I believe they’re classy and elegant, but still compliment the fairytale dress you chose.”

Looking them over, Ichigo was immediately drawn to the dress in the center. It had the same sweetheart neckline as her dress as well as off the shoulder sleeves. However, its sleeves were just simple bands that wrapped the upper arm, attached to the top of the bodice. The bodice was fitted and the dress flared out in an “A-line” style. It came to almost mid-calf and was made of the same satiny material. It was simple, elegant, and matched her vision splendidly.

Running her hand over the dress, Ichigo beamed. “This one! This is what I want just in a soft pink.” She saw another dress in the color she wanted and pointed at it. “Like that color. That’s the color I want the bridesmaid dresses. With shoes the same color, though I don’t care what style of shoe for any of you as long as it’s that color.”

Mint grinned triumphantly. “Then leave those dresses and shoes to me. I’ll get the girls another day and have my personal seamstress take their measurements and I’ll purchase the dresses. This is my wedding gift to you. Oh, this wedding is going to be stunning!” She nearly squealed as she clapped her hands in glee.

“Mint!” Ichigo hissed. “You don’t have to do all that.” She saw Mint cross her arms and narrow her eyes. Ichigo knew that look. She’d seen it plenty as Mint sat at her table sipping tea and refusing to help. It was her ‘I’m being stubborn and having things my way,’ look. Ichigo sighed in defeat. “Urgh! You’re terrible and I love you. Thank you, Mint.”

With a condescending nod, Mint uncrossed her arms and straightened her shoulders. “Someone has to make sure we look good too,” she said gesturing to the other girls.

“Ichigo, dear?” Sakura asked, getting her daughter’s attention. “We’ve spoken amongst ourselves, and we think Pudding’s sister, Heicha, would be a perfect flower girl. Pudding’s family already knows about her being a Mew and are friends with Tart, so they know about the aliens.”

A smile appeared on Ichigo’s face. “Are you sure? Heicha would be an adorable flower girl. Do you think she’ll want to?”

Pudding giggled, “Absolutely! She would love to! I know it! And Mint already said she’ll help find the perfect flower girl dress and take care of it.”

“Thanks, Pudding. If Heicha is going to be in the wedding then you should invite your brothers and father. Actually, I think you all should bring your family members that know about us. I know your brother knows Mint. And I’m fairly sure you told me you told your brother about us, Lettuce.”

Both Lettuce and Mint nodded. “Are you sure, Ichigo?” Lettuce asked softly.

“Absolutely! The more the merrier. It will make it feel more like a wedding if there are actually people in the audience. Otherwise, it would have felt too much like just another Mew thing,” Ichigo exclaimed.

Half an hour later, the five Mews sat around a patio table of a local ice cream parlor. Sakura had excused herself, taking Ichigo’s wedding dress home with her.

“Is it alright if I call for Kish now, or did you all want some more time to talk?” Ichigo asked as she looked around at each of her friends.

“Oh, go ahead and call for the freak. I’m sure you’re just dying to see him anyways,” Mint snapped.

Ichigo placed her hands firmly on the table. “That may be true, but you know that’s not why I offered for him to come. You wanted to talk to him, or have you already given up on that since you might have to be nice and put in some work,” she snapped right back.

Kish had been eavesdropping on and off, but when his mate’s anger spiked, he fully tuned in. Already knowing that Ichigo was going to ask him to join her, he decided now was as good a time as any. He quickly skimmed through her most recent memories, searching for a concealed spot to teleport to. Seeing an alley near where the girls were, he teleported there. After pulling on his glamor, he made his way to Ichigo. Coming up behind her, “That’s enough, mate. Mint is entitled to feel however she wants.”

Spinning around, Ichigo glared at Kish who stood there grinning with his arms crossed. “I know that!” she huffed. “I’m just getting tired of her negative and condescending attitude when it comes to you or us.”

Sighing, Kish took a seat next to Ichigo and scooted his chair close to hers so he could drape an arm over her shoulders. Leaning back, he turned his attention to the girls, specifically Mint. “I meant what I said, Mint. You’re free to feel however you want. You all are. But there’s something I should have said to all of you the first chance I got. I’m sorry. There are plenty of reasons and explanations for what I did in the past, but none of them truly excuses my actions. I was cruel, saddictive, and hurt you all many times. I know I don’t have a right to ask, but I hope you can try to forgive me. To accept me, and more importantly, accept me being with Ichigo. I love her more than life itself, and through her I’ve come to care about each of you as well. But I’ll understand if you can’t forgive me. I truly am sorry.”

Lettuce hesitantly reached across the table. She turned her palm face up.

Getting the hint, Kish delicately placed his hand in hers.

With a gentle squeeze, Lettuce gave Kish a shy smile. “I forgave you a long time ago when I understood why you were fighting and when you chose to sacrifice everything, not only for Ichigo, but for all of us.”

Kish returned the affirming squeeze and smiled back at Lettuce, “Thanks, Fishy.”

After Lettuce had pulled her hand away, Zakuro spoke up. “I too, forgave you. You only did what you did because you thought you didn’t have a choice. But as soon as you realized you did, you chose to help Ichigo, and through her, all of us as well. And anyone who fights so hard for the one they love can’t be all bad.”

Giving Ichigo a squeeze, Kish grinned at Zakuro. “I’d have done anything for my Kitten. I still would. And thank you as well, Wolf-girl.”

Pudding leapt out of her chair and ran to Kish’s side, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Pudding always knew you weren’t evil. Knew you were only trying to help your people. So, I don’t need to forgive you. Kish is family now, just like Taru-Taru. Speaking of which, can you ask him to join us too?” Pudding pleaded.

Chuckling, Kish carefully disentangled himself from Pudding. “I will in a bit. And thanks, Monkey-girl. I’m already starting to think of you as a little sister. Maybe one day that will be true,” he whispered that last part for her ears alone and gave her a sly wink.

Pudding blushed and bopped Kish playfully on the head. “Maybe,” she whispered. Letting her voice get a touch louder, “Now that I think about it. I will accept your apology. You were mean quite a bit. Especially to Ichigo.”

Kish’s arm snaked back around Ichigo’s shoulders and pulled her against his side. “Believe me, I know. But against all odds, she not only forgave me, but she also gave me her heart. The one thing I had desired most in my life, she willingly gave to me even after all the torment I had put her through. It’s made me believe that miracles really can come true, or maybe I’m just as irresistible as I’ve always believed.” Halfway through his words, he had turned from Pudding and locked eyes on Ichigo. For a moment, it was like the rest of the world had faded away, save for his mate. When he finished, he gave her his fang flashing smirk followed by a flirtatious wink.

“Do you have to ruin every moment with that damn cockiness?” Ichigo grumbled, but the corners of her lips had twitched upwards.

Rolling her eyes, Mint lifted her nose into the air. “God you two can be so sappy. Did everyone forget how many times he and the others attacked us? How many times they hurt us?” Mint stood and placed her hands flat upon the table. “Not only that, but they hurt our families, our friends. How can you all forget all that so easily? And you, Ichigo. Kish made your life a living hell specifically. Stalking you, taunting you, trying to grab or kiss you every chance he got. Our lives were turned upside down because of them!”

Ichigo shot to her feet, ready to defend Kish and tear into Mint, but an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her a few steps away from the table. Her vision became blocked by Kish who had stepped in front of her.

Glancing over his shoulder, “Sit down, Kitten. This isn’t your battle.”

Blinking, Ichigo found herself obeying her mate. His voice, though not cold, had been authoritative. A cold fire had danced in his eyes. The Commander General had come out to play. And though she was still pissed and a bit ticked at him for ordering her around, she sat back to watch the show.

Slowly, deliberately, Kish turned his head until his glowing amber eyes pierced into Mint’s. “Sit down, Mint.” His voice was low, almost menacing, but still held that intensity. That pure authority that made everyone take notice.

Just like Ichigo, Mint found herself obeying Kish right away. It was like he had suddenly gained power over all around him.

"In a moment, I’m going to need an infusion of energy, Kitten." Pressing his palms together, Kish focused on creating a translucent ball of energy between his hands that grew as he slowly pulled his hands apart. Holding his arms straight out, he held onto the energy. “I need each of you to touch the space between my hands for just a moment.”

Each of the girls put their hands into the tingly air in front of Kish. The only one who hesitated was Mint.

Kish eyed her, “It won’t hurt, but I need you to hurry up.”

Finally, she touched the energy.

Kish leaned heavily on the table. That had taken a lot out of him, but he could already feel Ichigo pushing her energy into him. Straightening up, he glanced around the table. He could see the faint shimmer of glamor over all of them.

“What the hell did you do?” Mint snapped.

“I put up a dampening shield over us. It’s like my glamor. Everyone can still see us talking, but no matter how hard they focus, they won’t be able to make out what we’re saying.”

“Bastard! You cast some kind of spell on us?” Mint hissed. Not only was she feeling queasy, but she was beyond pissed. To her annoyance, there was also a shiver of fear coursing through her. She still didn’t fully trust Kish.

“It won’t do any harm to you and will disappear when I want it to. I’m starting to lose my patience and there are things I need to say. Things that can’t be overheard. Not only that, but what I’m going to share is embarrassing, shameful, and very painful, and above all else, very private. But I can see you need to understand some things, Mint. Yes, you have a right to your feelings and opinions, but I’m getting tired of how it’s hurting my mate. The things I’m about to share, I’d really rather not, especially not like this in front of everyone. But as Zakuro said the other day, you don’t keep secrets. And it’s only fair that if I’m going to tell one, I should tell the others.” Taking a deep breath, Kish sat down.

Ichigo’s hand tightened around Kish’s, “You don’t have to do this.” She could see what he was planning on sharing, and he was hurting. Most of them were incredibly painful memories.

Kish’s eyes drifted to Ichigo. “Yes, I do. Maybe I’ll finally be able to reach Mint. I’m sick of her attitude and how it keeps upsetting you.”

“Maybe, but you didn’t have to do it like this, in front of everyone. You don't have to tell them too,” she countered. Her worry for her mate was growing more intense. She could feel his pain, fear, and apprehension as clearly as if it were her own feelings.

“I need to do this, Kitten. They all have a right to hear my reasons. It wasn’t just Mint I wronged, even if the others have forgiven me.”

Growling, Ichigo turned her worried frustration on the girls. “I don’t like this one bit. I hope you all realize just how much pain he’s about to put himself through just so you might understand more of why he did what he did and more about what made him who he is.” Spinning back to Kish, “I won’t stop you if you really feel like you need to do this. However, I’ve heard it all. Even experienced some of it firsthand. It broke my heart the first time and I’m still coming to terms with some of it. I can’t sit through it again. Especially not all at once. Come find me when you’re done.” She placed a quick kiss to Kish’s cheek then stepped away from the table. She reached out to Tart as she walked away, “Mind coming to where Kish and I are?”

Feeling like he didn’t have a choice, Tart quickly teleported to the alley Kish had used. Pulling on his own glamor, he found Ichigo leaning against a railing near the others.

“Let’s go for a walk, Tart. We need to talk,” Ichigo said as she turned from Kish and the others.

Tart nodded and followed Ichigo. He gave Pudding an apologetic glance as he walked away.

Kish rubbed his temples. “You didn’t have to leave.”

“Yes I did. Give your explanations then call me when you’re done. I don’t agree with this. You’re putting yourself through unnecessary pain in my opinion. But good luck. I love you.” Pulling away, Ichigo focused on Tart. She had led him around the corner to a small park. “Mind talking with me for a bit? I can’t listen to what Kish is going to say. It’s painful for the both of us.”

Tart nodded, “Sure. And for the record, I’m on your side. Kish has never been one to share his personal life. Especially the bad or painful. It just doesn’t feel right. But, on the other hand, I can understand why he’s doing this. For you.”

Giving a frustrated cry, Ichigo kicked a rock across the ground. “I know,” she growled. “And that only pisses me off more. Because he doesn’t have to. He’s doing this because he feels like he’s causing a rift between me and Mint. But what he fails to realize is that that’s Mint’s problem. Not his.”

Finding a bench, Tart plopped down and shook his head. “You know how overprotective he is when it comes to you. He’ll always do what he can to protect you.”

With a huff of frustration, Ichigo began pacing back and forth in front of Tart. “I know. I know. And I love him for that, but it can also be freaking annoying.” Tugging her pigtails, she gave an agitated growl. Coming to a stop, Ichigo spun to face Tart. “Anyways, there’s a few things I need to talk to you about.”

A flash of worry crossed Tart’s face as he looked at Ichigo. With an audible gulp, “Uh… About what?”

Ichigo grinned at the panicked look on Tart’s face. “Relax, Brat. I’m not gonna attack you or something. But, I gotta say, I’m not really impressed with how you keep spilling Kish’s secrets. He trusts you, and you’ve managed to seriously hurt him several times, even if he won’t admit it. Especially the torture slip. You have no idea how badly that upset him and, in turn, me. He let me experience some of it. God, Tart, it very nearly broke me. Seeing him suffering like that and feeling the pain he was in. I can’t believe your people ever followed someone so cruel and sadistic as Deep Blue. And I will never understand how Kish managed to endure all that.” With a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold, Ichigo tightly wrapped her arms around herself.

Sighing, Tart leaned forwards, propped his elbows on his knees, and let his face fall into his hands. “I know. Trust me, I know. I could feel exactly how hurt and angry he was. And I’m sorry Ichigo. That you felt what he went through. I remember how bad it got at times. Kish did a decent job at keeping most of his pain locked away, but I got glimpses. I remember walking by his room one night after a pretty bad session. It felt like I’d walked through a wall of ice, and yet it felt like every inch of me was on fire. I remember falling to the floor the pain was so intense. I nearly fainted, but Kish came out and helped me to my feet. Kish had been consumed by the fires of rage and bone chilling fear. It was like all the air had been pulled from my lungs as he tightly clamped down on his feelings. The strongest had been pain, fear, and anger. I always thought his fear was of Deep Blue. It wasn’t until after everything and we had been home for a couple of years that I realized the truth.”

Tart lifted watery eyes to Ichigo. “He was afraid of Deep Blue, just not in the way I thought. Kish was afraid of what Deep Blue might have done to you. More importantly, he was afraid of what he might do to you. Afraid that Deep Blue would eventually break him, and he would kill you. Kish has always had a cold and cunning darkness within him. Able to separate himself from everything to get a job done. It was probably what drew Deep Blue to him in the first place, along with his powers and abilities.”

A small smile started to creep over Tart’s face. “The one thing Deep Blue failed to realize was that Kish is no one’s pawn. And he also severely underestimated Kish’s loyalty. Once Kish decides you’re important to him, he stops at nothing to always be there for them. As soon as Kish fell in love with you, Deep Blue was doomed.”

This time, when Tart lowered his eyes, it was in shame. “I think that’s why sometimes I say or reveal things that I know will hurt him. I don’t mean to, but I get so jealous at times. Even when Kish loses, he always comes out on top somehow. Losing his father pushed him to train like never before and he developed his ability to detach which allowed him to climb quickly at the Academy and eventually the military. When he lost control of his chimera and it destroyed a large part of our caves, he didn’t get in trouble. Instead, he was praised and promoted. He lost us the war here and our new home. But managed to get you to give us the Mew Aqua to save our home. You broke his heart and he lost you, but that only made him work harder and train harder. He committed himself completely to rebuilding our home and lives. Made our people better for it and in the meantime became the strongest warrior and ability user my people have ever seen. Then, to top it off, you call him back to you and agree to be his mate. Don’t get me wrong, I love him like a brother, but he can be infuriating at times.”

Shaking her head with a knowing grin, Ichigo sat down beside Tart. “I know exactly what you mean. He has an uncanny ability to make pieces fit to his advantage even when the pieces shouldn’t fit together at all. I also get the jealousy thing, though I don’t fully see it. I haven’t been around him as long as you. Have no idea his level of power compared to the others of your people. So, to me, it’s not so coveted. But I can see how that could be enviable to others. But seriously, Tart, you need to be more careful. I don’t like seeing him hurt, even if he hides it well.”

“Sorry, Ichigo. I’ll try to lay off. I really don’t mean to keep pushing his buttons, at least not with such personal things,” Tart apologized sincerely.

“Thanks, Brat,” Ichigo said with a soft smile. Slumping back into the bench, Ichigo let her head fall back atop the top edge and stared up into the bright blue sky of the late afternoon day. Huffing, “I still think he’s being an idiot and causing himself unnecessary pain. But maybe he’s right. Maybe the others should know what he’s been through. At least I hope Mint may be able to look past her hatred and mistrust of you all after hearing his story.”

A shadow fell over Ichigo’s field of view as someone came up behind her and leaned over her. Two shimmering golden pools caught her eye.

“When will you learn, I’m always right?” Kish chuckled as he slid his arms around Ichigo’s shoulders and stole a quick kiss to her cheek.

Kish had watched his mate walk away. Carefully, he closed off as much of their connection as their newly strengthened bond would allow. Ichigo would have to actively listen in or search out his thoughts and emotions. He knew she didn’t want to hear or even think about what he was going to say. With a heartfelt, yet determined, sigh, he turned towards the girls seated around the table.

“I apologize for technically casting an enchantment over you all without your permission, but what I have to say can’t be overheard. Hopefully by the end, not only will you all understand who I am a bit better, but maybe you’ll be able to look past some of my past actions.” He looked directly at Mint for a moment before letting his eyes drift onwards. “I have a lot to say, so I’ll try to be as brief as possible. Feel free to ask me anything at any time. If I can, I’ll answer, but understand a lot of this is highly personal and I reserve the right to refuse to answer.”

Lettuce had also watched her friend walk away and was concerned. If Ichigo had felt so strongly that she had left, then did they really have a right to see such intimate parts of Kish’s life. Looking at Kish, “Are… Are you sure about this? If what you have to say is really so personal and painful, then you really don’t have to share it. We already know you’ve been through a lot.”

Kish smiled warmly at the concern he could hear in Lettuce’s words. “It’s alright. I think I need to do this. Not only for me, but for Ichigo as well. She wants me to get to know you all better. She just may not be happy with how I’m going about it though,” he winked.

Mint grumbled, “Then get on with it.” She still wasn’t happy about having some sort of spell cast over her. She saw Zakuro give her a warning look, so she pursed her lips in agitation and crossed her arms defiantly.

A bit of annoyance flashed within Kish causing his eyes to darken just slightly. But he managed to bite back any sly retort he may have made. “Before we get into the rough stuff, let me tell you a bit about my childhood. It will help put some things in better context.”

With another quick check on his mate and a deep breath, Kish began. He started by explaining his mother’s death. That even a strong warrior like her had died because of complications during his birth. How with even as advanced as their medical technology is and how strong some of their healers were, her body had still given out. A testament to how living so long with so little food and the cold damp living conditions took a toll on the body. He then went on to explain his sister’s death. How she had basically given up her life for him and others, and that starvation had been the primary cause.

The death of his father came next. Having been killed for disagreeing with Deep Blue and because he knew too many secrets. He couldn’t be allowed to live and was named a traitor. His death being the catalyst that pushed Kish to train harder and push himself further. To become the ideal candidate for a possible mission to Earth.

Earth had literally been a bedtime story, told to the young to help them cope with their harsh reality. That somewhere out there was a beautiful blue and green planet full of lush life. A dream like paradise compared to their home. It gave a false sense of hope. That one day they’d make it back to that idyllic world.

He told them about going to live with Tart and Pai’s parents. How if they hadn’t taken him in, he would probably have wound up dead. Then about how he had snuck out of the caves because he preferred to be alone. How he’d take on the wild creatures by himself just to prove to himself that he could. And how he scavenged for food to keep Tart alive. That he’d nearly died of starvation himself to ensure Tart’s survival. He touched a bit on the rough and strenuous climb at the Academy. Becoming cold and detached. Keeping people at bay. Death was too much of a constant to really allow anyone close. He had his cousins and that was enough.

Finally, he spoke about the mission. About how after hearing stories all his life about the beautiful blue planet only to find it suffocating under the pollution and abuse of the selfish humans. He had seethed with anger. His people were suffering, dying, and yet these humans had everything, but it didn’t seem enough. He had wanted to wipe humanity off the face of the planet. But after his chimeras had been destroyed, Deep Blue had instructed him to observe those responsible. The girl in pink had been so full of life. So willing to put everything on the line for complete strangers. An unknown warmth had taken root within him. Just maybe his father had been right. These humans may not be as bad as they seemed. At least the pink girl wasn’t. He hadn’t realized it until much later, but that girl had captured his cold heart. Had shown him that it was alright to care for others.

However, that new feeling came at a heavy price. Not only did the girl reject all his advances, but his own god was growing tired of his antics. Was becoming suspicious of his lack of progress and his refusal to severly harm the girl. Until Pai and Tart had inadvertently ratted him out. They had let it slip that he had developed feelings for Ichigo. Deep Blue was livid. The torture started off small at first. Simply being confined for days. Or having to watch as Pai and Tart attacked the girl he’d fallen for. But as Kish continued to stay conflicted and refused to harm, let alone kill, Ichigo, Deep Blue upped the stakes.

Kish had been able to partake in some of the bounties of Earth. Being able to eat more than he ever had in his life. But Deep Blue took that away. Essentially starving him just like he’d been at home. Then the horrific torture began. Being restrained within his own mind. Forced to watch Ichigo’s rejection and hatred of him over and over. Seeing her in that boy’s arms on replay. To be constantly reminded of how much pain she had caused and that she wanted nothing to do with someone as vile and pathetic as him. On top of that, every time Deep Blue would show her image, he’d wrack his body with intense pain. Deep Blue had hoped he would associate pain with Ichigo and would start to hate her.

Swallowing thickly, Kish closed his eyes. “Let’s just say that if Deep Blue had actually been torturing me physically, I would have died long before he had a chance to use his sword. It was excruciating, but worth it. Seeing that side of Deep Blue let me see other things he’d been hiding. Allowed my doubts to grow. And not being completely under his thumb, I saw him for the tyrant he really was. Could look through the façade he’d shown me and my people. But I still had a part to play. If I openly fought him directly, he would have killed me easily. As a devoted follower, I had allowed him access to my mind. Which is how he immobilized and tortured me. But other than my infatuation with Ichigo, I had been able to keep my traitorous thoughts hidden, but the threat was there. If I stepped too far out of line, my life was forfeit. I also had to find a way to help my people. They were counting on me. And the thought of Ichigo being killed plagued my heart. So, I had to continue to fight, but I held back where I could, ruined plans without making it obvious, and began looking for any weakness Deep Blue had. Turned out we both had the same weakness, Ichigo.”

Looking around the table, “I still understand that my past doesn’t clear me of my sins. Abyss, some of it only makes what I did to you all worse. But from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. And now you know most of my history. I’m not looking for pity. Other than Deep Blue, most of my life was fairly normal for someone on my planet. I just thought my past might give you more perspective. I wasn’t always so cold and cruel, and my people certainly aren’t for the most part. We really aren’t that much different then you humans.”

As his eyes flicked over each of the girls, he was shocked by some of their reactions. Both Pudding and Lettuce had tears streaming down their cheeks. Zakuro had her hands fisted so tightly, her knuckles had gone white, and she had her eyes locked on the table before her. Mint was the real surprise. She may have tried to keep her arrogant air of indifference, but Kish could clearly see the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes.

Pudding leapt from her seat and nearly tackled Kish. She threw her arms tightly around his shoulders and pressed her face to his uninjured collar bone. “Oh, Kish! I can’t begin to imagine the kind of pain you’ve suffered. I’m so glad we were able to give you the Mew Aqua. If what you went through was normal for your people…,” she trailed off as a sob wracked her. “It… Well, it’s not right. No one should have to go through such horrific things. To be so surrounded by death that you’re numb to it.” Pudding shuddered and gave him a squeeze. “I’m sorry but thank you for sharing. And… uh…thank you for saving Taru-Taru when you were kids.”

With a genuine smile, Kish gently patted Pudding’s arms that were still around him. Thanks, Monkey-girl. But uh…it’s getting a bit hard to breathe. Mind loosening up?”

A bright blush appeared on Pudding’s face. “Ah! Sorry.” She quickly jumped away.

Kish waved his hand with a chuckle. “Now I get why Tart’s always complaining when you pounce on him. You’re stronger than you look.”

As Pudding resumed her seat, Zakuro spoke up. “After hearing all that, I almost wish we could have made Deep Blue suffer. You may be a lot of things Kish, but you certainly didn’t deserve to be treated like that. And by your own God and savior as well. I too would like to thank you for sharing, though I still mostly agree with Ichigo. I don’t believe it was necessary. You redeemed yourself mostly in my eyes when you stood against Deep Blue. Then even more when you returned to make sure Ichigo was alright. You’ve earned my trust and loyalty, and I will gladly fight by your side should you ever need me.”

“I… uh… I don’t really know what to say other than thank you. I promise your loyalty isn’t misplaced. And though we,” he gestured to everyone at the table, “may not be all that close, you all have my trust and loyalty as well. Not only are you my mate’s adopted family and closest friends, but you all also helped me to restore my planet and people. For that I will be forever grateful.”

Hesitantly, Lettuce lifted her watery eyes to meet Kish’s. “I never realized just how truly awful your life and that of your people’s were. I wish we could have opened lines of discussion from the very start. You suffered more than your fair share. And not just from Deep Blue or your past hardships, but from us as well. For that I’m sorry. And you also have my complete trust and loyalty. Between this and our earlier discussion, I’m starting to see just how complicated you are. I can also see how Ichigo fell so hard. There really is so much more to you. It would certainly pique her curiosity. I can also see why she got so protective and defensive of you. Like Zakuro, I think you put yourself through unnecessary pain but thank you for letting us see the more vulnerable side of you.”

Slowly, Kish slid his hand across the table and lightly rested two fingertips over Lettuce’s wrist. “Thank you, Lettuce. That means a lot coming from you.” He gave her a toothy grin, “And I’m impressed. Not a single stutter or random apology. Guess I’m better then I thought.” He tossed her a wink.

Pudding shook her head. “Again, Ichigo’s right. You are a dumb alien. Just had to ruin the moment.”

That only made Kish chuckle. “What can I say?” he shrugged. “It’s just part of my charm,” he winked.

“I just don’t understand you,” Mint finally spoke up. “You just told us about some horrendous things that happened to you and yet you’re laughing and making jokes like it was nothing.”

A cold seriousness came over Kish as he eyed Mint. “And what would you have me do? Deny myself any fun? Only focus on the bad in my life? I’d say it was a coping mechanism, but that would only be partially true. Yes, I’ve suffered more than my fair share of pain, loss, and heartbreak, but so what? It’s in the past. It may have shaped some of who I am or choices I’ve made, but it is still the past. What matters is today and what tomorrow might hold. I’ve told you; death was a constant everyday fear to my people. Each new day was a gift. And do you think I would be here if all I did was focus on the past? We may have been the aggressors, but don’t sell yourself short on the damage you inflicted on us. Not to mention the amount of pain and heartbreak Ichigo put me through. If the past was all that mattered, I would have wiped my hands of Earth. But I was looking towards the future. For me, that was a life with Ichigo, which now also includes all of you.”

Mint couldn’t help but drop her eyes from Kish’s piercing gaze. She was completely caught off guard and at a loss for words. What he said made sense, but it made her feel like her entire argument had been negated. If the past wasn’t as important as she thought, then why was she clinging to it so tightly? Why was she still wanting to see the aliens punished for what they had done? She drummed her manicured nails on the table as she thought and muddled over his words. Lifting her eyes, she looked at the other three girls at the table. Pudding seemed to think she should just forgive Kish. Lettuce looked apologetic. And Zakuro was basically telling her to stop being so stubborn. Finally, her eyes drifted back to Kish’s. “Fine, you win,” she huffed.

Before she could continue, Kish cut her off. “This wasn’t about winning or losing. Or even who’s right or wrong. I just wanted to provide some context for my actions. To give you more information so your opinions about me weren’t based solely on my actions from four years ago. And to protect Ichigo. She’s my mate and my soul job is to protect her and ensure her happiness. It hurts her when you two fight. And I know she desperately wants you to accept me and our relationship. But she also knows you’re entitled to your own opinions and feelings. She wouldn’t dream of taking that away from you. So, she’s conflicted. Which is why I stepped in. If I could possibly change your mind, it would make my mate happy. I can’t force you to think or feel any specific way, nor can I force you to forgive me. If you still hate me, then fine. But as long as you continue to distress my mate, I’ll keep my distance. My instincts see you as a threat. And I don’t want to possibly lash out or hurt you.”

“You would really attack me just because I’m upsetting Ichigo?” Mint asked with skepticism.

Sighing, “Yes. But I don’t want to. Ichigo loves you like a sister, so it would hurt her if I hurt you. Plus, through her, I’ve come to care about each of you in your own way. So, I don’t want to hurt you either. But mating instincts can be powerful.”

“If that’s true, then you have my forgiveness and acceptance. If you’re willing to attack me just for Ichigo’s happiness, then you just might be worthy of her. It still may take me some time to fully trust you, but I forgive you.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” he grinned. “Thank you all for listening and for your understanding. I’ve trusted you with parts of my past that my own family don’t know about. All I ask is that you refrain from bringing up what Deep Blue did around me. You’re more than welcome to ask me about anything else though. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a mate to comfort and reassure.” Kish looked towards Pudding, “And I’ll send Tart along. Ichigo and I will be back shortly.” Rising, Kish quickly headed to where he could feel his mate.

“Seriously? You managed to change her mind?” Ichigo asked with skepticism.

“Of course I did. I’ve told you, I’m pretty smooth when it comes to the ladies,” he smirked proudly.

Reaching up, Ichigo tweaked the end of his ear. “That talent better get retired ASAP. I better be the only lady you’re smooth talking to.”

A shiver ran down Kish’s spine and he heard Tart sneeze. “Hey Brat, we’ll meet you and the girls in a bit. Pudding’s waiting for you.” Once Tart had walked away, he turned his attention back to his mate and nuzzled into the side of her neck. Whispering, he said, “If you don’t want the girls to be waiting too long, I suggest releasing my ear.” He punctuated his statement by running the tip of his tongue up her neck then along the rim of her ear.

With a squeak, Ichigo let go of his ear and pulled out of his arms. Standing from the bench, she turned to glare at him. “Pervert,” she muttered.

Instantly, Kish teleported behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her chest and waist, pulling her flush to his body. “Your fault, love,” he whispered against her cheek. “Not only did you touch my ear, but you were getting possessive. You know how that riles my blood.”

Ichigo gave a half-hearted struggle before melting into her mate’s arms. “So, how did you manage to win Mint over?”

“I told you. With my smooth charm and devilish good looks.” He really should have expected the elbow to his side. Wincing, “Okay, okay, my feisty feline.” Fully reopening their link, he showed her the end of his discussion with the girls. “Apparently, my willingness to do whatever it takes to see to your happiness was all it took to gain her forgiveness and acceptance. Though, I have a feeling she’s still going to be a thorn in my side now and then.”

Ichigo giggled and turned around in Kish’s arms, so she faced him. “You’re probably right.” Sliding her arms up his chest, she circled them around his neck. She lost herself in his molten eyes which also held a glimmer of mischief.

“Want something, Kitten?” he smirked knowingly.

“Oh, shut up and kiss me already,” she snapped, but there was no venom in her bite.

Normally, Kish would have countered with a sly or witty remark, but he could see and feel her desperate need of him. She was still struggling with separation anxiety. Letting his hands fall to her lower back, he pulled her against him. His lips captured hers in a soft and tender kiss. He kept his normal desires and aggression at bay. His mate just needed reassurance of both his presence and his love. Pulling away, he placed another quick kiss to her lips. “Come on love. The others are waiting for us.” Taking her hand, he led them back to the patio where the girls were sat.

Upon arriving, Tart glared at Kish, Pudding looked annoyed, and the rest of the girls looked confused. Kish winced. “Forgot to drop the dampening shield, did I?”

Tart glowered harder. “You think? Took me a minute to figure out why I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying. Thankfully, I could at least talk to Pudding, so she understands what’s going on.”

“Heh, sorry.” Bringing his hands together, Kish brought forth the ball of energy then clapped his hands together. The spell instantly shattered. “Sorry about that everyone. I forgot to drop the shield around you all.”

“Wait. If the spell was still active, then how did Tart and I understand you?” Ichigo asked.

“Two reasons. One, we were away from the area I had tied the spell to. Secondly, as the caster, I was both part of the charm and separated from it. Meaning different rules apply. Since I purposely spoke to you and Tart, you could understand me. But as you saw, the others couldn’t speak to Tart because he was outside the shield,” Kish explained as he resumed his seat.

“You and your people really can do some incredible things,” Ichigo commented, taking a seat as well.

Kish chuckled, “Says the girl who can transform into a superhero with cat ears and tail. That can also fully turn into a cat. You are just as incredible, Kitten.”

Pudding wedged a chair in between her and Lettuce and pulled Tart over to it. “We finally ready to order some ice cream?” she happily squealed.

Mint rolled her eyes, “As long as there are no more spells to be cast.” She shot Kish a glare, but it was more in annoyance than actual anger.

Ichigo pointed to the long list of flavors and toppings that was posted next to the ordering window. “I chose for you last time, but those are the flavors if you want to try something different,” she offered Kish.

“Nope. I’ll stick with strawberry,” he winked. “Although, chocolate syrup on top sounds pretty good.”

Giggling, Ichigo placed a quick kiss to Kish’s cheek. “Then I’ll be right back.”

Pudding and Zakuro helped to get the others’ orders and helped Ichigo carry the cups of ice cream back to the table.

Kish gently wrapped an arm around Ichigo’s shoulders and pulled her against his side. She had barely finished her ice cream before her eyes had fluttered shut and her head fell against his shoulder. After giving her a tender smile, he looked up at the others. “I think it’s time I get Ichigo to bed. It seems the excitement of today and the last week have started to catch up with her. Again, thank you all for listening earlier. And thank you Mint, for finally giving me a real chance.” Carefully, he scooped up Ichigo and rose to his feet. “Have a good night everyone.” Keeping his pace steady so he wouldn’t jostle his mate, Kish made his way to the alley he had arrived in and teleported to his room.

With a snap of his fingers, Ichigo’s clothes fell to the floor, and he tenderly tucked her into their bed. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before disappearing into his bathroom. Dropping his glamor, he winced. He had been a bit too rough with his movements throughout the day. A bit of blood had seeped through his bandage and into his shirt. Carefully, Kish peeled off his undershirt and vest. The stark white bandage was stained with fresh blood. Again, he winced as he removed the bandage. Thankfully, it was healing nicely and quickly. Unfortunately, the poison had slowed down his naturally fast healing and he’d pulled a couple of stitches. They weren’t torn, just been pulled too far causing the scab to open and for it to bleed. Digging through a drawer, he found the healing salve he’d used earlier after his shower. He gently dabbed away the blood, cleaning the wound, then covered the whole thing in the salve. He put a fresh bandage over the stitches and sighed. He was surprised he’d managed to keep this from his mate, but he just knew he’d get an earful when she found out. Changing into his softer house shorts, he quickly made his way to the bridge of his ship.

It was still early, only around six or so Tokyo time, so he figured he could get some more work done. Picking the closest signal, which was an infuser, Kish settled himself into the pilot’s chair. Making sure the cloak was still active, he flicked his hand across the main panel, pressing several buttons. Then he wrapped his hand around the joystick and began to slowly maneuver his ship towards the infuser’s signal. He and Tart had only managed to narrow down a few of the signals which still left three infusers and three predacites to track down. They had a rough estimate of where they were, but Kish wanted to narrow down the search area as much as possible to keep any possible surprises to a minimum.

Tart appeared not long after. “Manage to locate anymore?” he asked as he took a seat behind Kish at the main computer console that was currently displaying all the signals they had found.

“Nah. Still homing in on the closest one. Mind manning the screen and giving me headings?” Kish answered, keeping his attention locked on the screens and window in front of him.

“Sure thing. A little more to starboard and you’ll almost be on top of it. I’ll start rescanning.”

Doing as Tart said, Kish maneuvered the ship over the coordinates of the signal and eased off the throttle. He then lowered the ship until he hovered just above the tallest buildings in the area. Relaxing back in his chair, he waited for the computer to do another scan of the area. But he could feel Ichigo stirring so he partially shifted his focus to her.

“Where are you?” Ichigo asked with a yawn. She was surprised when she woke up alone. Kish rarely missed an opportunity to hold her naked body.

Kish snickered at her thoughts. ‘She’s not wrong,’ he thought to himself. “Tart and I are on the bridge. We’re trying to narrow down the locations of the rest of the infusers and predacites. You’re welcome to join us, Kitten.”

Rolling out of bed, Ichigo rummaged through her dresser until she found a pair of pink pajama shorts that had gray pawprints all over it and the matching tank. Pulling the pajamas on, she made her way to the bridge. She took a moment to take it in. It was much larger and way more impressive than the cockpit of the skiff.

There were three seats directly in front of the large glass window and console. A large seat in the center, which was obviously for the pilot, was where Kish was currently sitting. A slightly smaller chair sat to each side and two behind those chairs that faced each side of the ship in front of two different looking computer terminals. There were several small screens above the window displaying some kind of information that was in Kish’s home language and more buttons, switches, dials, and keys than Ichigo had ever seen littering the console in front of Kish.

“Hey Brat,” she nodded to Tart as she headed to Kish’s side. Placing her hand on the back of his chair, she peered over his shoulder and out the window. “Wow, we’re so close to the ground. You sure no one can see or detect us?”

Grinning, Kish wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her into his lap. “Don’t worry, Kitten. The ship’s camouflage keeps it hidden and its stealth abilities will keep it off any radar.”

When Tart heard Ichigo eep, he glanced over at the pair. Clearing his throat, “I’m still here so no funny business.”

Rolling his eyes at Tart, “That isn’t the only thing ever on my mind ya know.” He let his arms wrap loosely around Ichigo’s waist and rested his chin on her shoulder when he felt her start to struggle. “Relax, mate. I just wanted to cuddle and hold you. This seat also has the best view on the ship.”

Giving in, Ichigo relaxed against her mate. “Fine, but you better behave.”

“Yeah right,” Tart snarked. “That’s all you think about since you mated.”

“Laugh it up twerp. It will be the same for you when you mate Pudding. The mating instincts aren’t easy to ignore or turn off,” Kish quipped right back.

Tart’s cheeks turned bright pink. “Feh. Whatever,” he muttered under his breath.

“So, is that the only reason you’re always so keen on sleeping with me?” Ichigo asked hesitantly.

Kish refocused on Ichigo and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Now, you should know better than that, Kitten. Mated or not, I’d still crave feeling your naked body pressed beneath mine. I’ve craved your touch long before I chose you as my mate. The mate instincts just increase my already high desire for you.”

A light blush tinged her cheeks. She felt better knowing it was her and not the mating instincts that kept Kish’s focus on her. “Good,” she affirmed.

Kish just shook his head and gave her a soft peck on the cheek. “Any luck with the new scan?” Kish asked Tart over his shoulder.

A couple of hours later, they had managed to pinpoint everything except one predacite and two infusers. Kish was in the process of moving the ship back near Tokyo Tower. He kept his movements smooth, for Ichigo had curled up and fallen asleep in his lap. Once the ship was securely parked, Kish carefully picked up his sleeping mate. As he passed by Tart, who was sending the new coordinates to Ryou’s computer, he made a request. “Ichigo and I are going to hunt the targets tomorrow. Do you mind sticking aboard the ship? I’d like you and Ryou to coordinate with each other and direct us to our targets. I’d also like you to have the computer run some additional scans on the three we couldn’t zero in on. Plus, I’d like to have you available in case we need help. My energy reserves are basically back to one hundred percent, but my wound still needs at least a couple more days to fully heal. I won’t be able to dual wield my blades unless absolutely necessary and definitely not for long. With our new plan, I’d rather not get the other Mews involved. It doesn’t work with the narrative, but if the news catches you with us, it should be fine.”

Tart frowned, “That wound should be healed by now. And yeah, I’ll stay on the ship, but are you sure you’re up for some fights?” Both he and Kish were keeping their voices low so as not to disturb Ichigo.

“The poison unfortunately slowed down my healing, but I’ll be fine. But that’s also why I want you on standby. Just in case we end up with something like that swamp chimera.” Kish affirmed. He knew he could fight; it just wouldn’t be for long or at his best. Even holding Ichigo as he was, was pulling uncomfortably at his wound.

“What time did you want to start tomorrow?” Tart asked.

Shifting his hold on Ichigo so his right arm carried most of her weight, “Let’s say nine. She and I will stop by the café first so I can patch one of our comm channels through to Ryou’s computer and we can get coordinated.”

“Sounds good,” Tart nodded. “Now get her to bed. I’m sure she’s still exhausted from this week, and I can see you trying to hide a wince.”

Kish snorted. “Which one of us is the big brother?”

Tart snickered, “Neither, but without Pai, someone has to keep an eye on you.”

Kish just stuck out his tongue. “Pushy little brat,” he muttered. “We’ll see you in the morning.”