Ichigo stood on the street corner, basking in the beautiful sun rays that warmed her pale skin. She was standing there, waiting, but for nothing in particular. She stood and looked on at the view in front of her, and it melted her heart a little. The sun was out, and there was only a slight cool breeze to break the heat. Evening was coming, the sun would be setting soon, but families were still out with children running about, enjoying the day while it lasted. A small smile crept across Ichigo's pretty features, and she thought about, not for the first, what it would be like to be one of them, normal people. So much less to think about, so much less reason to worry...

A bare arm slipped around her waist, and she was startled. "Aoyama-kun..?" Ichigo asked, turning around.

"Aw, come on honey! How many times have I gotta tell you?" Amber eyes gleamed bright in the fading sunlight, and a mouth twisted into a grin, showing two small pointed teeth.

"Kisshu!" Ichigo exclaimed, jolting away from him, but his arm only wrapped tighter around her small body.

"What, you wanna leave already? I haven't seen you for ages! I wanna have some fun! " Kish's eyes glittered wickedly, and he twisted his captive's body around to face him. Pushing his body up against hers, he grabbed her chin with his free hand, till their faces were only millimetres apart.

"F-f-fun?" Ichigo whispered, drawn in by the slight sparkle of his deep eyes.

"Yeah, fun.."

Kisshu licked his lips slowly, snaking his arm even tighter around Ichigo's waist. She felt, somewhere deep inside of her, that this was wrong, she shouldn't be doing this, but Kisshu's dazzling eyes in his gentle gaze tugged her in his direction, she just couldn't resist. As he tilted her face up towards his own, he closed his eyes dreamily and leaned in towards the beautiful girl in his arms.

The sun dipped behind the silhouettes of forgotten buildings, creating long, graceful shadows of the embracing couple, stretching across the deserted street. The slight streak of orange on the horizon set a strange glow upon them, and the light reflected enticingly in Kisshu's glittering eyes as he and Ichigo broke apart. She had tears in her eyes, tears that sparkled and shone in the light of sunset, but a small smile crept across her face, and she gazed up at the one who held her.

"Ichigo..." Kisshu began, but she silenced his words with a soft kiss, breaking it off but leaving her face resting against his smooth cheek.

"Don't say anything...don't...spoil the moment..." Ichigo whispered, tears slipping from her eyes as she released th words. She closed her eyes, and felt a gentle hand on her face. Kisshu was wiping the tears from her eyes, whilst welling up himself.

"You know I hate it when you cry..." He said, softly.

"But Kisshu, I...I... I'm sor-"

It was his turn now, and he pressed his lips against hers. He didn't need to hear it, he couldn't stand for those words to slip from those tempting lips of hers. It didn't matter. All that mattered was her being with him, right here, right now. The past didn't matter anymore, he wasn't bothered, and he didn't care what happened, as long as he could stay by the side of the girl he loved, who he held so tightly to his chest.

Kisshu and Ichigo were so caught up in the moment, so involved in the presence of one another, that they did not hear the footsteps come from behind them, nearing them, coming closer every second.

"Ichigo!?" The shout startled the pair, and they jolted apart, but still holding one another.

Aoyama Masaya was stood next to them, a look of horror on his youthful face. "Ichigo.." he said again, this time slower, quieter, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

"A-Aoyama-kun?!" Ichigo exclaimed, her bright eyes wide with surprise, but whilst making no attempt to escape Kisshu's arms.

"What are you doing, with him?!" Masaya roared at her, shaking with anger. "What about me, what am I? Nothing? Am I nothing to you? I thought... I thought you liked me!"

Tears welled up in Ichigo's eyes again, and she trembled with fear. She had never seen him this angry, never heard him raise his voice, and most definitely, never at her.

"Yeah, well looks like you thought wrong, kid. I think you'll find she's mine," Kisshu replied with malice, pulling Ichigo close to him again. His usual cheeky grin was far from his face, he was deadly serious.

"Ichigo! What has he done to you? Did he force you? Blackmail?" Masaya interrogated her, quizzical horror still obvious on his face.

Ichigo stood, like a deer frozen in glaring headlights, not knowing what to do, what to say. She had loved Masaya, hadn't she? She'd always loved him, she thought, she'd had a crush on him since forever, so what was she doing now, with Kisshu? He was meant to be their enemy, wasn't he?

She stepped away from Kisshu, and he let her go, but his eyes were sad.

Standing between Kisshu and Masaya, she was torn. Masaya, he had always been there, she had liked him forever. Or so she thought.

But then there was Kisshu. The first time they had met, he had kissed her, and she could never forget that. She couldn't shake it from her mind for days, but that didn't mean anything, did it? Ichigo looked Masaya straight in the face, trying to see what she had once seen. The anger faded from his face, and he stared at her with confused features, and furrowed brows. She softened a little at his deep brown eyes, but forced herself to tear her eyes away.

She turned back to face Kisshu, and her heart skipped a beat. Could it be, that maybe she had really loved him all along? If she hadn't cared about him, she should have been able to dismiss that kiss, to dismiss all the things he said to her, and the way he made her feel. His deep eyes looked pleadingly back into hers, two bright sparkling amber jewels in the darkness. Ichigo was torn.

Should she choose the one who she had loved, or at least thought she had loved, with the sad brown eyes, or the one who claimed to love her, with the exciting, golden eyes, like orbs of light in a dark world?

What a fool she had been, she shouldn't even have had to think about it. She knew who she loved right now. It wasn't a difficult choice. Jewels are always better than mud. Besides, she loved it when he called her Kitty.

Ichigo took one last glance at Masaya, and his sad dark eyes, and ran into Kisshu's welcoming arms. Kisshu's eyes shone with tears, and his face broke into a grin, holding Ichigo close as she sobbed into his chest. Kisshu looked down at her, and she looked up into his glittering eyes, and he whispered gently to her, "Shall we go home now?"

Masaya looked on in amazement at her choice, but without warning, Ichigo and Kisshu faded out of view, and were gone.

"Ichigo..." Masaya whispered into the night, but there was only a sleek black cat there to hear his words.