Consumed

By: Mew Ami

Chapter two: Possibilities

Ichigo and Kisshu arrived at Café Mew Mew and meet with Ryou in the dining room. He didn't look thrill to have Kisshu working at the café, but it was always nice to hire more help.

"I'm going to have you start out by waiting on tables," Ryou explain to Kisshu. "You'll go around and take the costumers' orders and bring them their orders."

The alien nodded his head.

"Ichigo," said Ryou and turned to the cat girl. "Since it's his first day I'm going to have him shadow you throughout the night. Show him the ropes and have him practice waiting on the costumers."

The cat girl gave Ryou a nasty look. She wasn't happy that Kisshu was going to follow her around tonight. Ryou gave her a do it or else look as well and she nodded her head. The cat girl then headed to the girl's locker room to get ready for work.

"Kisshu, here's your uniform," said Ryou and grab a pair of clothes off the table that they were standing in front of. "The boys's locker room is next to the girl's."

Kisshu grabbed the uniform and headed in the direction that Ichigo went in. He spotted her and saw her went into a room. He walked over to it and saw to the right of it was the boys's locker room. Kisshu opened the door and went inside.

Meanwhile in the girl's locker room Ichigo opened up her locker and took off her school's uniform shirt. She then heard the door open up and turned and saw Lettuce and Minto entering the room.

"Hey," Ichigo said greeting them.

The girls greeted her back and went to their own lockers to get ready for work.

"Ichigo," said Minto.

"Hmm?" Ichigo replied and turned her head to face her friend.

"I heard Kisshu is living here on Earth now."

"Yeah, he is."

"Also that he attends your school and works here as well."

"Unfortunately."

"Ichigo!" cried her friend. "This is your chance!"

"My chance?" Ichigo asked in a confused voice.

"To finally be in a relationship again!" replied Minto. "You said it yourself that you would never find another man."

"Honestly," Ichigo said after she put on her work uniform. She then closed her locker door and looked back at her friend. "Minto, I'm not going to go out with him just because he likes me."

"I'm just saying that's all. You need to open your mind up to the possibilities."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and said, "Why are you nagging me about this all of the sudden? He has only been here for one day."

"I'm just trying to be a good friend. I know you were quite upset with your last break up."

Ichigo was quiet as she remembered her last relationship from a few months ago. Things started out great and the last few months of the relationship things went downhill fast. She just shook her head and left the locker room. She didn't want to think about it anymore. Ichigo returned to the dining hall and was soon joined by Kisshu. She then started to explain the procedures of opening and closing the café. Once he understood everything, Ichigo then explain how to the wait on tables and how to bring orders.

After all the explanations, Ichigo and Kisshu started to get ready to open the café. As they were working Lettuce and Minto joined them. Later on Pudding and Zakuro finally arrived to work. Once the café was open for business, Kisshu followed Ichigo around as she waited on tables. He watched her carefully and took notes in his mind. After a while Ichigo let Kisshu wait on some tables and he had a little trouble at first, but quickly got the grasp of things. One of the tables he waited on was a group of giggly girls. Kisshu gave them a big smile and started to take their orders. When he went to place their orders, Ichigo remained near the table and overheard the girls talking about Kisshu's "charm" and good looks. She bit her lip and for some reason she felt slightly annoyed by the girls' gossip.

For the rest of the night the Café Mew Mew waiters were busy as bees. Before they knew it business hours were over. After cleaning up the dining area, Ichigo got back into her school uniform and headed home. When she left the café's front yard, she heard a voice calling out to her. She stopped and looked back and saw Kisshu running toward her.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked him when he caught up to her.

"I thought we could walk home together since Keiichiro's apartment is in the same direction," the alien replied.

"But you can teleport."

"So? Can't I walk home with a friend?"

"I guess," said Ichigo and continued to press on with Kisshu following right along aside her.

"I don't know why you always complained about working at the café. It's a breeze," said Kisshu trying to start a conversation.

"Well, you didn't work here three years ago. I was the one who was pulling all the weight," replied Ichigo.

"Well, it must be nice not to work as hard."

"You have no idea."

"So it seems that I was popular with the girls tonight at work," said the alien changing the topic trying to keep the conversation going.

"Really? I didn't notice," said Ichigo trying not look annoyed.

"Then what's with the annoyed look?" Kisshu asked her in a teasing voice.

"I have a headache right now."

"Liar."

"I am not lying!" She nearly shouted at him.

"I was just teasing you."

"Must you?"

"I could flirt with you, but I would like to take things slow."

"Slow?" Ichigo question him.

"Well, I do want to earn your trust and I think the best way to do that is to become friends with you first."

Ichigo stopped walking and stared at him in awe. She never thought Kisshu could act this mature. She just thought he agreed not to flirt with her at school. Maybe she should give him more respect.

"I would like that," she said.

The alien turned to look at her and noticed she was standing still. He stopped and faced her with a friendly smile.

"So do you think it's possible?"

Ichigo nodded her head and said, "Yes, if you treat me with respect."

"I think I can do that."

Ichigo returned his smile and the two continued to walk home together. As they were walking Kisshu remember overhearing the conversation between Ichigo and Minto through the air vent. He wondered if he should ask her about it. He was curious if they were talking about Ichigo's relationship with Aoyama or some other guy. Kisshu really wanted to know about Aoyama's whereabouts. He didn't see him at school.

"Um, Ichigo," said the alien. He was going to take a risk and ask her about it. "When I was getting dress for work, I overheard your conversation with Minto."

"You did?" Ichigo replied not sure about what to make of this.

"Yeah, I have better hearing than humans and I heard you through the vent that was in the room," explained Kisshu. "So I was wondering what happened to Aoyama? You don't have to tell me if you don't want too."

Ichigo sighed in relief. She was glad he thought that her and Minto were talking about Aoyama. "We broke up a few months before we starting high school. Things didn't feel right between us anymore. We weren't feeling a passionate love like we did when we started dating. So now we're just friends. I'm actually glad we ended it because when high school started Masaya left Japan to go study in England."

"Well, I'm glad you guys are still friends."

"Me too. We write each other."

"That must be nice." Kisshu was glad she answered his question. Now, he was certain that Ichigo and Minto were talking about a different guy in the locker room. He wanted to ask her about it, but decided to save that for another day. He needed earn her trust first.

The two continued to walk with each other until they came across an intersection. Kisshu told her it was time for them part ways and that he would see her tomorrow at school. He then said goodbye to her and turned the corner at the intersection. Ichigo watched him leave and then crossed the street and shortly after she returned home. When she got home, Ichigo headed straight to bed. She was tired after a long day.

The next morning Ichigo woke up to her alarm going off like crazy. She sat up and grabbed it and had a panic attack. It was a quarter after seven and her alarm clock was set to go off at quarter til seven. She couldn't believe that she was sleeping through her alarm and school was starting in 30 minutes! Ichigo turned off the alarm and got dressed for school quickly. After getting dressed, Ichigo headed straight out the door and didn't grab any breakfast. She ran down the street and when she got to her school, Ichigo was all out of breath. She stopped at that entrance to her school to catch her breath. Once she could breathe again, Ichigo ran inside and quickly slipped into her school shoes. She then ran down the school's hallway and made it to her classroom with a few minutes to spare. Ichigo sat down at her desk and rested her head on surface of the desk.

"Over slept again?" asked Miwa.

Ichigo looked up at her friend and said, "Yes, I didn't hear when my alarm clock went off this morning."

"Wow maybe you set it a little earlier?"

"I did."

"Go to bed earlier?"

"I think I was just tired from work at last night. We were really busy last night, right Kisshu?" Ichigo asked the alien and looked back at him. He nodded his head in agreement.

"You guys work together?" asked Moe.

"Yep," replied Ichigo. "Yesterday was his first day."

"Interesting," said Moe and gave Miwa a side way glanced.

"What's interesting?" Ichigo asked confused. Kisshu slightly chuckled at Moe's reaction.

Before Ichigo's friend could answer the school bell rang and the teacher entered the classroom. The class quiet down as the teacher began to take attendance and after taking roll the school day began. After lunch, the class headed to gym class, on their way to locker rooms Ichigo explained to Kisshu that during gym they played sports. She told him that today they would be playing volleyball and she explained the rules to him. Kisshu got the jest of it and was excited to play the game. He would just have to remember not use his alien powers. Once the class got into the gym uniforms, they gathered in the gym and stood in front of their gym teacher. The teacher than split up into teams and they took the court. Ichigo was glad her and Kisshu were on the same team. She could keep an eye on him in case he used his powers.

The two teams took to the court and Ichigo's team started. The person who was serving the ball couldn't get over the net so the opposing got the ball. The opposing team server spiked the ball and the ball went flying over to back of the court. Ichigo quickly called out mine and bumped the ball back over the net. One of the players on the other side hit the ball back, but this time in flying toward the front of court. Kisshu went for the ball by jumping into the air. He spiked the ball back over and as he hit the ball Ichigo noticed he was floating in the air. She quickly went over to him and hit his back with her fist. Kisshu felt her punch and landed on the ground. He looked back at her and she gave him a look. Kisshu then realize he was using his powers. He turned around and focused on the game and told himself to pretend he was human. Him telling himself over and over helped him throughout the game. After gym class, Ichigo waited for him outside the boy's locker room. When he came out, the two walked back to their classroom together.

"Kisshu, you have to watch it in gym class," Ichigo said in harsh voice. "People might notice the fact that you can fly."

"I know I know," said Kisshu acting like it was no big deal. "I only floated for a few minutes."

"Yeah, until I punched you."

"I would have noticed."

"Oh, really?"

"Okay maybe not, but still! You don't need to scold me like a child."

"Sorry, I just don't want people to find out about your powers."

"It's fine. Just be thankful I didn't hit the volleyball with my full strength."

"Yes I am."

"Well, that was a fun sport," said Kisshu changing the subject. "So will we be playing other sports?"

"Yeah. We'll play volleyball for two weeks then switch to something else. When it gets warmer, we'll go outside."

"Sweet. I think I'm going to like human sports."

"Do you have sports back home?"

"Kind of. I mean we have some sports from our ancestors who lived on Earth. We haven't invented any new sports since we revived our planet."

"Maybe you can introduce humans sports when you go back home."

"Perhaps."

After school, Ichigo and Kisshu walked to work together. That night at work Ryou had Kisshu wait on tables on his own. Throughout the night he messed up few of costumers' orders and gave one costumer the wrong the receipt. But other than that, Kisshu did a decent job and Ryou was happy he didn't do anything too bad.

The next day Ichigo woke up early and was relieved that she didn't almost sleep through her alarm clock. She got out of bed and got dressed for school. After eating breakfast, Ichigo walked to school and when she arrived, she saw her friends at their shoe lockers. Moe and Miwa were at school early for the student council meeting. Her friends were the representatives for their class.

"Morning," Ichigo greeted them as she opened up her shoe locker.

"Ichigo, you're here early," said Miwa in shock.

"I know scary, isn't it? I set my alarm clock super early this morning," said Ichigo while she was switching shoes. She then put her streets shoes in the locker and closed the door. Ichigo looked at her friends and noticed Moe was just staring at her.

"Is there something on my face, Moe?" Ichigo asked and touch her cheeks with her hand.

"No, I was thinking about if I should tell you something," Moe replied and crossed her arms crossed her chest.

"Tell me what?"

"I guess I should. Ichigo, there's a rumor about you and Ikisatashi going round."

"What!?" Ichigo cried in disbelief.

Moe nodded her head and said, "Our classmates are saying that you guys are an item."

"Well, we're not."

"But you guys are always together," said Miwa.

"He's been here for like two days! I'm just making him feel welcome!" Ichigo lied to her friends.

"That could be, but you address him by his first name," said Moe suspiciously.

"We work together!"

"But yesterday you said it was his first day."

"Look, there is nothing between us. Now, I'm going," said Ichigo angrily and headed to their classroom. She couldn't believe how her classmates were quick to thinking that she had a thing for Kisshu.

Ichigo entered her classroom and saw she was the first one there. She sat down at her desk and got out her math homework. Last night she fell asleep in the middle of her homework. Ichigo then got a pencil out of her school bag and started on her math homework. She had three problems left. Ichigo breezed through the first two problems, but when she got to the third she had no idea how to solve it. She sat there staring at until she heard the door open. Ichigo turned to see who it was and it was Kisshu. He closed the door and sat down at his desk.

"Hey," he said.

"You're here early," Ichigo said to him in surprise. "You don't strike me as a morning person."

"I'm not, but Keiichiro made sure I got up for school," Kisshu replied and then saw Ichigo's homework laying on her desk. "You don't strike me as procrastinator."

Ichigo looked back at her desk and then looked back at him and replied, "Sadly I am. I was actually working on this last night, but I fell asleep in middle of it. When, I woke up it was time for bed."

"Nice."

"I only have one problem left, but I can't solve it."

"Our math homework?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that was easy! Here I can help you," said Kisshu and got up from his desk. He then got next to Ichigo and leaned over her desk. He read the problem aloud to her and then guided her through it.

As he was helping her Ichigo looked up at his face and noticed his eyes were very bright. She felt herself getting lost in them for a few minutes. Then the rumor about her and Kisshu popped in her mind. She sat there and thought about it and understood why it got started. The two of them did act pretty close and her calling him by his first name made it even more believable. Ichigo wasn't happy that rumor was going around and wondered if she should stop "acting close" to Kisshu. She then remembered Kisshu wanting to be friends with her. Ichigo let out a sigh and realize if she acted indifferent to him at school it could make things harder for them.

"Ichigo," said Kisshu.

"Huh?" she replied.

"Are you listening? It looked like you were spacing out."

"I'm sorry, Kisshu. Can you start from the beginning?"

"Sure thing," he said. Kisshu then restarted explaining the problem and this time Ichigo paid attention. Once she understood what to do, Ichigo was able to solve the problem.

"Thank you so much. I didn't know you were good at math."

"I'm smarter than I look. Math comes to me very easily so if you need any help I'm your guy."

Ichigo smiled at him and said, "Awesome because math doesn't come to me easily."

The classroom door then suddenly opened up and their classmates started coming in. Some of them gave Ichigo and Kisshu looks. Ichigo decided to ignore them and let them think what they want.

Later that night, Kisshu was in his bedroom lying on his bed with his laptop out. He was looking through his email, when he was suddenly interrupt by video call. He accepted the call and Pai appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Pai," said Kisshu. "How are you?"

"No, time for that Kisshu," his friend replied. "The Elders want your help."

"My help?"

"Today sensitive information was leaked to the public which was that the leader, Hakai for the opposing group escaped from jail."

"What!?" Kisshu yelled in utter shock. "Our leaders were keeping this from us!? When did the guy escape?"

"A few days ago."

"Wow our justice system sucks."

"Kisshu, detectives believe that Hakai probably went to Earth."

"He's here? By himself? What about his followers?"

"His followers were shocked by the news too. So the detectives believe he's here on his own, but they're not positive. So they're staying our planet to make sure he's not there in hiding."

"So do the Elders want me to search for him while the detectives stay home?"

"Yes, I guess you returning to Earth had a purpose."

Kisshu frown and said, "I guess."

"Would you like me to come and help you?"

"No, I got this and I have the mews here if I need any help."

"Alright, please keep me posted as much as possible."

"I will," said Kisshu and hung up on Pai. Kisshu sat up and got up from his bed and then left his room. He saw Keiichiro in the living room watching some TV. "Keiichiro?"

The chef looked up at the alien and replied, "What is it?"

"I got a called from Pai and he said there may be an escape convict from my planet hiding here on Earth."

"An escape convict?"

"Yes, his name is Hakai and he's a leader of a group of people who want to reclaim Earth. Him and his brother we're sent to jail about a month go for violet protesting."

"I see," said Keiichiro and rub his chin. "Sounds like we should tell Ryou about this. I'll go give him a call." Keiichiro got up from the couch and went into the kitchen to call Ryou. He returned momentarily. "He wants to talk about this person so he's on his way over here."

"Alright," said the alien and sat down on the couch. The chef joined him and the two of them watched TV until Ryou arrived.

Keiichiro got the door and the two men entered the living room. Ryou sat down on the arm chair that was sitting next the couch. Keiichiro sat back down on the couch and turned off the TV with the remote.

"Keiichiro told me what happened, Kisshu. What are your plans?" Ryou asked him once the TV turned off.

"Well, my leaders aren't sure if he's here, but if he is they want me to capture him and return him back to jail. It shouldn't be too hard and I should be able to handle it myself. The only difficulty is finding him here on Earth. He could be anywhere."

"Well, my computers may be able to locate him," said Ryou. "However it won't be able tell you the exact location just in the general area. I hope he's here in Tokyo."

"He could be since the mews are here and he may want to get rid of them."

"We should probably inform the girls then," suggested Keiichiro.

"No," said Ryou. "We shouldn't have to drag them into this if Kisshu said this would be an easy task. Besides Keiichiro, you told me he may not be here. What's the point of telling them if it turns out this guy isn't even here?"

"Ryou, are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. If he is here and things do get serious then we'll tell them. Now, I'll head to the lab and tried to locate this guy. It may take a while because it's been since I had to locate an alien."

"Sounds good," said Kisshu. "Pai said he escape a few days ago. So if he is here he's probably just laying low until heat has died down."

After Ryou left the apartment, Kisshu went into this room and changed into his alien clothes. He then took of the alien patch and left his room and told Keiichiro he was going to do a quick search around the city. Kisshu teleport out the apartment and appeared above the city. He flew around searching high and low for Hakai.

An hour went by and he saw no sign of the alien. Kisshu decided to move out into the suburbs of the city. He flew over in the area that Ichigo lived and restarted his search. As he was flying around he noticed a black cat sitting on Ichigo's house's roof. He paid no attention to it and flew over the house. Once he left, the black cat jumped down the roof and onto a tree that was crossed from Ichigo's bedroom window. It sat there until the lights went off in her room. The cat jumped onto the windowsill and went through the window.

A/N: Here it is at last! I am so sorry about the wait! I didn't mean to take so long to update Consumed. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing the interactions between Ichigo and Kisshu. It's fun writing older versions of them. Well, I'll see you all in chapter three and this time it won't take this long.

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