I Belong To You: A Kisshu And Ichigo Love Story

Chapter 19: If Someone Is Yours

wishing to fall in love,

i pop a strawberry

into my mouth

- koi shita ya ichigo hito-tsubu kuchi ni ire, Masajo, 1961

Kisshu floated in and out of consciousness. He sometimes heard voices, but recognized none of them. Foggy images danced in front of his eyes, but he could never make them out. He saw pink. He saw red. He felt something warm on his cheek. There was a hand smoothing down his hair. There was a sweet voice in his ear…

I'll always…by your side.

What? Kisshu supposed his brain was broken – or maybe he was having hallucinations. There was no way that sweet voice could be saying something like that. Put that way, it almost sounded like she wanted to stay with him, and that couldn't possibly be true. Maybe he was dead…that wasn't so unlikely…he had gotten hurt, after all…he didn't remember much after he'd teleported out of the landfill…

Except…except…Ichigo.

Kisshu opened his eyes. He blinked. Staring upward, it took him a few moments to resign to the fact that he must be dead. Because there was no way that what he was seeing could be real. No way that this could be anything other than some sort of paradise.

Ichigo's eyes, sparkling like sugar dusted over pink satin, were looking straight into his eyes as if trying to fill him with light. Kisshu tried hard to focus. Her expression was so warm, so comforting, so happy…

Yup – definetly dead. There's no way Ichigo would look at me that way. Her eyes…it's as if they're saying they…they…

"I…Ichi...go?" Kisshu said. His voice went no higher than a hoarse whisper. But the vision responded immedietly.

"Kisshu, you're awake!"

She reached out and placed a gloved hand against his cheek, cupping his face in her palm. Her black cat ears twitching, she leaned over so that she could stroke his hair with her other hand. Kisshu's eyes hungrily took in every inch of her he could see – her pink dress, her smooth skin, her beautiful face.

He wasted no time in admiring the vision. He reached for her face, his arm excruciatingly heavy. "Beautiful…" he whispered. His fingers rested on her cheek, and she reached up to over his hand with hers. She smiled – he felt as if he were being washed away into a sea, with nothing but the glow of the melting sun sustaining him as he floated away. He didn't dare blink, for fear the vision would disappear.

"So," he said, trying to make conversation with his goddess, "you finally found a way back, koneko-chan?" His voice still sounded strange – like he was underwater.

Another smile. "Hai, Kisshu-kun. I'm back as Mew Ichigo. It was you that helped me remember how. I could only do it because…well, because…" The angel blushed with pleasure, and said happily, "…because I love you."

The beautiful face watched him as he stared. "I love you, Kisshu-kun."

"Ichigo…"

His sight was fading. His brain couldn't understand what she was saying. He tried his best to hold on.

"Ichigo," he said desprately, "Ichigo, don't go-"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"No you won't," Kisshu moaned. "You're just a dream, koneko-chan. The best…the only one I've ever..."

Even though his vision was going black, Kisshu heard a light, happy laugh. "You'll see, Kisshu-kun. Go back to sleep for now. I'll stay right here with you."