AN: Hey everyone. I know it has been so long since I posted a Tokyo Mew Mew fic. It is hard when you are writing for 3 categories with multiple fics in each! lol. So here is a new fanfic... can be read alone or as Kitty Fluff's sequel. Hope you guys like it! Please review!

Ichigo walked down the street, her school uniform's skirt swaying gently in the breeze. She looked at her watch; she still had a good half an hour left before school started. She re-adjusted her school bag on her shoulder and paused for a minute on the sidewalk. She didn't want to see him. She and her boyfriend of almost a year had just broken up recently. She really didn't want to see him, not to mention all the girls in her school talking behind her back about possible reasons why she broke up with her hot popular kendo boyfriend.

Ichigo felt something brush up against her bare legs and she almost jumped. Looking down, she found a small gray kitty meowing at her ankle. She recognized it immediately as Alto. He looked up at her with concerned eyes, its head nuzzling against her bare leg. She felt her cheeks turn bright red. As if the cat sensed that he was the cause of her tinted cheeks, he let out a small meow. She stared at the kitty for a second before lowering herself down to his level, resting on her ankles. He started purring as he rubbed against her shoulder. She blushed and then gently picked him up.

"Nya," the cat said softly as Ichigo held him in her arms.

She smiled down at him and then continued walking to her school. She stopped just outside the school, in the courtyard, and looked around. There weren't a lot of people around, probably because she was so early today. She was just about to ask Alto why he had followed her, when she saw him. Her ex. He spotted her as well and walked over to her.

"Ichigo," he stated formally.

"Aoyama," she said back and held more tightly unto the gray cat.

"I didn't know you had a cat," Masaya said, as he looked around, feigning indifference.

"He's not mine," Ichigo said, blushing as she stared down at the cat looking up at her with big turquoise orbs. Only she knew that this cat transformed into her very attractive older boss Ryou.

" Oh," Masaya stated unintelligently, returning his gaze to Ichigo.

" Nya," the cat meowed. Ichigo laughed having understood what he'd said being a neko herself.

"That was intelligent," he had said.

"What's so funny?" Masaya asked staring at her and then at the cat, who somehow looked rather too content being in her arms.

"Nothing," Ichigo lied and looked around to see if anyone was watching.

Masaya's face grew all serious when she returned her gaze. She gulped. "How's Ryou," he asked plainly.

Alto's ears perked up. His eyes darted up to stare at Ichigo. She blushed at the mention of his name. He smiled to himself. She was so cute when she blushed. He was so in love with the girl. He couldn't be happier than he was right now, cuddled up in her delicate arms, even if it was only in his cat form. She knew who he was and yet she had picked him up, that had to count for something right?

"He's fine."

Masaya rolled his eyes. "You two an item now?" he asked bitterly.

Ichigo couldn't help but look at the cat in her arms her cheeks tinted with pink. He was staring at her his blue eyes searching hers for an answer. Her heart raced. Those were the exact same eyes Ryou had in his human form. Ever since he had comforted her a few days ago, when she had broken up with Masaya, she had started to feel things for him. She quickly averted her hopeful gaze before she let anything slip in her expression.

"No. Of course not."

"But isn't it obvious how he feels?" Masaya asked calming his tone a little.

Ichigo shook her head. "Trust me, he doesn't like me."

Her mind said those words, but her heart couldn't help but hope that she was wrong. And as if her eyes had a mind of their own, she looked down at Alto. His eyes stared back at her. Could he really like her?

"He… doesn't like me…" she repeated, her eyes focused on Alto, almost begging him to prove her wrong. He had been unusually affectionate when she had first met him today after all.

Alto meowed, not saying anything in particular rather just making the noise. He stood in her arms and nuzzled his head in her shoulder. Her cheeks heated up as she stared. His paws gently pawed at her and he meowed a few more times as he nuzzled her.

"Is your cat okay?" Masaya asked, annoyed that the cat was receiving more attention than he was. Her eyes didn't leave the cat.

"Shut up, Masaya," she breathed as she watched Alto's every action in baited breath. So deeply immerged in her bubble, she didn't even notice when Masaya huffed loudly and then stormed off.

"You're wrong, Strawberry," he mewed softly. Her heart melted.

"I am?" she asked in a whisper, unable to find her voice.

He nodded. Looking around, he saw that the school yard was now deserted and transformed back into a human. As like it happened when Ichigo found out his secret, months ago, his transformation caused him to fall on her as he regained his form. With her lying beneath him he gently brushed the bangs from her eyes. Her heart thudded as he leaned closer to her so that their faces were only inches away.

"I love you, Ichigo," he murmured, his breath tickling her cheek.

"I… I love you too Ryou."

Ryou smiled and closed the distance between them, kissing her lightly on her cheek. She blushed, her eyes never leaving his. He was so sweet. Avoiding his own pleasure to assure that she remained in her human form. Still, she wished for a real kiss.

"For now," he murmured, answering her thoughts on his kiss. "Until we find a solution."

Ichigo nodded and pulled him into her arms, not caring about who might be watching. She just held on tight.