Musuko

By: Hika Yagami

A/N- This is my first shot on a Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic. I hope you like it. I am a huge Keiichiro fan. He's so cute!! He also looks like a male version of me. It's creepy. I'm also sorry about my Digimon fics. deleted them. I'll try to bring the Kouji fic back though. Anyway, on with the story.

-Keiichiro's POV-

It's closing time at Café Mew Mew. I'm doing the dishes when Pudding-san shows up. She seems to pop up out of nowhere.

"Hello Akasaka onii-chan na no da!!" she yells.

"Hello Pudding-san."

"Is something wrong no da? You seen to have something on your mind na no da."

"It's nothing. I'm fine," I insist.

Of course there's no way of hiding things from her. Children seem to have a gift of knowing when something's wrong. She suddenly jumps up in front of me and sits on the counter.

"There is something wrong na no da!! I bet I know what it is no da!!"

I suddenly get nervous.

"What?!?"

"It's about Shirogane onii-chan no da!! You're worried about him na no da!!"

"Yes to be honest."

"Then go talk to him na no da!!"

"What about the dishes?"

"I'll do them no da!!!"

Great! I was trying to think of a way out of it. I want to tell Ryou but he'll probably laugh at me. I love him but not the love that you are expecting. It's a protective kind of love. A kind of love that a father would have for a son. I'm not that surprised. I had to take care of him after his parents died. I was even the one who suggested to Ryou's father that he'd go to collage. I remember what happened.

"Let Ryou go to a university you say?"

"Yes, that might be impossible in Japan but isn't it natural here in America?"

"I wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure if he wants it himself."

I try to explain the situation to him.

"He's too intelligent and is already isolated in that school. Forcing him to continue and to stay in school might not be a good idea."

"Are parent's dreams for their children always in vain? I wonder where he got his unsocible ways."

"I wouldn't know," I answered.

"Lonliness comes with being a genius, I suppose. Akasaka-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Would you become his friend?"

"That's impossible."

"Huh?"

"I'm already friends with him."

"I see."

I wonder how he would feel, if he were still alive, if he found out that I wanted more with Ryou.

I'm walking towards my room when Zakuro-san comes up to me.

"Pudding told me," she says.

"Do you think it's stupid?"

"Not at all. He's been working ragged lately. I understand why you're worried."

"Do you think I should talk to him?"

"What do you think?"

"I know I should but I'm afraid to. Do you think he'll laugh?"

"Knowing him, he never laughs at anything."

"I guess you're right about that."

I'm walking towards the lab. While doing it, started to remember the times while the aliens were still attacking earth. There were times when Ryou went to help the Mew Mews with their battles. I worried about him every time he went. He could've been in danger or hurt. The only thing I could do was sit behind a computer and analyze and track things down. Ryou told me that I did more than enough but I knew better. I wanted to do more for him. To make his life less stressful.

And when Deep Blue appeared and Ryou started to leave to help Ichigo, I wanted to stop him. But I knew he would go anyway. I told him this and he seemed to understand. But what he didn't know was that I started to cry. I was helpless. Then I saw him being attacked and hurt my Deep Blue. I wanted to be there to comfort him but he told me to stay here to find the last Mew Aqua. Everything turned out alright in the end but I still regret Ryou ever going out there in the first place. When he came back, I welcomed him with opened arms and for the first time he accepted it. That was the closest I've ever felt to him.

I'm about to open the door when Lettuce-san steps out. She and Ryou have been getting close lately. They even had lunch together a few days ago. He's even told her to call him by his first name. She looks concerned.

"Akasaka-san, are you going to see Ryou?" she askes.

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"He's getting sick but he won't stop working. I tried to talk to him but he won't listen."

"I see."

"Will you try to talk to him? Maybe he'll listen to you."

"Of course."

"Arigatou. I'll go help clean the café now."

I open the door. He's busy doing computer work so maybe I shouldn't bother him. He does look pale. He's normally dark skinned so it's easy to tell. He should go to bed but knowing him he'll argue with me about it until he's got his way. Not this time.

"Ryou?"

"What is it, Keiichiro?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something but I see that you're ill at the moment. So I'm telling you that you have to get some rest."

"Lettuce talked to you, didn't she?"

"Yes," I admitted," But I would've told you anyway even if she didn't tell me. At least let me check you out."

"Fine, but make it quick."

I put my hand on his forehead. There was no need for a thermometer. I could already tell that he has a high fever. I turned the chair that Ryou is sitting in.

"You have to go to bed."

"I can't, maybe later."

"Please. There something I need to tell you and I want to wait until you're in bed."

Ryou then stands up and looks at me. Not another argument. Not now.

"I need to finish my work. We can talk later."

"Not this time. Please, do what I say for once?"

I didn't want to get too strict. He was sick and I knew that he'd be more hardheaded than usual. I saw him starting to leave. I bent my head down in defeat. Just then I heard a crash. I turned around to see Ryou lying on the floor. I run to him and picked him up. Then I slapped him lightly on the face.

"Ryou! Wake up!"

He slowly opens his eyes. He looks so defenseless, like a child. I felt my eyes tearing up but I didn't want to cry in front of him. I held him closer.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" I ask.

He just stares at me realizing that I'm worried about him. Then he gives me a smile.

"I'm cold, Oto-san," he says.

I'm taken aback. But I hold him tighter. Then he closed his eyes. I couldn't hold back anymore. I started crying. I had to take him into his room but I needed help.

"Lettuce-san!!"

She came up a couple minutes later. She looked shocked when she saw him. She ran up to me.

"What happened?!"

"He got mad and stared to leave but he passed out. I'm going to take him to his room. I want you to get some medicine and an icepack."

"Right."

After she left, I stood up and started to walk out holding him. When we went into his room, I put him down on the bed and took his clothes off and replaced them with his night clothes. I put the blanket over him when Lettuce came into the room. She gave me the medicine in which I poured the liquid into a spoon. Then I made Ryou sit up and tried to force the medicine into his mouth. He tried to resist.

"Come on," I pleaded," Take it."

He finally swallowed it and had a disgusted look on his face showing that he didn't like it. I don't blame him. It's not the best tasting stuff. I gave him some water to wash it down. Then I lied him back down and he immediately went to sleep. Lettuce then put the icepack on his head.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. The others already went home. Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No thanks. I can handle it."

"Alright. You care about him a lot don't you?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm not sure if he knows that."

"I'm sure he does. It's obvious."

Lettuce then leaves the room. I decided to stay in Ryou's room for the night so I put a sleeping bag on the floor. Then I remember what he said to me back in the lab.

"I'm cold, Oto-san."

Was he just delirious or did he mean it? I was too tired to think about it at the moment. I immediately went to sleep.

I guess I was more tired than I thought because Ryou was the one who woke me up the next day. I opened my eyes to see that he was sitting up on the bed. I went up to him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. I better get dressed before the girls get here."

I went up to him and felt his forehead.

"You're still a little warm. You should have another day of rest."

"I'm fine!"

"Ryou!"

He looked and saw how serious I was. I guess he never saw me being so forceful. Surprisingly he gave up and lied back down.

"Fine. I listen to you this once."

"Thank you. I'll go see to the girls today. You stay here."

I started to walk out when I remember what I was thinking about last night. I turned around. He was sitting up again as if thinking of the same thing.

"Ryou?"

"What?"

"About what happened yesterday? Do you remember wha..."

"I wasn't delirious. I meant it."

I went up to him and sat on the bed. It took me a while to sink it in.

"At first I thought that I was betraying my father's memory," Ryou explained," But then I thought that my father wouldn't have picked anyone else to do the job."

"You mean that?"

"Yes I do."

He went up and cuddled against me. I guess that we didn't need to talk about it. We already knew each other well enough to know. I wrapped my arms around him and rocked him. He smiled at me.

"Aishteru, Oto-san."

"And I you, musuko. My musuko."

Owari

Here is a dictionary for the Japanese words I used in this story.

Arigatou - Thank you

Oto-san - Father

Musuko - Son

Aishiteru - I love you (formal)

na no da - It's something that Pudding says at the end of her sentences in the Japanese version of Tokyo Mew Mew. It doesn't really have any meaning. I just think it's cute.

What do you think? I always thought of Keiichiro as a father figure. Read and review and look for more Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic in the future.