A/N: Howdy y'all. Now, for a while, I've been trying out writing very short, one-chapter stories. This collection will include multiple different pairings. Mostly though, my favorite, Ryou and Ichigo. But I will manage to throw in there some Kish and Ichigo and Lettuce and Ryou. Mint and Masaya. Stuff like that. Any requests are welcome! I hope to make multiple short stories for this new series of Tokyo Mew Mew! Enjoy!
P.S.: first story, not really any point. It's just to start everything off.
Summary: It was the best of times and the worst of times. Times we would remember for the rest of our lives. A collection of short stories with most RXI pairings but they can vary on request. Includes romance, angst, humor, horror, and drama.
Disclaimer: I do not own TMM.
…Story Number One… How We Came To Be
It was during the early summer as June came along and school was just getting ready for the finals. I could recall the smell of fresh cut green grass and the warm breeze that never seemed to fail us during those early days. It was the day I began to really start seeing Ryou serious for the first time.
Work was work and it never ceased to amaze me how often I hated going. It cut into my social life and I was beginning to find it a drag. Yeah, it was perfect when I was at the age of twelve and the Mew Mew team was still fighting strong but as I hit the age of seventeen I wanted nothing more than to go running down to the mall with my friends.
What could I say? I was the normal teenager wanting to be with friends.
Then again, those friends had never really changed since I was at that age of twelve. The Mew Mew team really stuck us all together like glue, even through the worst of times and we still couldn't find ourselves straying too far away from each other. I recalled Keiichiro saying something like it was the gene bond that we had in common but it always felt so much stronger than that.
We all did go to different schools still, the varying ages between us all a reason. The only time we really did see each other was during work and the days we all took off together. So really, I couldn't quit the Mew Mew Café and there was no way in hell I was going to get fired. Never. I wouldn't allow Shirogane to do that to me, or any of us for that matter.
But I could see it in Ryou's eyes as the years dragged on that he had something planning in his little mind. I was oblivious most of the time so I really didn't understand it until we were alone.
I stood there, like every afternoon as the Mew Mew Café closed for the day, brunch and lunch already come and gone, by the sink, wasting my afternoon cleaning dishes. The other girls had finished the shifts and we said our goodbyes as usual, wishing one another good luck on our finals that were coming by oh so soon. I, on the other hand, had yet to finish bussing tables or cleaning dishes so I had to stay behind.
My late shifts had never stopped me from studying, I had learned over the years, so I propped my calculus book up over the sink on a nifty little shelf Keiichiro had built especially for an occasion like this and read over the problems as I scrubbed dishes. I mumbled the problems to myself and squinted, wishing the words were bigger but made do with what I could.
It was then that I heard him enter like every other night and I tensed slightly, my back straightening as I acted like I wasn't slacking off. His voice was as smooth as cat's fur, which would have been funny a few years back but not any longer, "Ichigo." His deep voice greeted, causing me to grin a little.
"Ryou." I greeted back. Every other night, this went on. He would come in and greet me like that and then stay the rest of the night and talk with me, causing me to come home late past the towns' curfew.
It never got past that. It always stayed neutral and we always just talked to each other like good friends. Though we always acted like we were fighting in front of the others, we really didn't feel that way on the inside. I didn't even know what Ryou had felt on the inside until a night a month back. We were on our usual conversation, which had started off with how the day went, and I happened to complain that he was so much more different with me when in front of everyone else.
His cheeks flushed slightly and he turned away, mumbling something to himself I couldn't catch. I ignored this and continued to clean my dishes until he turned back around and sighed. I smirked up at him, cocking an eyebrow without haste. I had loved to tease Ryou whenever I had the chance and the moment seemed perfect to pick on him.
Then he came clean.
It was the first time I had ever really heard Ryou say something so nice to me that it made my heart swell. He said it quietly, almost shyly, like he couldn't say it to anyone else. I could remember the words clearly if the conversation had happened just minutes before. "I don't really feel like that, Ichigo." His words were so soft in my mind that I had to sigh if they weighed heavily down on my chest.
"I don't really think that you're an idiot, or stupid, or an overall moron like I say in front of everyone else. But sometimes I can't help but say something that makes you so flustered that you sulk away, annoyed." I grinned, he knew me so well. That was the night that I confessed that I didn't really hate him like I said I did and that I would play along with him that I did if it bothered him if people or our friends knew he didn't really hate me.
He seemed almost satisfied with that answer and our relationship grew stronger.
But this night seemed to have a little bit of a different vibe that I actually had to turn around and look at Ryou as he walked up behind me. His face was a little pale though his cheeks were slightly pink and I smirked, trying to think of a tease that would lighten the already knowing bad mood. "Ryou," I made my tone light, "have you been looking at yourself in the mirror recently?" I laughed. He didn't. He didn't do anything for that matter, just continued to walk up to me.
"Are you really hurt?" I asked more sympathetically then surprised. It wasn't just once in a blue moon that I actually got an insult in that kicked him below the belt. But, it wasn't usual enough that he let it kick him below the belt. He always had some blow back that caused me to lower my head in shame and my legs to buckle so that I fell to the floor in agony and defeat.
But I didn't want him to seriously get hurt by what I said, I had started looking forward to the conversations we had while I cleaned and finished my shift. I loved to hear what Ryou had to talk about and the days that Mint stayed behind to talk with me, which was on rare occasion since she's constantly busy, I wished that she would leave so I could talk with him. I knew that was mean, but it was true. Mint was my best friend and we usually talked via cell phones, text messages, instant messaging, email, and work of course. So it wasn't like we were deprived of talking to each other.
It was silent in the room for a moment and I started to become tense and unsettled so I shifted nervously as I scrubbed the dishes. After the moment passed and I started to become comfortable with the quiet, I glanced back up at my calculus book and read over more problems, calculating them silently in my head. It wasn't until I took my hands out of the water to reach up and turn the page in my book that Ryou said something.
"Finals?" he asked, his voice a little uneasy.
I was so startled by his voice from not hearing it immediately that I jumped, gasping quietly. I exhaled with a sigh, "Yeah." I answered and looked at the palm of my hand, wincing at their pruned tips. "Bleah," I thought, a little grossed out, "Epithelial skin soaks up water and that is how come they wrinkle." I grinned, remembering anatomy. I would pass that final if I just continued to study and remember.
"When does it come up?" he asked again but his voice had seemed to return back to normal.
"Like in the next week." I answered again and dried my hands with a towel. I picked up a wet yet clean dish and started to dry that as well. Ryou picked up another towel and then a dish and started helping me dry dishes. This wasn't new either. Ryou had started helping me with the dishes last month and though I was grateful for his help, I never got out of character to leave as soon as we were done, complaining that I was tired and hated work. This caused us to have shorter and shorter conversations.
"Oh." Ryou mumbled as he set the dried dish town.
"Okay you're usually a bad liar," I started, making Ryou look at me funny, "so don't lie, what's wrong?" I asked and looked at him in the face.
"What do you mean?" he cocked an eyebrow, which always made my heart flutter. I love that expression he gave for something odd reason.
"You're all quiet and giving off a strange vibe." I said and dried the next dish, setting it down on the stack of dry dishes. "What's on your mind?"
Ryou didn't talk for another minute so I sighed and finished my dishes, putting the rag down with them when I was done. He continued on his small stack of plates as I began to put away the silverware. I was setting the forks on top of each other when he finally decided to speak again. He was being such a drag today that I wasn't sure if I really wanted him to be around with me.
Well, that was a lie; I always wanted to be near him. He loosened me up a little.
"I've been thinking," he started.
"I've noticed." I interrupted and he sent me an angry look so I shut up.
"There's been a lot on my mind recently." He sighed and set down the plate he was holding. I stopped putting the forks away just because I couldn't hear his soft voice over the clang of the silverware. I swallowed and looked at him then grinned.
"You can tell me Ryou." I said happily and he gave a smug look.
"I know," he replied and scratched the back of his head, "we usually don't keep that much stuff from each other since we started talking."
"That's true."
"But," he paused, "I don't know if I can tell you this." He glanced up at me, his expression changing slightly.
"What?" I was sort of taken aback and insulted at the same time. I leaned against the counter for a bit of support, and glared at Ryou, "What's that supposed to mean?" I hissed slightly.
Ryou sighed again, "Ichigo it's nothing personal-."
"Sure feels like that." I interrupted and looked away, making my glare stray to the kitchen oven.
"Don't be like that." He stepped towards me and I stubbornly stepped away from him.
"I'm going to be like that," I grumbled, "Don't say things like you have something on your mind but you can't tell me. That's so annoying." Though it was true. I hated it when Mint had something really big on mind and she would never tell me. It was like a secret you couldn't get in on. Or it was about you and it drove you up the wall that you didn't know. Even Pudding did that to me too many times.
"I don't know how you'll react to what I tell you." He said and lowered his gaze to the black and white checkered tile. Through the years, Ryou had never made an attempt to redesign the Mew Mew Café so the black and white seventies looking tile had stayed. It never failed to complement the pink walls though.
"Then tell me and we'll see." I said and took Ryou's hand, "I can take you seriously." I promised with a grin.
Ryou chuckled softly and took my hand back in his, "I don't think you can." He smirked and I smiled wider, my cheeks reddening.
"I think I can." I laughed and pulled my hand away from his, missing their warmth immediately.
He leaned against the counter and shut his eyes softly, leaning back his head tiredly. "Okay, lets see how you take this then." He began.
I smiled, waiting patiently. I wasn't completely oblivious to everything. I knew as soon as he said that he wanted to tell me something but couldn't, that it was about me. This was a confession of deeper feelings. I had experienced the same situation a few times at school with other boys.
"I think you need to work harder." He finally said. I almost started cracking up. Okay, I was wrong. But that didn't stop the fact that my heart dropped and my face fell. I could feel myself gawk and I stood up straight, pulling down the hem of my uniform.
"Well," I started, my voice becoming stern and hard as a rock, "Maybe if you didn't distract me, I would get done faster and more often." I spat the words a bit.
The expression on his face looked as if he hadn't finished saying something but the defense came anyways, "I distract you?" he raised his voice a bit.
"You come in every night and talk to me. You distract me beyond belief." I laughed without humor.
"I help you!" he looked appalled.
"You help with nothing you asshole." I spat and pulled off my apron, tossing it on the ground. I was so angry I was tempted to stamp my foot like pissed off girls do. "You come in every night and just talk to me and act like there's a deeper friendship between the two of us. But I guess I was wrong, you just acted like you were nice to me so you could get me to work more often and later."
Ryou opened his mouth to protest but what I said before he could even find the words caused him to shut his mouth immediately.
"I quit, Ryou." I was so overly dramatic it wasn't even funny.
If I thought back on when I was twelve I always wondered how come I was such a crybaby and overly dramatic little girl. I remembered how often I pulled the same stunt with Masaya.
Ah Masaya, our relationship lasted until I was about fourteen and he moved far, far away. We never spoke to each other again. He was a good boyfriend. The one you can depend on as a best friend and a boy friend. The one that would respect your moral values. The one that would go shopping with you and help you choose a great outfit. The one that could enjoy good literature and play sports. The one that had time for you and his one million friends. The perfect boyfriend right? In my mind, for the longest time I thought of him as one of the best friends I could ever have. That and he was gay.
I angrily walked out of the room but before I could even get to the door Ryou caught my arm, tugging me back.
"You're so overly dramatic." He laughed and I glowered at him, not really finding humor in the situation, "Really Ichigo, you're just going to run off like that? You haven't changed since you were twelve." He rolled his eyes and I tugged my hand away, folding my arms over my chest with a huff of annoyance.
"You're seventeen," he informed me as if I didn't know, "finish listening to me next time alright?"
I continued to glower up at Ryou and he smirked, lightly running his fingers down my cheek, "Will you?" he asked.
"Will I what?" I grumbled.
"Will you work harder?" he locked his eyes on my mine and I quickly looked away with a short humorless laugh.
"Are you joking?" I gave a revolted look and he continued to grin.
"I want you to work harder and longer," he admitted, "so I can continue talking with you like we usually do at night."
I rolled my eyes, "Oh yeah sure Ryou. Work longer is understandable but harder? Come on." I loosened up a bit and smiled a little. He chuckled softly and I felt little shivers run down my arms.
"If you work harder then maybe you'll get too tired and I can disorientate you enough to ask if you'd go out with me?" He smiled a little side smile and I grinned, rolling my eyes again
"Yeah that could work. Or you can ask me straight out while I'm studying for finals. Thanks for another distraction." I added.
He smiled and I smiled back. That was the night we learned how we came to be.
… the end…
A/N: okay, this is the first story. There really isn't a point to it. It's just to start everything off. I look forward to hearing your reviews and requests if any. I won't update if there aren't more than two reviews, just on the off chance no one is interested. I'm back and I'm ready to write!
The next story, probably another romance before I bring on the tears!