Greetings all! This oneshot is dedicated to my little sister for her birthday, because she loves Lettuce/Ryou. This is my first TMM fic, so reviews would be amazing. Thank you, and enjoy! :D
Dis: I do not own TMM.
Happy Birthday, Miranda!
It was an extremely busy day at the Café Mew Mew. People were lined up outside and Ichigo had had to put a hurriedly made "Waiting Time: Half an Hour" sign outside the door. Apparently, word had spread around Tokyo about Keiichiro's cakes and the cute girls serving them.
Ding! A bell rang. "Order!" called Keiichiro. Pudding bounded through the doors to the kitchen, snatched the plates of cake, balanced them precariously on her arms and darted away, her short yellow hair bouncing. Ryou Shirogane, the owner of this bustling café, watched the business from the safety of a corner. It was so busy that he figured it would be better to remain out of the girls' way. Besides, he was paying them to work, not sit around drinking tea. Ryou's eyes found Mint, just as an irritated Ichigo hauled her out of a chair and pointed her towards the kitchens. He smirked.
Ding! "Order!" Now it was Zakuro who stepped up, grabbed the two platters of cake and whisked them away, looking for all the world like the model she was. The chattering of happy patrons was loud in the small café, the voices mixing together into one loud cacophony of sound. Suddenly, Ryou's sharp ears picked out a sound that one didn't usually hear in a café.
"Argh! Ow ow ow, you spilled tea on me!"
Ryou turned his gaze to the source of the commotion. A tall, red-faced man was gesturing wildly at one of his waitresses. Lettuce Midorikawa stood silent, her head down-turned, her emerald colored hair tumbling down over her wide eyes.
"I-I'm terribly sorry, sir!" She cried, wringing her hands.
"That doesn't change that you burned my leg and ruined my pants!" The man snapped. He shoved past Lettuce, knocking the unassuming Mew to the ground. She fell with a squeak, the small noise lost in the man's bellow.
"Where's your manager? I demand to be compensated for my trouble!"
Lettuce's head came up and Ryou saw with a jolt that she wasn't wearing the signature wire frames that he'd become so accustomed seeing her in.
"Sir!" Lettuce's voice was panicked. "Please wa---"
Crunch.
The man stopped suddenly and looked down at the shattered remains of a pair of thin wire glasses under his boot. Lettuce let out a low moan and reached forward blindly.
Ryou found himself crossing the dining room, anger pulsing through him. How dare this man come into his café and abuse his waitress like that? He stopped just short of the tall man. "Sir." He said dangerously.
The man looked down at him. "Are you the manager of this establishment?' He asked, annoyance layering his voice.
"No, that would be me." Keiichiro's voice came from over Ryou's shoulder. "Come with me, Sir. I understand you have a complaint." Keiichiro smiled pleasantly and led the man back towards the kitchens.
Ryou was left alone with Lettuce, or as alone as you can be in a crowned café. He knelt down next to the shy Mew. "Midorikawa…" He murmured, brushing her hair back in a moment of rare kindness. "Are you ok? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Lettuce looked up in his direction and his heart thrummed to see tears welling in her big eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Shirogane-san." She murmured, looking down at her entwined fingers. "I-I spilled… I spilled tea on that poor man…"
Ryou felt his heart constrict. "Look, Midorikawa, you need to calm down. Everyone spills things occasionally."
Tears slipped out of Lettuce's eyes and trailed down her cheeks. Ryou fought off the sudden urge to wipe her tears away. Feeling awkward and unsure of what he should do, not to mention hyper aware of the curious eyes of not only the remaining customers, but the other Mews, Ryou twisted to one side and picked up the crumpled wire frames.
"Come on." He held out his hand and pulled Lettuce to her feet. The shy Mew looked around her, as helpless as a newborn without her glasses. Keeping a firm grip on her hand, Ryou led her to the back kitchens, where the air was thick with the smell of pastry.
Keiichiro hurried over. "Ryou! Is Lettuce alright?"
Ryou nodded. "Just a little shaken up, I think. What happened to…"
Keiichiro flashed a rare cold smile. "Oh, he won't be bothering us anymore."
Ryou looked startled. "What did you do to him?"
Keiichiro shrugged. "I just gave him a free pastry and sent him away. Lettuce is more important than morons like him anyway."
Keiichiro tilted Lettuce's chin up so she was looking into his eyes. "Are you alright, Lettuce?" He asked gently.
Ryou frowned. "It's alright, Keiichiro." He said, annoyance twanging his words as he cut off Lettuce's reply. "I'll take care of her. There are too many customers for you to be away."
Keiichiro raised his hands defensively, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Alright, then, Ryou, you've got this."
He turned away.
"Um… Shirogane-san? It's alright… You're much too busy to bother with me. I can have one of the other girls take me home to get my spare glasses…"
"Nonsense." Ryou said gruffly. "I'll take you home myself. The other girls are busy serving the customers. And they don't drop platters."
Lettuce let her head drop and Ryou softened. "Relax, Midorikawa. I'm kidding. Now how do we get to your home?"
Lettuce sent him a panicked look. "B-But, Shirogane-san, I don't want to trouble you…"
Ryou rolled his eyes. "Lettuce…" He began. Lettuce's heart jumped at the blonde's mention of her first name. "Just tell me where to lead you."
Lettuce let her face flush. "O-Ok…" She murmured quietly.
Ryou looked down at the green-haired Mew as she quietly began reciting directions and something clicked into place deep within his soul. He would lead her. His grip on her hand, which had never wavered since he'd pulled her up in the dining hall, tightened ever so slightly, making Lettuce pause in her words.
"Shirogane-san?"
Ryou bit his lip. "Sorry, Midorikawa." He slipped his arm up around her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I think I've got it."
Lettuce looked surprised. "But I haven't even…"
Ryou steered her through the back kitchen door and out into the sunlight. "Then you can tell me on the way." He smiled down at her and Lettuce felt her heart skip a beat.
"O-Ok…" She murmured, looking down. A faint blush trilled on her cheeks.
Ryou tightened his grip as they turned a corner. Yes, he would lead her. This quiet shy and caring girl would be his undoing someday, he could feel it… and yet Ryou found he didn't care. He'd lead her anywhere anyway.
Well? I hope you guys liked it. Please please please review!
Allie