Japan-A-Radio's been playing Japanese Christmas music…hehe, puts me in the mood to write a Tokyo Mew Mew Christmas story!!
My sincerest apologies, for I haven't updated anything in over three months!! I'm hoping this one-shot can make up for my absence, because I haven't been on fanfiction at all, so I've got plenty of other stories to review in the meantime as well, as soon as I finish this. Hopefully you'll all be able to read this before Christmas Day 8D
Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew, any of its characters, Shibuya Loft, or Christmas, or any of its traditions (that includes Santa, I don't own him either).
The weather was forbidding that December morning, cold enough for snow, but not enough moisture in the air, so the aura was dry. Little bits of frost from over night aligned lawns, sidewalk cracks, house ornaments, and the drapery of our favorite Japanese after-school hangout, Café Mew Mew.
Being an early morning, Ichigo Momomiya was in no mood for work, but the month being December, none the less, Mint Aizawa was prepared for bringing on the traditional festivities. With her to the café, she brought a bowl, filled with folded up slips of paper. Before work began that day, Mint made her announcement.
"Obviously," she started, everyone gathered in the main portion of the café, everyone's eyes on her, "Christmas Day is coming soon. Christmas Day being the one day of the year, it's courtly to exchange gifts with loved ones, I've set up Secret Santa for ourselves. The rules are simple, but I'll refresh our memories for those who don't know. Everyone pulls a slip out of this bowl, and whoever's name is on the slip, you get them a gift for Christmas! But the idea is to keep who you have a secret, so the person you're buying a gift for doesn't know it's from you!"
Mint stuck her hand into the bowl, "I'll go first, and then pass the bowl around so everyone can pick a slip!"
From Mint, to Zakuro, to Lettuce, to Pudding, to Keiichiro, to Ryou, and finally over to Ichigo, cursed with the last piece of paper, not that it mattered, because you couldn't preview the piece you chose to begin with, but it was the leftover piece nonetheless. She hesitated before unfolding it…and the name read…
Great, just great. Not only was Ichigo on a small-budget, but how was she supposed to figure out what to get the person that already had everything?
Mint appeared to be very happy with herself. "So, we've obviously got the day to think about it, then after and between shifts, get your gifts! Have them here for tomorrow!!" and with that last exclaimation, Mint flounced back over to her designated table, returning to her beloved tea, leaving everyone else in an awkward circle.
Zakuro was the first to break the awkward silence. "Okay then," was all she said, and she walked to her post, the cash register. Everyone else slowly deteriorated from the simple clan, for customers were beginning to fill the area.
Seven hours of serving costumers went by, and Ryou was letting them out early, holiday hours being shorter than during the rest of the year. That, and to give everyone time to go shopping for the gift exchange the next day. Ichigo pulled out and glanced at her slip again, even though there was no way she'd forget who she had. Sighing, she shoved the paper back into her pocket.
Her first stop was the small boutique shop on the corner, a mere block away. Bundling up for the cold weather, Ichigo was the first person to leave the café. She shouted a quick "See ya tomorrow!" for everyone, and walked out the door into the dry streets. Not entirely sure if she'd find anything at the shop, Ichigo started making a list of all the stores she'd hit during her roaming time.
Shibuya Loft, one of the best-known zakka chain stores, was the first place Ichigo stopped at. Not entirely familiar with the store, Ichigo aimlessly wandered inside, no ideas as to just what she was looking for in mind. The store was entirely decorated for the holiday season, paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and even a train making its way around the walls of the interior. Soon Ichigo found herself mindlessly admiring the countertop jewelry, a golden locket catching her eye.
"Isn't that a little, pricey, for the likes of you, Strawberry?" a too-familiar voice struck from not far behind the red-head. Offended by the remark, Ichigo slowly turned to face none other than Ryou Shirogane himself, coincidentaly shopping at the same store at the same time.
"Wouldn't you like to know!" Ichigo heaved, crossing her arms in attempt to put down her blonde boss. "I was simply looking."
Surprising Ichigo, Ryou became silent, making his way next to her and peering down into the glass casing. He whistled softly at what met his eyes. "I may not know too much about gift-giving, but I'm sure a charm like that could make any girl's day, right?"
It took Ichigo a moment to figure out that he was directing the question towards her. "Oh, yeah, definitely," she said, somewhat dreamily, glancing back at the fine necklace. Her hand involuntarily went up to her bell, the trinket she wore everyday. If I had a wonderful locket like that, I'd wear it everyday!
"So, Strawberry, you picked out a gift for your Secret Santa yet?" Ryou randomly asked, pretending to take interest into other objects in the store, though his thoughts were on the cat-girl alone. His fingers fiddled with some of the earrings on a nearby rack.
Sighing, Ichigo didn't take her eyes away from the counter in front of her, "No, but what are you supposed to get for the person who already has everything?" Ichigo leaned back on the display behind her, daydreaming taking control of her actions.
Things were quite awkward between the two. Neither of them really motioned to the other, but the conversation continued. "Good point. I know what you mean, I've got the same problem," he mumbled, his hands stroking the same beads on a ring over and over. Ryou must have lost thought as to what he was actually doing, sort of like a trance. "Well, if it's Mint that you're buying for, you could probably just buy her tea or a tea kettle, and she'd love you for it anyway. See you tomorrow, Strawberry," he ended, finally breaking his involuntary obsession for earrings and making his exit out of the store.
"Mint?" Ichigo said to herself, gazing at the doors, "but…" but Ichigo's thoughts were broken by the break in balance behind her back. The display was giving out beneath her weight, and soon it buckled. Chocolates fell over this way and that, and Ichigo landed somewhere among them.
"Clean-up, storefront main, near the jewelry department!" blared over the loud-speaker.
Now extremely and entirely embarrassed, Ichigo left the store and went next door, another shifty boutique. This store wasn't quite as heart-warming as Shibuya Loft, but it wasn't quite as pricey as the mainstream store she had encountered he boss at, and luckily he hadn't seen the horrible incident that had just occurred to the poor strawberry. But once again, she found herself up at the jewelry counter, only to meet up with someone else.
"If anyone asks, you didn't see me here, okay?" the older girl blantly stated, pulling off non-purpose shades, revealing none other than Zakuro. Ichigo beamed at meeting up with her.
"Oh, Zakuro-san!! What a wonderful surprise!!" Ichigo tried to yell out without entirely making a scene, though the reason she was so ecstatic was, maybe she could get some pointers as what to get her Secret Santa.
"Hmm, that is tough," Zakuro said flatly, after Ichigo whispered to her who her Secret Santa was, "but, I think I can help," she ended soon after, giving a slight smile. Ichigo's grin broadened at her last words. "Oh thank-you so much Zakuro-san!!"
Zakuro shifted her head slightly, "No problem Ichigo. Now, there's a shop I want to take you to…and wait, Is that brown in your hair something chocolate?"
---
Maybe some three hours later, the air now a night-time dark, Ichigo and Zakuro were walking along the streets of Tokyo, Ichigo with her new perfect gift in tote, she was so jolly at the time, she was humming, skipping, but then, suddenly stopped, in the middle of her little happy moment. "Wait, Zakuro-san, how am I supposed to give my gift? Let alone keep it a secret?"
Zakuro, now a few steps ahead of Ichigo, didn't stop walking. "Why do you think we're headed to the café? Now, when we get there, just do as I say, okay? Everything's going to work out according to plan, so stick close behind."
Dazed, Ichigo followed directions and continued on aside Zakuro, making their way, soon approaching the café. Zakuro swiped the spare key from under the entrance mat to unlock the front doors. Ichigo was about to burst her way in, but she was soon stopped by Zakuro's strong arm, and her other hand motioned her to keep quiet.
"Look," Zakuro pulled something out of her handbag, "I've got a flashlight, and for now, I want you to hold it. Don't do anything stupid, like shine it in the guy's eyes to wake him, understood? Now, come'on, let's do this," she instructed, and the two Mews carefully and quietly went up the stairs onto the top floor, where Ryou's room was located.
Taking the lead, Zakuro tried to turn the knob on the door to his bedroom. No luck, unfortunately, the room was locked. Ichigo let out a loud sigh, only resulting in Zakuro stomping her foot, but that just made the cat-girl hiss in pain. Zakuro shoved the red-head back along down the hallway, "Okay, we'll just have to take a detour."
When Zakuro got down onto her knees, Ichigo thought she was kidding, but after she opened the shaft into the ventilation tract, she gasped. "There's no way I'm going in there!"
Zakuro stood up. "Ichigo," she stared at her, without readable expression, "You're going to trust me on this, we used to do it all the time for our boss during a shoot for a show I was in. That, or you can simply give it to him up front, and he'll know it's from you. Your call."
Ichigo stopped to think about her options, but with nighttime running out, Zakuro simply grabbed the girl by the waist and inserted her body into the air duct, getting in herself after on hands and knees.
Following the winding trail of metal and dust, the Mews reached the ventilation entrance to Ryou's bedroom from above. Zakuro popped the tract open, it now swinging by it's hedge below, creaking as it slowed rocking to a stop. Both Ichigo and Zakuro peered down into the room, the blonde fast asleep in bed.
"Fish-sticks! How are we supposed to get down there?!" Ichigo stubbornly asked Zakuro, no apparent ideas coming to her somewhat slow mind, at the same time, Zakuro fiddling with something in her handbag. She pulled out a stronghold tote cord, like what would be used for pulling something with a vehicle or something of that sort. Without Ichigo's consent, Zakuro started busily tying the cord around Ichigo's waist and said, "Don't ask why I carry this around with me, you never know when you'd need something like this.
Zakuro slowly lowered Ichigo down into the room, Ichigo in hand with the flashlight and her gift, ready for installation. "Now do as I say, and nothing else, got it?" Zakuro hissed down at her, trying not to distraught the boy's sleeping. Ichigo, now her feet touching the floor, flashed a thumbs-up to the strict wolf still up in the ducts.
Ichigo glanced around in the room. Sure, she'd been in it plenty of times before, but then she was always under the blonde's pressure. Now he was silent on that Christ's Eve, a slumber that had taken him down for the night. Ichigo positioned the flashlight so it was directed away from Ryou, but gave enough light so she could see what she was doing.
"Slide the inside pane up, unscrew the top screws on the top of the outer window glass, slide the outer glass down and in, replace it with the new glass, re-screw the screws in place, and return the inside pane down."
Ichigo followed Zakuro's directions the best she could, taking her time and being cautious not to make a sound or damage anything. She closed the drapes over the window, hoping that the morning light would catch the gift's beauty the next day.
Wanting to leave some kind of note, Ichigo dashed over, retrieved her flashlight, and found paper and pen at the bedroom desk. She scribbled something, then signed it "Secret Santa." Glancing around to see if there was anything she missed, possibly a clue as to the gift Ryou might had bought for his Secret Santa, and finding nothing, Ichigo tugged on the cord, signaling for Zakuro to pull her back up into the duct.
Zakuro followed the command, beginning to pull Ichigo back upwards, this time going much more slowly. "No offense, but maybe you should go on a diet," Zakuro whispered softly, Ichigo barely able to see her laughing face in the dark, her flashlight now turned off. The dark also covered Ichigo's red face as she notioned back, "Not funny!"
Ichigo squirmed slightly at the uncomfortable tightness the cord was causing around her middle, but the sudden motion surprised Zakuro, part of the cord slipping from her hands. She was able to catch it, but Ichigo dropped maybe two feet. Unfortunately, the sudden movement and friction of the cord weakened it.
The cord snapped in the middle. Ichigo and Zakuro gasped silently as Ichigo plummeted to the floor of the room, landing with a 'thump!' right next to Ryou's bed.
Ichigo shut her eyes in failure, trying to imagine her next move, but her thoughts in progress her disrupted by the rustling of bed-sheets next to her head. Ichigo sat deathly still, holding her breath, until he spoke.
"Strawberry…come up here," he mumbled, but the words were clear enough that Ichigo knew he was talking to her. She, being totally frightened that he knew she was there, obediently listened, thought at the same time, she could hear Zakuro slapping her forehead.
Ichigo stood, and turned to look at Ryou. His eyes were still closed, so how did he know that she was there? He spoke again, "Strawberry, come here…"
Her face flushing, yet worried, she slightly leaned over, trying to find out what he wanted, but maybe a little too close, because she found his arms wildly clasping around her back, pulling her down on top of him. Her breathe became hot on his face, trying to keep composure. Okay, she knew he wasn't awake now, obviously, because he wouldn't actually grab her like this on a daily bases, right? Well actually, on second thought, he had before…
Ryou's soft lips brushed up against Ichigo's face, her breathing becoming stifled by surprise. She managed to slip away, but not without fully being embarrassed. Quickly, Ichigo ran out the door, being able to open it from the outside, and met Zakuro at the other opening of the air duct.
"Well," Zakuro tried to lighten the mood, "that could've went smoother."
---
The next day, the day of the gift exchange, everyone was cheering over their new gifts, and Mint was especially proud of herself, being the one to set the whole thing up.
Keiichiro got a new set of hair ribbons.
Pudding got a new set of spinning dishes.
Lettuce received a box of fine chocolates.
Mint received a new teapot, decorated with blue Lorikeets (go figure).
Zakuro got her favorite, pomegranate cheesecake. ((how that works, I really don't know, I just know she loves cheesecake)).
Ichigo was just enjoying watching everyone unwrap their gifts. That, and she was waiting for Ryou to tell everyone about the wonderful gift he had gotten. Mint assisted that one.
"Well Ryou, what did you get from your Secret Santa?" Mint asked him slyly.
A smirk formed on his lips, and he motioned for everyone to follow him upstairs, and so they did, and entered his room, Ryou standing next to the window, currently closed by drapes. He grabbed a slip of paper from his desk, and read aloud.
"Just a reminder as to what your hard-work did, and to remind you that it all paid off in the long run, a reminder of the final fight. Merry Christmas, Ryou."
Ryou pulled the drapes aside, and everyone gasped in awe. The sunshine hit the new window perfectly, and in Ryou's room shone five bold colors, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, and Pink was in the center of the other four. It was a custom made stain-glass window, and it appeared to be the perfect gift.
As everyone else gazed at the wonderful light shining into the room, Ichigo took the moment to unwrap her gift. The package was small, no bigger than the width of a floppy disc, so Ichigo was very curious as to what could've been inside. She slowly tore the paper and ribbons off, and found a box. She opened the small parcel.
Inside was the same locket she had been gazing at when she was window shopping at Shibuya Loft! Her eyes immediately bugged and shone at the mere sight of her new possession, and she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, belonging to her blonde boss.
"Merry Christmas, Ichigo."
"Merry Christmas, Shirogane."
Yes, my New Year's resolution is already quite obvious, now isn't it?
Merry Christmas everyone!! And a Happy New Year full of fanfiction updates!!