I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew

The auditorium was empty. There was no one sitting on the soft, red chairs. Everything was dark, except for the stage. Someone was testing the lights and they flashed around.

A young girl contently nodded her head and stood up, shutting down the light system. Everything worked. It would all go perfect tonight.

"Midoriwaka-san? Thank you again for helping me out with my piano concert… I couldn't have done it without you". A young, blushing girl with straight black hair and grey eyes cast on the ground shuffled her feet a bit while speaking out her thank-you. The girl from the light system smiled reassuring at her. "No problem, Yuuki-kun. It was my pleasure".

Yuuki looked up at the girl in front of her. She really admired the smart, inconspicuous girl with the green braids. Since the very first moment Yuuki started to go to college, Midoriwaka-san had helped her out. They were quite alike. Both shy and not used to standing in the spotlight. Midoriwaka-san was forced to stand in the spotlights because of her amazing knowledge of biology and Yuuki was given the task to set up a piano concert.

"Are you really sure you don't want to play yourself?" Yuuki asked for the tenth time. Her friend smiled. "Yes, Yuuki-kun, I'm really sure. And you can really stop calling me Midoriwaka-san. We are friends, right?". Yuuki smiled. "Of course we are, Midor- I mean, Retasu-kun".

"So, who did you invite?". Yuuki sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Just my parents, my little sister and my boyfriend". "O yes, you have a boyfriend. What's he called again?". "Aki" Yuuki answered with a dreamy smile. Then she shook her head a bit to reorder her thoughts. "Are you coming to diner tonight?" she asked Retasu. "Eh… I…". Yuuki smiled. "I see. Well, I'll see you later then". Her friend smiled timidly. "Thank you, Yuuki-kun. I'll see you later". Yuuki turned around and left the auditorium to have diner, leaving Retasu alone.

Retasu sighed and walked towards the stage, turning on the lights again. No, she didn't want to play tonight. Playing concerts was not her thing. She rather stayed behind the scenes to help out. She did invite her parents to come watch, but she immediately told them she wouldn't be performing herself. Her mother found it a shame, because Retasu had been playing the piano for over seven years now and was, in her eyes, really good. But that might be the arrogance of a mother.

Retasu sat down behind the grand piano in the weak spotlight and placed her hands on the cold material. She scanned the darkness of the auditorium to check if no one was near and then closed her eyed and began to play.

Soft tones filled the air as her music began and she began to sang a song she had written a couple of years ago.

It was astonishing.

It wasn't that her voice was outstanding, it was just a normal singing voice. The music itself wasn't that special either.

It were the lyrics.

You walked into my life with a bang,

And it was there when you left again.

I had never expected you to come along,

Or for my feelings to be so wrong.

But ever since the first day we met,

You have been stuck in my head.

Even though you are long gone and you won't come back,

I can't let go.

Where are you now? What are you thinking?

Do you miss this place sometimes?

Have you changed in the past few years?

Or are you still completely the same?

I can't believe I've let you pass by,

Though it is like me to do so.

I've always searched for a chance to speak to you,

But when it was there I fumbled for words.

I couldn't speak out those simple three words.

I don't think you ever noticed me at all.

I wouldn't have noticed me if I were you.

Still, I really do miss you.

Never really knew that I could hurt this bad.

Why was it you that opened up my heart?

Every morning I wake up with tears on my face,

Every night I go to sleep with the prospect of your face in my dreams.

I can't let go.

Where are you now? What are you thinking?

Do you miss this place sometimes?

Have you changed in the past few years?

Or are you still completely the same?

I can't believe I've let you pass by,

Though it is like me to do so.

I've always searched for a chance to speak to you,

But when it was there I fumbled for words.

I couldn't speak out those simple three words.

But I do, I really do.

The last tone of the music faded away in the darkness and the girl behind the piano determinedly wiped the tears of her cheeks. She couldn't keep on crying every time she played that song. It wasn't like her to cry anymore.

When she was younger, she really had been a cry-baby. But after the aliens left she had to grow up fast. Before she knew it she was in college and was her time with him only a vaguely memory. Nevertheless, she never forgot any detail of his face.

I can't let go.

It hurt, thinking about him. But how could she not? She loved him.

She knew she shouldn't love him. It was useless, pointless, meaningless to him. She should just fall in love with some smart human boy from her school. But how could she?

She had seen heaven and she wasn't willing to come back to earth. Nothing could ever be better then him.

She knew she'd eventually get over him and get a boyfriend. Someday.

Still she couldn't help but wondering a bit. She had one important question:

Was he happy?

That's all she needed to know to be satisfied. Was he happy? It didn't matter which way. With a girlfriend, without a girlfriend, with friends, without friends. As long as he was happy, that was enough for her. But she would probably never know the answer.

Suddenly, as she snapped out of her thoughts, alarm bells in the back of her head began to tingle. Her instinct told her there was something wrong and she reacted with immediate attention to the wings of the stage.

"That was a nice song".

Retasu gasped and her eyes widened as she jumped on her feet, the piano stool falling with her swift movement. The bang echoed trough the auditorium. That voice… it sounded like…

"Who are you?" she asked suspicious. She wanted to know who he was before her false hope caught up with her mind.

"Do you not remember me?" the voice answered.

Yes, sounded exactly like his.

"You sound… like someone I know…".

"O, you do know me".

"Do I?"

"Yes. We met a couple of years ago".

Retasu closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, trying to keep herself attentive. "You can't be him".

"So you do understand you know me".

"You just can't be him".

"Why not?".

"He is gone. He has been gone for years. There would be no reason for him to come back. And even if he would, he wouldn't come here. He would go meet with Ryou… or maybe Zakuro… I think he liked her…".

"Why would I do that?".

"Him, not you".

"I am him, Lettuce".

"No, you're not".

"Yes I am".

"No, you're not! He is gone! Didn't you listen to the song? He is… gone…". Her voice cast off.

"And now he is back".

"He won't come back. He is home, with his friends and family. With the ones he loves".

"The one he loves is not on his home planet, Lettuce".

"He loved more then one person, sir".

"Why do you call me sir? You never called me sir".

"I don't know, because I don't know who you are".

"I told you who I am".

"No, you didn't".

"I'm him".

"No, you're not".

"Why won't you believe me?".

"Why would he come back?".

"There could be a lot of reasons. Researching, for instance".

There was a short silence.

"Alright, you have a point. But why would he come to this exact place? It doesn't make sense".

"Maybe because he also fumbled for words that time you were able to speak to him".

Retasu couldn't take it any longer.

"Step into the light".

"Why?"

"So I can see who you are".

"I told you who I am".

"Why don't you want to show yourself?".

"I'll show myself".

Retasu's hands trembled as the stranger she had been speaking to walked out of the wings and came towards the spotlight she was standing in. She could see his silhouette.

He was tall, with a strong body and calm movements. His footsteps echoed through the auditorium, just as the piano stool had. But this sound made Retasu's heart tingle and her eyes widen.

He stopped just before the edge of the light.

Retasu reached out her hand. "Come".

His hand broke through the darkness. His skin was pale and shone like marble.

Retasu took a step forward. "Please come" she repeated.

Her hand slid into his and he stepped into the light. Her eyes were cast on their intertwined hands. She didn't have to look up to know that it actually was him. She could feel it. "Pai…".

"I told you it was me".

His voice sent shivers through her spine.

"Why are you here?".

"I also told you that".

Fumbling… for words…

"Three words, you sang".

"Yes… I did…".

O Lord. Pai was here. He had heard her song. He had understood. He knew. O Lord.

Retasu felt a blush rushing onto her cheeks.

"I-I-I-".

"Fumbling for words again?".

Retasu shut her mouth.

All of sudden he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her close to him. Retasu's eyes widened in shock.

Not only he was back. Not only he had heard her song.

He was embracing her.

What did this mean? Was he answering her feelings? No, that couldn't be possible…

Could it?

"Three words…" he whispered in her ear "It cost me years to find three words… Then it cost me another few years to come here… I am sorry for letting you wait so long…".

"That's alright…" Retasu said breathless "I didn't do anything myself either to tell you… to tell you… three words". "I do not blame you". "And I don't blame you".

Three words. Come on, Retasu. Say them! I can't believe this… he is back, for heavens sake, he likes you back and still you are fumbling for those words! Again!

There it was again. Her fear for rejection. For his rejection. Even though she knew he could answer her feelings, she still didn't dare to say those three words out loud.

He loosened his grip a bit so he could look in her eyes. "You immediately caught my attention, you know that? Your ability to change forms was really fascinating. I examined you from afar, finding that you are the most kind-hearted and beautiful girl I have ever behaved".

Retasu caught her breath.

He silently caressed her face, cupping her cheek. "May I…?".

Even if she would have had a voice, she wouldn't have refused.

He closed in and suddenly his lips were on hers, knocking the wind out of her.

Exactly what she had meant. How could any kiss satisfy her after she had had this? After she had had heaven? It couldn't.

The kiss was soft and sweet, really careful and hesitating. She didn't move, but just closed her eyes and let him kiss her.

He let go of her, looked at her and then kissed her again. And again. And again.

It was in the fifth kiss that she started to react, shyly. She wasn't used to kissing. But he was patient. Still in doubt she moved her arms and carefully ran her fingers through his hair, trying not to be clumsy. Trying not to waste anything she was getting.

She could feel his smile through their kiss as she began to react.

She immediately smiled herself.

And finally, finally, they had encouraged each other enough.

They let go of each other and gazed in the others eyes, parting their lips to speak.

The words came out on the exact same moment.

"I love you".

They smiled and pressed their lips on each others again.

I can't let go. Because I don't have to.

Three words.