A.N.: Really random one-shot I wrote on a whim, based on episode 49 of the anime; I'm thinking of adding another chapter though, as there's fluff potential here. Also, the name...there is really no significance there at all. When I typed this up at the library I work at during a particularly dull moment and saved it on my flash drive, that's what I named it. I know the origin of the phrase, and this story has nothing to do with the plight of the peasantry prior to the French Revolution. :D
Disclaimer: I don't own TMM. I got nothin'.
Pairing: LettucexRyou
Warnings: Fluff later on? Slightly depressing subject matter? Weird scene dividers because I hate that bloody grey bar with a passion? Eh.
-o-
-oOo-
-o-
It wasn't nearly as hard as she was making it out to be.
Finding the confidence to live daily life was a challenge for Lettuce Midorikawa. She was improving greatly as the months passed, partially due to the exposure she received working at the cafe with her newfound friends, and also partially to the nearly dizzying rush of self-confidence and reliability that she felt whenever she clutched the small golden brooch, thrust her arm above her head, and called out the words used to transform into Mew Lettuce.
Lettuce was a naturally anxious girl, but transforming seemed to wash all her anxiety away. She'd have never dreamed of wearing something as revealing as the outfit she donned as a Mew Mew, not as herself; but as Mew Lettuce the issue was inconsequential. She felt calmer, more steady on her feet, more graceful...there were times when Lettuce wished she could remain Mew Lettuce permanently.
Now was one of those times when she needed the confidence her alternate persona possessed. Before her, on two small china plates that probably cost more than she made in a month, sat two slices of cheesecake, topped with luscious-looking berries. Two rooms away (she knew because she'd checked already, and then checked again, and then checked a third time, just to be sure he hadn't left before she lost her chance to do what she'd wanted to do for so long), Ryou Shirogane stood at the window, watching the afternoon sun dip into the horizon. All she had to do was pick up the plates, walk down the hall, and say, "These were left over, we should eat them so they don't go to waste."
She couldn't even bring herself to pick up the plates, much less leave the room.
Lettuce sighed, sinking into a chair and resting her head on her arms. She couldn't linger forever. Soon Ryou would head back into the dark recesses of the cafe to work, and she knew it would be almost impossible to approach him then. The fact that this could be her last chance also hung over her head; it was why she'd chosen to remain after her friends had withdrawn to enjoy the rest of their day off.
-oOo-
"This could be our last day on Earth, you know."
Mint said it so matter-of-factly that the dressing room fell silent, Pudding's incessant chattering ceasing and Ichigo dropping her bag in surprise.
"Why...why would you think that?" she stammered nervously, leaning down to retrieve the articles scattered on the floor.
Mint sat down, folding her hands on her lap politely. The gesture struck Lettuce as meaningless, until she realized that Mint's hands were shaking ever so slightly. When she spoke again, her expression remained impassive, but the tone of her voice suggested that she was anything but. "If we don't win this next battle, it could be the end."
"She's right." Zakuro said evenly. She brushed her long dark hair with steady strokes, continuing to speak without turning to face the other girls. "We're the final line of defense this planet has. If we fail to find the final source of Mew Aqua, or fall in combat, there is no guarantee that Shirogane-san will be able to perform the measures necessary to ensure the survival of Earth."
The statement wasn't delivered in a harsh manner; if anything, there was a hint of sadness in Zakuro's voice that sounded utterly foreign coming from her. But the reality of the matter was harsh enough, and to Lettuce it felt almost as if the words were precisely aimed projectile, clattering against her chest. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth of their own accord; Ichigo gasped; Pudding's face fell; Mint stiffened and stared at the floor. No one said anything, Zakuro having pulled all their fears out into the open and laid them bare.
They weren't foolish, not even Pudding, who actually held a lot more responsibility and wisdom than some people twice her age. The thought that they could die at any moment during their skirmishes with the aliens was not something that hadn't crossed all of their minds. Lettuce imagined that she wasn't the only one who'd experienced a countless amount of nightmares regarding that very possibility. The fact that Kish, Tart, and Pie had the tendency to not be very good at what they did lulled them into a false sense of security at times, but Lettuce and her friends had not forgotten that they were not impervious to harm. They never sustained heavy injuries, but scrapes, scratches, the occasional sprained ankle, and general muscle soreness following some of their heavier run-ins with larger, more destructive Chimera animals did a good job of reminding them that they were not bulletproof.
It just wasn't something they dwelt on. They couldn't, and retain a hope of living remotely normal lives outside of their duties as Mew Mews. Were they to remain more aware of the deadlier possibilities that came with fighting, Lettuce doubted that any of them would have been able to drag themselves through the more mundane parts of life. Why fret over homework, crushes, and weight gain when the next day could be your last? Pudding's personality didn't allow her to stay grounded in depression for too long; Ichigo's love for Aoyama seemed to overpower her fear of the unknown, and Lettuce was anxious enough without needing any additional worries. Of the girls, Mint seemed the most aware of the possibility, and it was clear that it left her in a state of anxiety similar to Lettuce's own. She hid it well, but it was there, from the slight trembling of her hands, to her obvious difficulty keeping her voice steady as she kept her eyes trained on the floor. "That's why we've been given the day off. To say goodbye, in case...in case..." Mint trailed off.
It was all too much for Pudding, who couldn't stand being weighed down by grim speculation. Deftly leaping atop the bench, Pudding clenched her fist, scowling. "Hey! Let's think positive! We can't let anything happen to Earth, so we'll just have to win tomorrow!"
Zakuro turned to face them then. "Mere determination doesn't diminish the possibility of failure. And even if we're successful, that doesn't mean-"
"No." Pudding's voice was firm, and she was no longer smiling. Her stance, as well as the determination in her eyes, reminded Lettuce of an adult, rather than a little girl still light enough to receive piggyback rides. "We're going to save Earth, and then we're coming home. We HAVE to."
Her voice cracked then. "After all," Pudding added, and for one of the first times since she'd met her Lettuce noticed that there were unshed tears in her eyes. "Heicha won't be happy if I'm not there to pick her up from school anymore."
"Right." Ichigo also clenched her fists, one hand straying to clutch the bell at her neck. "I've...I've got a date with Aoyama-kun this weekend."
She and Pudding looked at Lettuce expectantly; she stammered for a moment, before adding her contribution. "I still have something important to do as well," she said cryptically, ignoring the questioning looks she received in return.
Mint didn't respond; she merely glanced at Zakuro, who, smiling faintly, walked over to her and squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Then we should spend the day reminding ourselves what we have to lose, so that we are prepared to give it our all to protect it."
"We're not gonna lose!" Pudding cried, pumping her fist triumphantly. "We've got unfulfilled love lives, painful rejections, and school sports fairs to experience! Oh, and dates to go on! Crowds to impress! Yummy food to eat..."
Her list continued, Zakuro looking on placidly and Ichigo inching towards the door, eager to break free of the conversation so she could go look for Aoyama.
Mint still didn't say anything; she appeared to be lost in thought. Lettuce sat down beside her. "Mint-san?"
Mint raised her head, regarding Lettuce carefully. "It's going to be okay," the green-haired girl reassured her, with a warm smile.
"Hmph, I know." Mint looked away again, although she seemed to relax a bit.
Long after the other girls had withdrawn to remind themselves of what they were fighting for, Lettuce found herself still lingering in the cafe. She traversed the darkened hallway slowly. Ichigo had Aoyama, Pudding her siblings, and while Mint and Zakuro weren't as blatant with their attachments Lettuce was sure they weren't just hanging around, unsure of what to do with themselves.
"Lettuce?"
Lettuce jumped, startled, stumbling against a low-hanging shelf. Thus another potentially priceless vase met it's end. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Akasaka-san!"
The sound of breaking china and smashing ceramic was nothing new to Keiichiro, who simply smiled at her. "Don't worry about it; that one was a poor replica, anyway. I'm sorry I frightened you. You haven't gone home yet?"
"Well...no." Lettuce averted her eyes, embarrassed. "I don't really have anything to do if I go home, so..."
"In that case, would you like to help me for a moment? I could use some help with something." Taking her arm gently, Keiichiro led her off towards the kitchen, the shattered vase forgotten.
The remains of that day's load of elaborate baked goods sat out on the table, delicately decorate cakes and glistening petit-fours, tarts, pies topped with fruit...all without anyone to consume them. They'd closed rather early, before business had picked up.
"All of these leftovers have to be wrapped and stored properly so they don't go to waste." Keiichiro explained, handing Lettuce a roll of aluminum foil and gesturing to a stack of plastic containers. Without further ado, they went to work placing food in the containers and stacking them in the refrigerator. They worked in silence, Keiichiro occasionally humming snatches of song while Lettuce strived to not drop anything.
After awhile, Lettuce spoke up, her voice uncertain. "Um...Akasaka-san? What would you do if you knew tomorrow might not come?"
Keiichiro paused, looking contemplative. "I suppose I'd spend it with the one I love the most."
Lettuce's face flushed bright red, and she turned away before Keiichiro could catch sight of it. "Oh."
Keiichiro chuckled. "That, or I'd try to do something I've always wanted to do."
"Something you've always wanted to do..."
"Yes." Keiichiro resumed preparing the food for refrigeration. "I've never been to Nara, actually."
"You haven't?"
"No. There's a famous park there; you've probably heard of it. I'd like to see the deer someday. Although," Keiichiro paused again, scratching his head, "That probably isn't something you could do in one day."
"Even so, it sounds like fun," Lettuce assured him brightly. "Maybe if you left really early, you could still make in time to visit the park. I'm sure the deer are really cute."
"Yes, I imagine they are," Keiichiro said with a smile; Lettuce flushed once more, almost dropping an entire pie in the process.
Between the two of them, the job took less than half an hour, and soon the table was cleared of it's load. "Are you and Shirogane-san going to eat all of that?" Lettuce asked, washing the icing and crumbs from her hands.
"If not, we can give some of it away. Too much sugar really isn't healthy for you," Keiichiro replied off-handedly, either not catching or choosing to ignore the irony of the statement. "Oh, it looks like we forgot a few."
Lettuce glanced over to find him holding two slices of cheesecake, sliced perfectly and placed on two dainty china plates. She wondered how they'd missed those.
"I'll get it," she offered, reaching for a plastic container, but Keiichiro shook his head.
"No, these don't keep well. You can have them, as payment for a job well done." Keiichiro handed her the plates, shucking off his apron and hanging it on a hook. "I'm sorry, I've got to get back to the lab and finish up a few things. Can you wash those plates and put them away when you're finished?"
"Yes, but Akasaka-san, I can't eat this much by myself." Lettuce sat the plates on the table carefully. "Are you sure you don't want one?"
Keiichiro smiled at her then, a knowing smile, and Lettuce wondered if the two slices of cheesecake really were just forgotten leftovers. "I would, but I've really got to get back to work. Maybe you can find someone else to share them with," he said with a wink, excusing himself without further ceremony and leaving a furiously blushing Lettuce staring after him.
-oOo-
Ten minutes later, she hadn't made any further progress save for confirming that Ryou was, indeed, down the hallway, apparently unengaged. At first she'd paused where she stood, holding her breath and drinking in the sight of the object of her affections standing illuminated in the sunlight, golden hair ringing his head like a halo. It was a good thing she hadn't been holding the plates then, because she would've dropped them automatically. It always threw her for a loop, whenever she became aware of how (the word 'pretty' shouldn't have fit so well, but unfortunately it did) attractive he was. It wasn't merely those physical attributes that drew her to him, though. Despite his tendency to act rather aloof at times he was kind, and it showed beyond his minor arguments with Ichigo. She could see it in his eyes, watching them with concern whenever the situation they were in became increasingly dangerous. He was their boss, that was true, but Lettuce doubted that he would've been able to forgive himself had one of them actually been irreparably injured during battle. That her life had become so interconnected with such a person felt like a dream, and the thought of that dream coming to an end saddened her.
Sitting at the table, Lettuce found herself wondering whether similar thoughts were running through Ryou's head at that moment. Was he also contemplating what tomorrow would bring? Was he anxious over whether the five girls he'd raised as saviors would lose their lives in the process of protecting a world teetering on the edge of destruction? Or was he merely wondering how to spend what could be his last day off, as well?
'Stand up.' Lettuce rose to her feet, squaring her shoulders with resolve. In her mind, she pictured herself as Mew Lettuce, swimming further and further into the inky depths of the bay, pushing her way past both one of the largest Chimera animals she'd ever faced and Pie to reach her ultimate goal. She envisioned herself finally reaching the limp, lifeless Ryou, clasping him to her chest, weeping with both relief and exhaustion. She remembered the desperation that had taken hold then, thinking that he might never look on her with those kind eyes again, leaning in to press her warm lips against his cold ones. It wasn't supposed to be a kiss, not really; she'd only meant to share some of her air with him, as she was much better off in her Mew form than he was - and she remembered the rush of mixed emotions, surprise, fear, and bewilderment as her kiss awakened the lump of Mew Aqua around her slumbering prince's neck.
If today was to be her last day, Lettuce wanted to spend at least some of it with the person she'd grown to love.
She didn't trust herself to carry the plates by themselves; she placed them on a tray before traversing the hallway once more, heart pounding so fiercely that it seemed to want to escape her chest. She wondered what she would do if she really had missed her chance; he might be gone, when she walked that couple of feet down to the room she and the others often used as a break room and peered in through the doorway, the thought of impending disappointment forming a lump in her throat.
It dissolved immediately when she realized that he hadn't left; he still stood there, in the same spot she'd left him in. It didn't look as if he'd moved since.
Her feet halted, refusing her orders to "GO INSIDE", and she hesitated in the doorway.
'I suppose I'd spend it with the one I love the most.'
"Shirogane-san?"