The following morning Leo headed to school wearing Usagi's jacket. She loved the warmth and smell. She would never tell anyone else and before she left her home she hung up the picture he painted for her. Mamo knew she liked him and he thought it was adorable.
She saw her friends and waved at them with a wry smile on her face. Amber ran up to greet her.
"Good morning, how are you?" Amber said as she noticed Leo's new article of clothing.
"Geez, tired. You?" Leo asked as she took a seat at a nearby bench.
"I'm doing fine. Where did you get the jacket?"
"Oh um… a friend gave it to me. It's just nice and comfortable that's all."
"The guy who greeted you yesterday morning? The tall cute one?" Amber asked playfully.
"Well look I mean yes… but also I told him not to but he was really determined to let me have it so…"
"Do you like him?"
"God no, of course not."
Leo crossed her arms and stared at the ground. Amber shook her head in disappointment knowing her friend was denying her feelings. She looked over Leo's shoulder to see the man in question quickly approaching her. Jojo and Apollo said nothing and quietly waited to see how this scene would play out. Amber also kept her mouth shut and waited.
"Leo," Usagi said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
She jerked her head up at him and sighed.
"Jesus you scared me," she replied.
"Mind if I walk you to class?"
Leo stood up and grabbed her backpack. She looked at her friends and they only smiled at her and urged her to go. She gave them a wry smile and followed Usagi. Amber turned towards Jojo and Apollo.
"She likes him," Amber said curtly.
"She can't deny that she does," Jojo replied matter-of-factly.
Apollo quietly agreed.
Leo and Usagi walked together towards the back of the school. They found a quiet place and with no other students around. She leaned up against the building while he stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets.
"Is it warm enough?" Usagi asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes…," she peeped quietly.
"I'm sorry about last night. Did I seem too pushy?"
"No you handled it well, I'm just… I don't want you to get hurt because I can't be the person you want or need in a relationship. I just vowed to never love again and then you show up with open arms and treating me so well I don't know what to do."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you vow to never love again?"
Leo crossed her arms and looked at the ground.
"It's a long story okay and I don't know how to explain it to you. But to summarize it I fell in love with a boy and it was my first love and it caused nothing but pain and suffering for me and him both. It was just never meant to be. I'll never see him again and I wish I could."
"Did it hurt that much?"
"You have no idea. Usagi I just can't be that girl. You should be spending your time with someone who can make you feel special and loved and can laugh with you. You know someone who isn't... broken."
Usagi shifted and reached his hand towards her cheek. She closed her eyes and he rubbed it affectionately.
"Can I make an observation?" He asked gently as he stepped closer to her.
"Sure."
"It sounds like you're afraid of love. Not that you're worried about my well-being but more so yours and it's okay if you're defensive about it. We haven't known each other long so I'm not asking you to jump into something with me. I just figured it'd be fine if we got know each other more and got closer. Though it's your call. If I'm making you uncomfortable and I'm hurting you more let me know and I'll leave you alone."
Leo averted her eyes and she wasn't sure if she should tell him the truth or lie to him. She was hoping after everything she said it would be up to him to go but he gave her the choice if he stays or leaves. She bit her lip and looked up at him.
"Usagi…," she paused for a moment before stepping closer to him.
She wrapped her arms around him and sighed into his shirt. He returned her hug and she took in his scent.
"I'll be a ton of trouble," she muttered into his shirt.
"I like a challenge."
"You know what you're getting into just so you know. I'm not like other girls."
"Who said I wanted you to be like other girls?"
"You're so strange."
Usagi hugged her tighter and she somehow felt safe and secure in his arms. She felt as though nothing in the world could hurt her. There was a protective aura about him. He was so gentle and kind to her. She wanted to stay wrapped up in his arms forever.
Later that evening the ladies were called in by Ryou to discuss a very important subject.
"Well ladies I have some bad news. The DNA samples have all gone missing again for some reason. So I need your blood again."
"Again!? You trying to kill us!?" Leo shrieked.
"Where do you usually keep this stuff?" Amber asked quickly in effort to avoid the needle again.
Cho took a step forward.
"Maybe I can help. I know it's usually in your office right?" Cho asked she turned towards Ryou.
"Yes. But I can't seem to ever remember where I placed them. I just need to get these things done but it seems lately I get really sleepy and blackout. I'm sorry girls," Ryou replied as he rubbed his head.
"Well in any case I don't think you have to worry about it. As long these women are alive nothing is lost. Right ladies?" Keiichiro interjected with his usual sweet voice.
The girls all agreed with him. Cho looked at Keiichiro.
"Mr. Akasaka, when do I get to become a Mew Mew? I'd like a really cool animal," Cho asked excitedly as she rocked back and forth on her heels.
"You? A Mew Mew? For what? We don't have a threat and there's no reason to even transform at the moment," Leo replied frankly.
"Well listen Leo I just want to be included in the group too. It's not fair you all get cool powers and I just have to be normal."
"Why do you want to be a horrible freak? Have you seen the scars I sustained in battle!? They're not gorgeous or fun. My fucking shoulder here and my stomach. Have you seen this before!?" Leo lifted up her shirt to show the scar on her stomach. It was large and it was obvious a sword caused both scars.
"W-well I want to be included!" Cho nearly shouted.
"You're an ignorant piece of shit and I absolutely can't stand you! Do you even know the trauma and pain I went through being a Mew Mew!? Do you even know what war looks like? You're a child!"
"Alright girls calm down this energy won't solve anything. Leo have a seat. Cho, please, we can't fulfill any of your wishes right now," Ryou said in attempt to calm them down.
Cho stormed off and Leo took a seat. She wasn't going to apologize for her actions. She crossed her arms and shook her head in disappointment.
"Listen I'll continue to look for the samples but if by next week I can't find them I hope you don't mind me taking more blood from you girls," Ryou said as if to conclude the meeting. He ran off to find Cho and calm her down.
The five girls gathered around each other to discuss what had happened.
"You were really hard on her, Leo, there were nicer ways to put it," Anastasia said in a whisper.
"I don't care. Being a Mew Mew isn't just a fun thing to do. I'm not going to let her belittle the horrible shit I went through by expressing being a Mew Mew as something 'cool' and 'fun' and 'different.' My scars were earned and I didn't sit here and fight in honor of my parents and this planet just for some girl to say 'when do I get to be a Mew Mew?' in front of my face," Leo replied angrily.
"We all went through horrible shit and as much as I love Cho, I'm with Leo on this one," Dannie added.
"Yeah but she didn't mean anything by it. She just wants to feel like she belongs. C'mon we all know that feeling," Amber said softly.
"Since when is it socially acceptable to transform into a mutant human animal in a fucking dress?" Leo asked with blatant sarcasm.
"It isn't but she likes us and wants to join us. She wants to be included."
"Why?"
Before anyone could respond Leo stood up and walked out of the laboratory. She decided she wasn't going to spend a second longer listening to Amber and Anastasia rationalize Cho's wants. She headed straight home.
A week had passed and the girls carried on, business as usual. Leo took a seat on the school roof with Usagi next to her. She showed him how she took pictures of the sunrise and he admired how beautiful she looked when she talked about things that interested her.
"See it's not that I actually care about the pictures or even save them. I just like how it feels to physically capture the moment and then have a choice to get rid of it later. I swear I take a about a hundred pictures of the same thing and end up only keeping one or two. I dunno I guess it calms me down," Leo ran her mouth and continued to talk about it.
Usagi could listen to her talk forever. He felt special being able to spend time with her so early. He loved the color of her eyes. They conveyed so much passion and beauty. Her hazel eyes were fixed on her phone while she showed him each of her favorite pictures. He glanced at her profile and thought she looked absolutely gorgeous in the morning light. He watched her delicate hands push her bangs out of her face and the way she crossed her legs looked adorable and childish. She sat up with her back straight which showed confidence. He couldn't stop staring at her. She glanced up at him and saw the look in his eyes. Her face went red and she grew shy by the sweet admiring look.
"W-what?" She muttered nervously.
"Nothing," he replied softly.
"I mean you're staring at me all weird."
"I just think you're gorgeous that's all."
She cleared her throat and hugged herself. She was trying to figure out her next response.
"Thanks but I don't know what you see in me honestly," Leo said quietly.
"What? Really? I see a lot of things. I just think overall you're so beautiful."
Leo looked up at him and smiled shyly. He sat closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Leo," he paused for a moment before she averted her eyes.
"What?"
She looked over at him again his face was closer. She took a deep breath and felt his arms curl around her waist. She gave him a wry smile.
"What…?" She whispered this time in a husky voice.
She saw him inch closer and she closed her eyes. She felt the soft warm sensation of his lips and she felt her heartbeat speed up. Usagi held her tighter and he felt shivers run down his spine. Leo missed this sweet feeling. The kiss was soft and feathery. She placed her phone down before putting her arms around his shoulders. He slightly parted from her and she gazed she gazed at him with sweet eyes.
"Too soon?" He asked softly.
Her eyes studied his lips before she looked into his soft blue eyes.
"No… kiss me again," she replied.
Usagi gladly did so. She didn't want this feeling to go away. They both felt as though they were the only two people in the world floating on air.
Amber sat in class and noticed Leo was missing. She turned around in her chair and faced Jojo.
"Have you see Leo?" She whispered quietly.
He shook his head in response. Amber glanced at Apollo and he just casually shrugged his shoulders.
She leaned back in her chair and groaned. She was feeling hopeful about Leo lately showing up to class on time but her skipping out again seemed like she was back to her old ways. Amber silently wished Leo would just cheer up already.
Leo and Usagi stayed together during lunch. They ate lunch together at the back of the school campus and talked about things together. She was starting to embrace his company. She noticed things about him she didn't notice before. The way he sometimes laughed at his own cheesy jokes, how often he'd flip his bangs from his face, and how he had the posture and confidence of a rebel yet was so sweet and caring in nature. Usagi often expressed himself with hand movements and gestures when he spoke. He was so animated and so interesting to watch. She liked that he had sharper canines than most men and the way his voice grew with more excitement when he spoke about his paintings. She loved every quirk about him. She enjoyed how he chose each word wisely and how witty and funny he was when he made facetious remarks.
"My dog is really big and fluffy and when summer comes he's absolutely miserable so basically I worked one year for a whole summer just to afford an AC because my parents kept saying it wasn't necessary. Anyway after that Waterloo has been living quite comfortably and I think he loves the AC more than he loves me," Usagi said with a satisfied giggle.
"You named your dog Waterloo?" Leo asked with an amusing smile.
"Yeah I thought it was a funny name."
"It is."
"But when you meet him you'll see it fits him. But we call him Loo for short."
"What kind of dog is he?"
"Ah, he's an Akita inu."
"Wow. I want a pet but I don't know what to get."
"You seem like a cat person to me."
"Well… yeah but I was thinking I wanted a dog."
"Dogs are great. They get attached to you as much as you get attached to them. It's really sweet."
"And they force you to go outside and exercise."
"If it's a workout buddy you want then I'd be happy to be that person."
"Well maybe not. I get enough exercise trust me. But maybe we can take your dog out if you don't mind me walking him?"
"Okay sure. We can meet up at the dog park and I'll let you walk him back."
"How about this weekend?"
Usagi nodded in agreement. Leo smiled widely. She looked forward to meeting his dog.
That evening the girls met with Ryou, Keiichiro, and Pai in the lab. Amber's parents were there discussing the possibility of rebuilding Cafe Mew Mew. Leo sat down and quietly listened to the conversation while she embraced the fact that she was still wearing Usagi's jacket. Yogurt sat next to Leo and quietly did a crossword puzzle.
"And we can buy out the land the cafe was built on and help just basically pay for the production. In the meantime this will have to do. I say we decorate this place and make it look a little more lived in. Why don't we paint the walls pink and add a bunch landscape paintings with wild flowers or something? A nice couch could go over there and let's get a microwave and refrigerator in here too," Mint, Amber's mother, said as she continued to look around and decide what should be added.
"I like the idea with painting the walls and decorating this dull gray place," Lettuce agreed while she looked Ryou in hopes he'd approve of her opinion.
"What's up with you women in making everything look like nature took a shit in a building? It's fine the way it is," Pai said firmly.
"Please you just have no imagination. I'm not the only one, right babe?" Mint asked turning towards Kish.
"Yes," Kish replied curtly.
"Pfft, whatever," Pai scoffed.
Ryou and Keiichiro agreed with Mint that in the meantime they could add to the laboratory and make it more comfortable for the girls. It would probably persuade them to come more often. It might even increase their morale as well.
"Alright we can get this place decorated. It might help a lot with the current attitudes my girls are giving me," Ryou said he looked over the group of six girls sitting together quietly.
Leo looked up and shook her head at him before turning to Amber to start a conversation. Ryou rolled his eyes and he faced Mint again to let her know he was definitely on board for everything. Pai was annoyed but he understood he was clearly outnumbered.
"Alright ladies you can all head home for now. We won't be doing necessarily much for the rest of the week so just come back next week. Have a good night ladies," Keiichiro said sweetly.
The girls didn't argue and quickly took their leave. Leo walked by herself. She wished Amber would've left too but she decided to stay with her parents. Mamo sat on her shoulder and decided to talk about something light-hearted with her.
"So Usagi is nice," Mamo said breaking the silence.
"Yeah he is, he's a total sweetheart," she replied happily.
"Thinking of getting with him?"
"I don't know Mamo. I'm afraid of hurting him. He has no idea I'm a Mew Mew or what happened in my past. I feel like if he found out everything he'd probably think I was lying or that I have serious mental issues. I just don't want him to think he's made a mistake you know?"
"Usagi is a very gentle understanding guy. On top of that he's an artist and artists are the weirdest type of people. I'm sure he'll be understanding as long as you provide proof that you are a Mew Mew. Like transform in front of him or something."
"Yeah you're probably right but I want to wait. Maybe he's got a dark side."
"I don't sense any ill will in this boy. He's a genuine person if you ask me."
"I just really don't wanna believe he's perfect."
"He makes shitty jokes and laughs at them himself. He goes to the gym with his friends just to draw. He skips class just to be with you on the roof to talk about literally nothing. He's not perfect. Hell he thinks rainbow sherbet ice cream and peanut butter is delicious. That's a disgusting clash of flavors."
"Okay so he's not necessarily perfect but he's so adorable and pure. He's so different from Rabbit but yet I just feel so interested in him."
"He's really nice and sweet compared to Rabbit. Rabbit makes him look like a goodie little church boy. Rabbit was an asshole and you and I both know that was a toxic situation. I think you should give him a chance and see if you can make it with him. I say you deserve a healthy relationship."
Leo sighed and nodded. Mamo understood it was a big step for Leo to even be able to talk about this. He was proud of her for not getting too emotional and defensive over it.
Back at the lab, after sending everyone home, Cho had stayed behind.
"Mr. Shirogane, is it alright if I can have a ride home please?" She asked sweetly as she took a seat in his swivel chair.
"Yeah Cho, I don't mind. So how's your bruise?" Ryou replied.
"It's fine. I'm still disappointed the experiment didn't go well. I was hoping to be a Mew Mew. Although I think I know how to become one. Hear me out, maybe if you can mutate my DNA structure with one of your Mews it could work."
"I don't want to do that. I'll just keep looking into another way to get this done."
Cho frowned at his response and she reluctantly nodded.
"Well I don't mind being a lab rat for whatever you wanna test something on," she replied in her usually sweet and cheerful voice.
While Ryou was driving her home and she went through her backpack and pulled out a hairbrush.
"Oh dear Amber left her hair brush at the lab. Do you think you could hand it back to her when you see her?" Cho asked as she placed the brush in the seat next to Ryou.
"Sure thing."
"Thank you so much. I'm glad I found it before she could lose it. It's such a gorgeous brush. Do you think she'll miss it?"
"Probably not since she's rich but I'll give it back to her."
"Yeah it's the right thing to do. Thanks again."
Ryou stopped the car and arrived at Cho's apartment complex. She thanked him quickly before dashing out of the car. She headed straight to her apartment. She greeted her parents before retreated into her room. She shut the door and took a deep breath. She quickly placed her backpack on the floor and pulled out a small box. She stored it under her bed and decided now was a good time to head to bed.
