Hey everyone, guess who's back?

-Ducks at flying inanimate objects- yeh, guess I should apologise about the over 1 year long disappearance... aka laziness, procrastination and school.

I'm sincerely sorry. So after re-reading a few of my reviews, I got re-motivated and have finally gotten off my lazy backside to right the next chapter!

Aren't I amazing... shouldn't be saying that after being such a slacker,

So here it is, enjoy.

I do not own Mew Mew Powers or any of its character's

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Birthday Shopping

"Good Morning!" Keiichiro glanced up, surprised.

"Oh. Good Morning Ichigo, how are you feeling?" Ichigo bounced down the stairs and twirled in a circle, her skirt fanning out.

"I feel amazing!" she giggled.

"Well, looks like that fevers gone quickly. You must have had a good sleep" Keiichiro smiled turning back to his recipe.

"Actually I didn't thanks to Shirogane who was up at 2:00 doing some 'research'"

Keiichiro sighed "I'm sorry about that, he does it often though" he apologised.

Ichigo shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, I almost managed to kill his computer while hitting him in the process" she gave a triumphant smile.

Keiichiro couldn't help but laugh wondering how Ryou would have reacted with his computer getting broken. He assumed not too well.

"Oh could you take this up to him" Keiichiro held up a tray set with pancakes soaked in maple syrup and fresh orange juice. Ichigo paused.

"Sure thing" she took hold of the tray carefully.

"Is he awake?" Keiichiro asked. Ichigo turned giving an incredibly evil smile.

"Not yet!" she changed her smile to an (not) innocent smile and slowly made her way up the steps with Ryou's breakfast. She stopped in front of the room they had recently shared and took a deep breath. Using her foot she kicked the door (almost breaking down the poor thing) and walked in.

"BREAKFAST TIME SHIROGANE, WAKEY WAKEY" if the banging of the door hadn't woken him, Ichigo's shouting certainly did. Ichigo watched Shirogane bolt upright in his bed. When he realised what had happened he glared at Ichigo.

"I just came to give you breakfast" she explained sweetly.

"Get. Out" Ryou looked like the God of anger as his menacing gaze watched Ichigo timidly place the tray down on the desk and back out quietly.

As she walked out of the room she took at deep breath in and held it till she got downstairs. Keiichiro stopped and looked at Ichigo when he noticed she wasn't moving.

"Are you ... Alright?" he asked curiously.

Ichigo, much to Keiichiro's shock, burst out laughing.

"Hahahahah oh my God!-hahahahahahaha Shirogane *gasp* looks so funny *gasp* angry *gasp* bed hair *gasp* hahahahahahahaha".

It took almost half an hour for Ichigo to calm down, her laughing now transformed into hiccups.

"Here you go" Keiichiro, still shocked at Ichigos outburst, placed a plate of pancakes topped with strawberries in front of Ichigo.

"Wow, its looks so ..." Ichigo cut off with a hiccup "good" she finished, slightly red.

Keiichiro winked his thanks and turned away busying himself with the cafes' delicacies. She speared a strawberry with her fork and placed it in her mouth. The strawberry tasted wonderful to her. Its juices seeped out into her mouth, its sweet and slightly cold taste sent a slight shiver down her back. She smiled. This was why she loved strawberries.

"Not to mention they're the cutest, most ado –hiccup- rable looking things ever" Ichigo squealed to herself, picking one of the strawberries up and hugging it to her face.

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Ichigo sighed as she tied the back of her apron into a bow. School tomorrow. The red head hung her head in depression. But missing one day of school is already pretty bad; imagine the work I'll have to catch up on! Ichigo groaned, hanging her head even further.At least that means I'll get to see Momaoyo. This idea brightened the young girl a lot. Clapping her hands together she marched out of the changing rooms ready to serve some customers.

The day had gone quicker than expected and it was nearing time for the cafe to be closed. Ichigo yet again leaned on the broom she was using to sweep the floor with.

"So are we holding a surprise party?"

"Please please PLEASE can we?"
"What are we going to get him?"

Ichigo lifted her head and peered round the corner into the kitchen. Mint, Keiichiro and Pudding were close together muttering about something.

"Who are we getting what?" Ichigo asked as she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Are you finished? Good we can tell you the plan then" Mint whispered loudly

"Plan for what?"

"The surprise party of course" Mint rolled her eyes. Ichigo just stood there dumbly.

"Surprise party for who?" Everyone looked at Ichigo.

"What?" Ichigo asked defensively, stepping back with her hands raised as everyone loomed towards her.

"You mean you didn't know that it's Ryou's BIRTHDAY on Wednesday?" Mint almost shrieked.

Ichigo stared at her friends.

"HUH?"

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Ichigo walked back home glumly. After finding out it was Shirogane's birthday in two days, Mint, Pudding and Keiichiro had explained to her about the surprise party they would hold on that day, and that everyone had to buy him a present individually.

How the hell was she going to do that? Ichigo dragged her feet along the pavements, idly looking at the items on display at her shop. What was she supposed to get him? She had no idea what his interests were (minus his favourite hobby of annoying her). Maybe she could by him a decent shirt and with a card telling him to put it on and keep it on! Sighing, she slowly made her way to a park and plonked herself on a park bench, arms splayed. She sat there silently, eyes closed, thinking hard about a suitable present.

"You're brains already slow enough as it is, thinking too hard might stop it altogether".

Ichigo opened her eyes and low behold stood the very essence of her problem.
"Go away Shirogane" Ichigo said simply, watching a mother and child walk past them. Shirogane stopped smiling and sat down next to Ichigo.

"Whatever it is, it must be pretty serious if you're not giving me your usual pathetic comebacks" he said leaning back into the bench. "What's wrong then?"

"Like I'd ever tell you jerk" Ichigo mumbled, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, her fingers rubbing her temple. Ryou gave a small smile and leaned forward so that they're faces were level.

"I'm not that mean a boss to let you suffer alone, you know" he told her, staring seriously at her eyes.

"Uhh, yes you are" Ichigo retorted. Ryou chuckled.

"I'm trying to be serious you know?"

"I know and I'm being serious too, go away"

"Why won't you tell me?" Ichigo said nothing, thinking for a few minutes.

"Do you have any hobbies?" she blurted out suddenly, straightening up in her seat.

"Huh?" Ryou raised his head also.

"Do you have any hobbies? Or anything you really want?" Ichigo repeated

"What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"Well you know, I was just interested, seeing as well, you know lots of stuff about the girls and I, so I thought it was only fair that I should get to know our boss a bit better"

Ryou raised his eyebrow.

"If this is some lame tactic to try and find my weakness so that I'm forced to give you a raise" Ryou paused "it's not working". Ryou stood up, stretching his arms behind his back as he turned to walk away.

Ichigo jumped up horrified at missing her one and only chance

"I wanted to know because I had no idea what to get you for your birthday on wednesday, and do you realise how hard it is for a girl to shop for another guy, especially when she knows hardly anything about the guy!" Ichigo stood there slightly panting, glaring at the back of her boss. Ryou slowly turned on the spot, looking at Ichigo in surprise.

"You wanted to buy me a present for my birthday?"

Ichigo nodded stiffly, flushed from admitting her problem to him.

"But I have no idea what to get you". Ryou looked at Ichigo carefully before giving a small smirk.

"I know what you can give me!" Ryou walked up to Ichigo tucking his hands into his pockets looking down on the red head.

Ichigo perked up, a smile forming on her face.

"Really! What?" she asked eagerly. Ryou said nothing but leaned down.

"This" Ryou leaned in, closing the gap between them to kiss her. Before Ichigo could react Ryou pulled back, licking his lips slightly.

"Strawberry lip-gloss?" he guessed, smirking.

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Hahaha, next chapter's coming next year XP, jokes jokes,

Hopefully, it'll be soon.