Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo mew mew, it belongs to its rightful owners. I do own this story and the characters which aren't from Tokyo mew mew.

I was slightly waking up when I felt someone stroking my head, sweet gentle strokes over my hair. It felt nice, it made me feel like a little kitten.
I opened my eyes and looked up, Shirogane's sweet smile, eyes on me. I almost jumped out of the chair shaken by the fact he was awake and seemed perfectly fine. Like nothing had happened.

''Shhh, look.'' He said.

I looked at the spot he was pointing at. There were the girls, Berry, Ichigo, Lettuce, Mint, Pudding and Ringo. They were where half falling of the chairs, leaning on each other's shoulder or head. Some had blankets over them. I couldn't help but smile. They must have worried about Shirogane just as I had.

I looked back at Shirogane. I also looked at the monitor he was put on his heartbeat was strong and frequent. Even the machine made it look like nothing happened.
But I knew better, I couldn't get the picture of him like there motionless out my head. He had looked like there was no life left in him and now he had even slight colour on his cheeks. I couldn't help myself but standing up and hugging him.

"I was so worried. I thought I lost you. I don't want to lose you! Not the most precious…."

I didn't know what to say anymore, neither was I capable to because the tears started streaming down my cheeks.

"I am fine. I am still here." Shirogane wrapped his arms around me.
"There is no need to worry anymore. So hush. I am here, I am right here"

His words reached my heart, and I couldn't help but cry even harder. I nestled my head on his chest.

"Hush hush." He just stroked my back and sometimes my head. I felt so safe when he held me, like nothing could touch me except him.

Then we heard groaning from where the girls were. Ichigo looked up. She then saw me lying in Shirogane's arms. With my teary face.

"What.. What are you doing?" she putted up such a loud voice that she woke up the other girls.

They all stared at us like we did something illegal. Shirogane acted like nothing unusual was going on. Then there was a soft knock on the door. And Akasaka-san his head appeared.

''You are all awake? Good. I brought some food, you must be hungry." Akasaka-san put up a bright smile, acting like he didn't notice Shirogane and me.

We ate and we talked, all that kind of stuff. After a while I got called. Mom asking if I could come home because of family-stuff. I decided to go, but only because the others said I should.

''So you and Mitsuki, huh?'' Ichigo said.

''Ichigo-san, that is rude." Lettuce said.

''Those two must have a relation, from what I saw."

''Ichigo-san that is not nice to say. Shirogane-san?''

''Stop worrying, Lettuce. Even if they have something, it is none of our business." Mint came between them.

"Shirogane and Mitsuki nee-chan are in love nan-noda?''

Shirogane sighed.

"She was upset and worried so she cried, that is all to it." He said irritated.

"I feel tired. Could it be possible you leave?''

The girls left the room.

'Sigh, those girls….'

After a few days, Shirogane was released from the hospital. But he wasn't seen in Café Mew Mew. Everybody worried.

I sighed. I sat in the backyard of my house, I looked at the snow which was falling down and left a white landscape in front of my eyes.

That idiot, why doesn't he let me know how he is? I texted him but after a while I quit because I didn't want look like a lovesick stalker. When he got released they told him he had to take care of the wound around his stomach area which caused the blood loss back then. I wonder if he even bothered to let someone look at it and take care of it.
It has been 9 days… and he didn't even let Akasaka-san know how he is. Those two are basically brothers and he didn't even sent a text message..

My phone buzzed, I picked it up and was surprised by the text message I had received.

Here's my address.
Come and meet me.

I jumped up and just ran through the house and threw open the front door.

"Mitsuki?!" I heard my mom behind me.

I kept running through the streets of my neighborhood, a small half an hour outside of the city of Tokyo.
I saw people turn around and look at me with surprise but I almost didn't even have time to tell someone sorry as I almost ran into that person.
I looked around me to see where I was and ran into a street and then ran into another.
I looked at the numbers of the house and found the number Shirogane had given me.
I was soaked to the bone and I wasn't wearing a coat.

I pressed the doorbell.
The door went open and there stood Shirogane.
I looked at him and couldn't help but fly him around the neck.
He wrapped his arms around me.

"Idiot."

He let me go.

"Who is the idiot, your soaked.. Why the hell aren't you wearing a coat?!"

He pulled me inside and closed the door behind me.
He pressed a few buttons and pointed at a door.

"Get in there, bath is full. Get in before you catch a cold."

He opened the door and pushed me inside.
I heard him sigh and mumble something which sounded a bit like idiot and how he now needed to get clothes for me.
I pouted but did as he told me.
I looked at the tub, I put in my finger.

"Warm…" I smiled.

I washed and went into the tub and sat there for a while, until I heard a soft knock on the door.

"I got a shirt and some towels."

I opened the slide door to the tub a bit..

"Do you have something I can keep my hair up?"

I saw him look at my hair he could see a part of it as I was sticking my head just enough out of the door to see.
He then looked me into the eyes, he looked tired.
He shook his head and turned around.
I grabbed his sleeve.

"Ehm… Could you stay here?"

"Huh? You want me to stay?"

I blushed.

"Just here, not literally next to me…"

I closed the door a bit, just to let it a bit open so it was easier to hear him talk.

"So, why do you want me to stay?"

"I don't want…. I don't want to feel alone.."

I could hear him sigh but in a different manner as before, this time it wasn't disapproving.

"I won't leave, don't worry."

"Ne… Is it weird if I call you by your first name?''

He laughed.

"No, go ahead."

I giggled. I realized I never really giggled, not around him at least.

"Nervous?" I could hear he was grinning.

"No.. not really. But wouldn't you feel a bit uncomfortable sitting in a tub in a house you have never been in and someone is sitting by the door talking to you?"

It got silent on the other side of the door.

"Ryou?"

"Hmmm..?"

"Did you let someone look at your wound?"

"Not really."

I turned in the bath, I would be facing him if there wasn't a wall and a door between us.

"Then I will. Give me a second."

I stepped out of the bath, almost slipped on the wet floor.

"Wo… woaahhh…. Safe!"

"Watch out you idiot."

I could hear Ryou stand up and I saw his hand going past the door with a towel.

"I will wait in the living room. Just go past the corner and go through the door at the end of the hall, it's straight ahead."

I took the towel and got dressed.
He had given me a t-shirt of his, it was pretty big for me so I could wear it as a dress. He had also put down slippers so I put them on, like the shirt they were also too big for me.
I walked into the living room which had the kitchen attached to it.
Ryou was watching television but looked up at me when I came in.
He got a smirk on his face while he was looking at me from head to toe.
I blushed slightly.

I saw the bandages and other stuff lying on the table. I went through them and took what I needed. I sat down beside him.

"You need to take off your shirt."

"Asking me to undress, are you?" He teased me.

He still did what I asked of him.

I looked at the white bandages which had gotten red at the place of his wound.

"You didn't do anything, did you?" I sighed.

I loosened the bandage and cleaned his wound.

"This might sting a bit."

He pulled a painful face after I warned him.
He suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Ehh?"

I looked up at his face which had the pain written on it.
He let go of my arm and you could see his fingerprints.

"Sorry."

I shook my head.

"It's okay."

I continued cleaning his wound and then put on new bandages.

"Finished."

I looked Ryou in his eyes and smiled.
I stood up but Ryou grabbed my hand and pulled me in a hug.

"Ryou?"

"Could we stay like this for a while?"

His skin was warm and I couldn't help but softly lean against his chest.
His arms softly pulled me onto his lap and he wrapped them around me.
It was weird because I was basically in my underwear and he was shirtless.
I blushed.

"You are aware I might fall asleep if I stay like this too long?"

He laughed.

"That's fine."

I thought about the past months.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you pull me in and then push me away? You have been doing it for the past months. Making me feel loved and then pushing me away, leaving me for days, weeks even. You can't play with my feelings like that."

He loosened his grip. He sighed.

"I am afraid."

I looked up surprised.

"Afraid? For what?"

"For losing you like I lost my parents. For losing you like I did before."

I sat up and looked him straight into his eyes, he had a pained look.

"I won't."

"You can't be so sure, you don't know what might happen."

"I can say it.. Because I love you. I don't want to lose you too. That's why your pulling me in and pushing away scares me. Because I feel I don't have grip on our…. Relation? Friendship?."

"I'm sorry… Wait, friendship?"

He flicked my head.

"I am just a friend?"

"Ehhh…" I turned bright red.

"Well we haven't specifically said we were more, have we?"

He moved closer and kissed my lips softly and quickly.

"Do I need to?"

I pouted on purpose. "Yes."

He again moved in to kiss my lips, this time longer.

"Hmmm… Maybe I should." He answered teasingly.

I laughed and put my arms around his neck and gave him a hug. I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Ryou, I love you."

"I love you too."

My heart fluttered and I felt like I was in heaven.
Sadly the moment was broken by the doorbell.
Ryou went to the door and came back with Akasaka.
Akasaka looked surprised as he saw me standing there. Dressed in only the white shirt and with wet hair. Ryou stood there shirtless hands in the pockets of his jeans.
Akasaka looked at Ryou.

"Did I come at the wrong moment?"

I turned red and Ryou laughed.

"You are getting the wrong idea… I got soaked wet due the snow and I didn't have any other clothes so Ryou is borrowing me this until my clothes dry…"

"First name basis.. Those looks. Hmm I did come at the wrong moment."

I heavily shook my head and both guys started laughing.

"It's okay, Mits. He is just teasing you. Well Keiichirou, tell me what you found."

My face was still red and the fact he suddenly was giving me a nickname didn't make it much easier for me.

Akasaka took out a paper and rolled it out on the dinner table.
I was surprised. The wand I had a few months was drawn on it, as well as I was drawn on it.

"Why am I drawn on it?"

"That is, Mitsuki, because you are the main reason of our research."

I looked at Ryou.

"Mitsuki, have you seen a strange mark on your body?"

I started looking on my body, my arms, legs. I turned around a few times until Ryou stopped me and just slowly pushed my head to my left shoulder and looked at my neck.
He touched his own neck as well.

"Why is it on the same place as mine..?"

He looked me in the eye. I tried looking away but it was obvious he wanted an explanation.

"Ehmm… When I was four your dad was researching something what would result in something like the mews. The final part was testing on human beings, I kinda was the only person willing to help him…"

"Why the hell didn't I know about this?!" Ryou got extremely mad.

"Ryou, this is not the timing to get mad." Akasaka said trying to calm Ryou down.

Tears burned in my eyes.

"I didn't know it did anything until when you threw me that wand." I pointed at the drawing.

I sat down beside Ryou, who had gone to the couch.
I took his hand in my hands.

"I didn't know how or when to bring it up and after you got attacked and didn't contact me I got too scared to what might happen if I told you."

Ryou looked really mad and didn't look at me.

"I am so sorry."

It seemed he calmed down a bit because he look at me and took my head in his hands and smiled wryly.

"It's fine. We didn't think it happened this way but we did think you got this way in one or another way. The only question we have now is what animal you are."

I looked away from Ryou.

"What…?"

"I have a slight guess what it is."

"You do?"

"You might not find it all too surprising."

"Do I have to guess or will you tell me?"

I concentrated and right then and there my ears and tail popped out.

"Nya?"

The guys started to laugh. Ryou patted me on the head.
I smiled, I was glad he wasn't mad anymore.
Right then my stomach rumbled and I couldn't help but sheepishly smile.

"I'm hungry…"

Ryou stood up. "I'll make something for you. Keiichirou do you stay for dinner?"

"No, I am going back home. You take a look at the papers and tell me what you think okay?"

I nodded.

"Akasaka?"

"Yes?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Ehmm… since Ryou and I are on a first name basis, may I call you by your first name?"

"Yes, you did when you were younger anyways."

I smiled brightly.

Ryou let Keiichirou out and then went into the kitchen to cook dinner.
We sat together at the dinner table when Ryou spoke up.

"Next time we need to go against the enemy I want to see what you can do."

"Eh?"

"As Mew Mitsuki, I mean."

I smiled and nodded.

After dinner we watched some television, Ryou softly pulled me in a hug and I laid against him.
After a while I fell asleep, like I warned him before. Against Ryou's warm chest and in his arms which held me.

bye-nee~!