Tokyo Mew Mew

Ryo x Ichigo

A few years ago...

"Ichigo!" Ryo called. Where had this little girl gone to now.

Ryo, age 8 was looking for his new friend who he just met while his parents were in a meeting.

She stumbled into his yard trying to run away from her parents. Kiichiro, 14 was getting his father to call for her parents to come take her home.

"Up here!" Looking in a tree, a small girl with red hair and a year younger than him, hung on a branch very high. "What on earth are you doing?!" He asked.

"You found me. But can you catch me?" She said.

As she moved, the branch cracked. She lost her footing and started falling.

Ryo ran to her and was ready to catch her.

But she slowly climbed back down. "Don't do that again!" He said.

"Sorry." She said crying.

Ryo hugged her as she cried. "I'm glad your safe." He said.

That was ten years ago. She went home, and they never saw each other again. But they still had their memories.

Now, Ryo had his ball going, even with the death of his parents, he threw parties to entertain many people who kept asking about his life. To keep them from finding his research and cafe.

"Ryo. It's good to see you. Are you planning on finding yourself a wife at this ball?" A few people asked.

"No. That is not the plan. She will come to me, but she will have to be the same age as me before I marry her." I said just to satisfy their questioned.

He had no intention of finding a wife.

But...just then, she appeared.

A red headed girl walked in wearing a lovely pink dress and make up lightly over her face. Like she was a fairy.

Ryo knew immediately who she was. Ichigo.

She had grown up so much, but he'd never forget her face and who she was back then.

Ten years...

"Ichigo." She turned at the sound of her name being called. "Yes?"

"Sorry. I'm Ryo."

"Ah. Do we know each other?"

"No. But you looked like someone I knew. And you have the same name. A coincidence of a lifetime I'll say." He said.

She didn't remember him, so he wasn't going to remind her.

"Oh. I see. Well, it's a lovely party." She said.

With that, Ryo and Ichigo started talking and he ignored a lot more of his other guests.

He was happy to see her again. "Shall I offer this one dance?" He asked.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I don't-"

"One won't hurt. And you can...childishly, stand on my feet." Ryo said.

Ichigo seemed shocked but smiled. She took his and and they went on the floor for a dance.

No one else danced with them. It was only the two of them, which made Ichigo nervous, But Ryo assured her. "Don't worry. Nothing will get out and start rumors. Your life will be nothing but a mystery." He said.

Ichigo's face was almost as red as her hair, but Ryo only smiled.

As the dance finished, Ichigo said her goodbyes and left.

It was nice to see her once again. And he knew now, she was living her life.

Untill, the next day, "Ryo?! You run this cafe?"

"Ichigo? What are you doing here?" He asked.

She handed him the paper..."Your..."

"I'm your new maid."

Now in present times...

"Ryo! I need two apple pie and a strawberry shake please for table six." Ichigo has been working hard and she and Ryo have become such good friends once again. In a different light but that doesn't bother Ryo one bit.

He's just happy to be with her again.

"Got it." He said digging in the fridge and hands the desserts to her.

She smiles and takes them to the table.

"You really like her don't you?" Zakuro and Kiichiro were in the kitchen smirking behind him. "Shut up and get back to work." Ryo snapped.

"If you don't do something she'll find someone else who will be her future husband." Pudding teased from the other side of the counter.

"Pudding!" Ryo shouted as she ran off after making her presence known to the three in the kitchen.

"Pudding. Leave Ryo alone. He's given us these jobs so please behave yourself." Lettuce said.

Ryo nodded to thank her, and saw Ichigo giggling. Pudding may have a point, if Ryo didn't want to lose her forever, he'd have to tell her the truth. And fast, as the three regulars walked in.

"Hey! Ichigo sweet sugar berry, how are you? Have any new sweets for us to try?"

"Hey Kishu, keep this professional. Ichigo is here to work, not be your personal maid." Ryo snapped and went down to the basement. He wasn't having it with them here. Kishu was the worst as he's been going after Ichigo for as long as she's worked here.

Ryo sighed as he sat down in his chair and did some work.

"Hey."

"What are you doing down here? Don't you have to surve Kishu and his brothers?" Ryo asked without sounding so annoyed with the thought.

Ichigo shook her head. "I told Lettuce to do it. I was taking my break." She held up her lunch box.

Ryo scoffed but started laughing.

"I also know Pudding is dating the younger one, if you need to tease her about something." Ichigo added as she pulled up a chair.

"Thanks." Ryo smiled a little.

"So, are we going to talk? I know you are bothered by them, I just want to know why Kishu and you seem to...always be head to head. You were also like that with my first crush back when we were younger." She said.

Ryo froze. Younger? "What do you mean?"

"I remember playing with you for one day, and it was because I ran from home, and we ran into my crush, and you hated him. Were you jealous?" Ichigo starting asking questions.

"How did you-I mean you've not said anything before."

"I figured it out. When Kishu first started coming by, that's when I realized you were the same one I played with and called my parents to come and get me when I was asleep." She said. "So, are you jealous? Of Kishu?" She asked before taking a bite of her food.

Ryo couldn't come up with an answer. It was too soon for him to talk about all of this with her. And not in this place.

"Um...Look, I am not sure this is the time or place for this-"

"Just answer yes or no. I'm not asking for a super long explanation." Ichigo said.

Ryo nodded. "Maybe a little. But it wasn't over the guy when we were kids. Kishu, YES!" He admit to that at least.

Ichigo smiled like she was satisfied with his answer. She finished her food and headed back up. "Maybe we should have this talk later. After work." She said.

Ryo was going to nod, but Ichigo, suddenly kisses his cheek before heading right back up.

Ryo waits for her to be gone before spinning in his chair smirking and hiding his red face.

He didn't see that coming, and was slowly losing his cool.

The End