A/N: Whoop-de-doo, it's another of my pre-holiday inbox-stimulating panic-updates! Celebrate! Also, it's my birthday (Monday the 5th). So what all this adds up to is
REVIEWWWWWWW!
You are morally obligated. Sorry, but it's true.
Also these Japanese chapter headings are really freaking me out now. None of them have achieved the original sizzle of the 'Arashi' one, which captured the simile of Pai v.s. the storm and had a pleasing ring. Thanks Essence. Are they freaking you guys out as well? Because you know we can always switch to nice straightforward numbered chapters. But then that would be untidy...
I'm getting a cactus for my birthday! Can anybody give me a review which is more awesome than a cactus?
I think I'm just rambling here, so I should probably get on with the story.
Oh yeah, I forgot to say. You know when I said that the previous chapter was the fluffiest EVER? Well, I lied.
He was warm. Warmer, perhaps, than he'd ever been in his life. Not hot from the battle, not sweating over an overheating computer, just comfortably, deliciously warm.
There was no need to remember where he was. His nostrils were full of her coffee-and-crisp-paper smell, and there was the sense of lush spring, of things green and growing, that had infused all his dreams and stayed with him as he woke. Pai shifted, becoming aware of a solid form in his arms, and opened his eyes.
Sunshine was spilling through the window, winking off drops of rain left over from last night. Lettuce was lying with her head on his chest, her arms either side of him, still fast asleep. She was wearing a pair of pale pink pyjamas which clashed softly with her sage-green hair. She really does look like an angel right now, he reflected. Her cheeks were flushed with sleep, and a faint smile lingered round her rosebud mouth. He hoped it might be an unconscious reaction to his presence.
As he watched her she shifted a little and knotted her fingers into his shirt, burrowing against his chest. A few strands of hair hung over her face, fluttering each time she breathed.
'Oh, my love,' Pai murmured, running his hand over her hair. Who knew that having your heart stop beating would feel so wonderful? What am I doing here? he wondered. I'm only steering myself into trouble, but oh, she looks so beautiful... He brushed a cherishing hand across her cheek, and Lettuce gave a tiny moan and began to stir. Pai watched eagerly for her to wake. Beautiful as it was in sleep, her face was not complete without its centrepiece of blue eyes. Besides, he wanted to tell her how much he loved her.
'Pai...' Lettuce moaned sleepily, nuzzling closer against him. His heart skipped another few beats at the action. She was silent for a moment and then said:
'Hey. You're really here.'
'Yes,' he said, her simple sentence thrilling him to the core. How wonderful, that he should be here, across so much space, to share this perfect waking with her. He was drawing breath to speak again when she clambered up his chest, flopped on top of him and kissed him clumsily on the mouth.
He gasped and arched against her, his lips parting. Lettuce pressed down into his mouth, passion and tenderness mingling in each touch she gave him. She must surely still be half asleep to be so bold, but it pleased him to know that this was the way her instincts led her. Sure enough, after a moment she blushed and began to pull away, but he gripped her arms and whispered:
'Don't stop.'
She hesitated and then lowered her face to his again. He sighed deeply as their lips met; this was very close to pure bliss. He relaxed into the pillows, taking a more passive role in the kiss, gently encouraging her to explore his mouth more freely. He felt her tongue tracing his lips, unintentionally teasing, and then she began to push deeper into his mouth. He gave a faint moan, trying to encourage her without scaring her. She pressed down harder for a moment and then broke the kiss with agonising slowness, drawing away until their lips were just barely brushing to whisper:
'I love you, Pai-kun.'
'I love you too,' he replied, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ears. 'You look beautiful,' he added after a moment. It seemed wrong to let the fact go unobserved.
'Arigatou,' she said, ducking her head and blushing, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Pai watched it appear with bated breath. Exquisite. He smiled briefly in response and then sat up, tucking her firmly into his chest.
'D-did you sleep well, Pai-kun?' she asked, a little shakily. He could feel her arms trembling as they wrapped around him. Tightly. He squeezed her in response and answered:
'Hai. Very well, thank you. And you?'
'Mmmm,' she nodded, leaning forward to rest her head on his shoulder.
'You weren't crowded at all?'
'Nuh-uh. In fact I slept better than I usually do; you're quite cuddly when your asl – GOMEN!'
Pai watched, surprise mingling with affectionate amusement, as she flung her arms across her face and blushed brilliantly. 'I can't believe I said that!' she wailed.
Suddenly Pai laughed. 'You're cuddly too,' he said, pulling her back into his arms and lying them down again. Lettuce's face was so red that he could feel the heat of it through his shirt, but after a moment she snuggled into him again.
'Pai-kun?'
'Hmmm?'
'We should get up soon. Before my mum comes in to check on me.' Lettuce sneaked a quick look at his face, and then giggled at his pouting expression. 'Yes, baka, we have to get on with our lives eventually...' She pecked him on the lips and reached across him for her alarm clock. 'Help, is that the time, I need to be getting dressed...'
She leapt out of bed, caught her foot on Pai's ankle and toppled forwards with a yelp. Pai leapt up as well, seizing her under the arms.
'Arigatou...' Lettuce panted. 'Gah, I need coffee, can't think...'
She pulled away from him and began to pat over her dresser and then along her desk, her brow furrowed.
'Er, Lettuce...what are you doing?' Pai asked warily.
'Looking for my glasses. Bah, I must have put them down somewhere funny last night and now I can't find them...one tiny change to my routine and my brain melts.'
'You left them in the bathroom, maybe?' Pai suggested.
'Yes, that'll be it, I expect.' She made towards the door, then froze at the sound of footsteps crossing the room below.
'Ah, Ume will be in to jump on me any minute,' she whispered. 'Pai-kun, you should go...'
Swiftly he pounced on her and kissed her on the lips, pulling her body flush against his. 'I'll see you as soon as I can,' he whispered into her ear.
She stood on tip-toe to steal another kiss from him as he pulled away, and then he quickly teleported. The last thing he felt was her fingers brushing his cheek, melting away as he re-entered the aliens' dimension.
For a moment he stood still, just thinking, letting the moment linger. Then he began to turn back towards his computer, but before he could move he heard a voice speaking sharply from behind him.
'Pai,' Kish said coldly, floating down in front of him. 'How good of you to join us.'
'Good morning to you too, Kisshu,' he replied, making towards his work station. Before he could reach it there was a shimmer in the air and Kish teleported directly in front of him.
'Where were you?' he demanded.
'You told me to go to bed,' Pai said, 'so I did.'
'Oh, I'll bet you did,' Kish snorted. 'Oh sure, our chimera could have been finished weeks ago, but –'
'If you have something to say, Kisshu, say it,' Pai cut him off, glaring.
'Oh, nothing,' Kish said. 'Just that a message came in while you were...sleeping, as you call it. You might want to go and check it out.' He took off, skimming over Pai's head and away into the recesses of the base.
Frowning, Pai booted up the computer. He drummed his fingers as it whined softly through its warm-up procedures, then bent forward as a white box flashed up on the screen.
A watcher would have seen him grow steadily more still and expressionless as he scrolled through its contents. Finally he finished reading the message and stood, staring blankly at the screen, his mind churning.
Deep Blue had grown tired of waiting, it said. It was believed that the current deployed forces were insufficient to secure the Earth. A new detachment of Cyniclons was due to arrive in three days, and he, Kish and Tart were expected to give them any assistance they might need in salvaging the situation. Their orders were simple: destroy Tokyo Mew Mew, then go straight for the military and government of Japan. With those who had the knowledge or power to defeat them gone, the rest would be easy. It was certain that the Earth would be theirs.
Lettuce sprinted along the pavement, holding her glasses on with one hand and grasping her bag with the other, and curling her toes to try and keep her sandals on. Now she thought she knew what Ichigo must feel like a lot of the time. Giddy, energetic and very, very late.
She couldn't help it that her sleep in Pai's arms had been longer and deeper than she was used to. Or that even after he'd left, when she'd seen the time and realised that she had to hurry, she hadn't been able to move faster than a drifting, dreamy pace, her mind still full of his smiles and kisses. And now she was late. Late!
And the scariest thing of all was that it actually felt quite exiting.
'...have been worryingly quiet recently,' Keiichiro was saying, tapping away at his computer. 'I'm afraid they might be planning something big.'
Ryou stood behind him with his arms crossed and his weight on one hip, barely keeping his patience. It was one of those days when he found himself in an inexplicable bad temper. Everybody had off days, Keiichiro would tell him soothingly whenever he felt this way. He should remember that he was still a teenager and inclined to be moody, even if he tried to take a man's work on his shoulders. But today even his best friend's soothing voice was grating on his nerves. It was hot in the basement, the Mews were quarrelsome, a fly was buzzing annoyingly against the window, and on top of it all the aliens seemed to be plotting something again.
'Are you getting any signals?' he asked tersely. Keiichiro shook his head.
'Nothing. No missing reports or strange sightings, no abnormal energy readings...'
'Right,' Ryou grunted. Raised voices came floating down from the café, and he turned on his heel and stormed up the stairs just in time to see Ichigo seize Mint's teacup and toss the contents out of the open window.
'Momomiya Ichigo, will you pull yourself together!' he roared. 'We open in five minutes!'
Ichigo whirled round and began to scream in response.
'Why? Why is it always me you pick to shout at? Zakuro and Pudding are still changing, Lettuce isn't even here yet, Mint is doing nothing at all, and yet you still –'
'Ichigo-san.' Suddenly Keiichiro was there, taking her soothingly by the shoulders. 'Please, don't upset yourself. Shirogane-san didn't mean to single you out; we're all feeling under pressure, that's all...'
Ryou sighed. He was even annoyed with Keiichiro for intervening. A good long shouting match with Ichigo would have helped him to vent his feelings at least, and moreover the pastry chef was lying through his teeth. Ryou knew he had singled her out unfairly. He couldn't resist shouting at her when she was so cantankerous and oblivious and downright frustrating...
'Shirogane-san...sorry I'm late...'
Lettuce was leaning against the doorframe, breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed from running. He turned towards her and she met his eyes, anxiously awaiting his response. And to his own astonishment as well as hers, Ryou found his irritation replaced with a sudden surge of affectionate patience. Here was someone he could count on not to shout and throw tea out of windows, and really, how could he object to that?
'Actually, Lettuce, you're just in time,' he smiled. 'Go and get changed quickly, and then I want you to take the first shift welcoming and seating customers.'
'Hai, Shirogane-san,' she nodded, and hurried off towards the cloakroom.
The rest of the day was hellish. The snow had turned into lashing rain and the café was full of people trying to get out of the damp and cold. They trekked muddy water in across the floor, and the dirt and disorganisation seemed to infuse the atmosphere, making everyone tense and jittery. Keiichiro found some "caution: wet floor" signs and put them up, and after that it seemed that someone was knocking one of them over every five minutes. Each time, the clatter seemed to shoot right through Ryou's head, making him want to scream. Every time he wanted to cross the cafe, he had to focus on dodging around people. The Mews grew cross and fretful as they mopped the floor clean again and again. Keiichiro burnt himself on the oven and very nearly quarrelled with Ryou over whether he could afford to let the orders pile up while he stopped work to run it under the cold tap. Ryou felt at the end of his wits.
The café normally closed at five. At seven minutes to, Ryou gave up.
'Tell the customers we're closing,' he muttered to Zakuro, who happened to be closest. She nodded and made her way over to the door to hang up the closed sign.
Ryou leant against the wall, just out of sight of the dining area, and placed a hand over his eyes, rubbing his temples. Gradually, the roar of the café began to fade, from the mind-numbing babble of a busy day, to a gentle hum, to the thanks of a few stragglers, and finally, to blessed silence.
He decided it was time to risk opening his eyes again. Venturing out into the café once more, he found the Mews in their usual post-work slump. Ichigo was sprawled in a chair with her head on her arms, Mint had her eyes closed, Pudding was hanging limply from the ceiling and Lettuce and Zakuro were slowly beginning to clear the tables.
'Alright, girls,' Ryou said, taking up a wash cloth himself. 'Let's get this cleaned up and then you can go home.
Mint, Ichigo and Pudding slowly bestirred themselves and began to work. Ryou stacked a tray with empty mugs and began to carry it to the kitchen. As he turned, he felt Ichigo beside him. Abruptly he was regretful. Keiichiro was right, they were all tired, but now...
'Ichigo-san?'
'What?' she said, turning to him. 'Are you going to dock my pay?'
The apology died on his lips. A torrent of angry words rose to take its place, but Ryou held them back. He was too tired. 'Just try to keep your temper with Mint,' he muttered. 'You can go once you've finished clearing this table.'
'Ano...Shirogane-san?' Lettuce called. 'Gomen nasai, but is it OK if I leave now? I have some homework that I meant to do this morning, only I...slept in...' She blushed inexplicably.
Ryou looked at the space around Lettuce. It was already cleared; she had already been tidying while the other Mews were still resting. She had been the only one who had stayed calm and patient throughout the day, and now she was watching him out of wide, clear blue eyes...no trace of rancour, just politely, genuinely waiting for his answer.
'Yes, Lettuce,' he smiled. 'You've done good work today. I'll see you tomorrow.'
'Oh, sure, he lets her off when she comes in late,' Ichigo muttered behind him.
And on impulse Ryou seized Lettuce's arm. What was he doing, still chasing after Ichigo when she was snarky and childish and only concerned with herself and her boyfriend? Lettuce was the gentle and conscientious one, the one who could make a person happy, the one who deserved to have somebody like her.
'Do you want to go out some time?' he said in a rush.
Lettuce's eyes widened, and she went first red and then white. For almost thirty seconds she didn't speak, and Ryou began to realise that something was very, very wrong.
'Shirogane-san,' she whispered at last. 'I...' She looked near tears. 'I can't.'
Numbly, Ryou released her arm. The café was deathly silent. Every one of the Mews had heard.
Over his shoulder, he thought her heard a very quiet snort.
'OK then,' he managed. 'I'm sorry; please, forget I asked.' He even managed a smile. 'I'll see you tomorrow then.'
'H-hai?' Lettuce nodded. She still looked stricken, and her eyes were full of pity. She gave him a brief, nervous smile and hurried quickly out of the café.
Ryou realised he was still staring out of her. He shook his head violently, lowering his raised hand. He felt sickened with himself. Because he realised that, when he'd decided on impulse to ask her out, he'd thought he'd be doing her a favour. The perfect plan. Spite Ichigo, get himself into a pleasant relationship and give a deserving girl a shot of happiness, all in one go. But of course she'd said no. Keiichiro had been right. He had known from the start that Lettuce liked him, and he had been ignoring it in favour of pursuing Ichigo. And now she'd moved on. Of course she had. Leaving him with nothing but his own arrogance and the bitter taste of rejection in his mouth.
He was vaguely aware of the other Mews rattling around behind him, as though trying to make as much noise as possible to drown out the echoes of the scene that had just passed. Even Mint was scrubbing busily away at a table, her head ducked down between her shoulders. Ryou took a gulping breath and shook his head again, trying to pull himself together. Come on, Shirogane, it's not like she was the love of your life. Just recover with dignity, learn from it, move on...
He turned and hurried towards the corridor that led to the kitchen and the basement steps. As he excited the dining area Keiichiro appeared, carrying a tray of leftover cakes and drinks. Apparently he had decided that the day had been hectic enough to qualify as a snack day, and Ryou felt inclined to agree. As Keiichiro drew nearer, his face took on a questioning expression. Ryou hastily smoothed out his own features and groped for a casual remark.
'It's not like Retasu to be late,' he said.
'No,' the older man agreed lightly. 'Still, I hope you didn't come down too hard on her. She's normally very conscien –'
A siren wailed into life behind them.
'Ryou!' Keiichiro shouted, whirling round and diving for the basement steps. Ryou heard him clattering down them, and then the siren muted. He knew he should follow his friend, but first he glanced around the cafe, seeing if any of the girls had noticed. It wouldn't do to alarm them unduly...but he needn't have worried. Zakuro was in the changing rooms, blocked off from the sound by a thick door, Lettuce had already left, and Mint and Ichigo were bickering obliviously on the far side of the café. Only Pudding was in earshot, but she didn't seem to have noticed anything amiss. He was just turning to follow Keiichiro when the monkey-girl spoke.
'It must be because she's in love, na no da!'
'What?' Ryou said tersely, frozen with one hand on the banister.
'You were wondering why Lettuce-onee-chan was late. Pudding thinks she must be in love, no da, because that's exactly the way Ichigo-'nee-chan behaves...'
He was itching to get down to the basement and begin tackling the problem – a problem that must surely be more important than Pudding's random deductions – but something held him.
'Maybe she's in love with Pai-san, na no da!' Pudding exclaimed. 'The aliens haven't attacked us for weeks, and she never explained how she escaped from the sea that time...I think it's Pai-san! And Taru-taru says that Pai...'
Ryou would have ignored her. He would have dismissed it as nonsense. But just at that moment, Zakuro stepped out of the locker room, overheard them, and froze. Only for the blinking of an eye. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have noticed. But this was Zakuro, who cared nothing for the gossip of her fellow Mews, and never missed a beat. Their eyes met for a moment, and Ryou recalled the morning when he had fretted to Keiichiro about Lettuce's unusual behaviour, when she and Zakuro had seemed to both be in on some delicious secret.
Zakuro broke eye contact and began to walk away. Ryou hesitated for a moment, then called after her.
'Zakuro-san!'
In the empty, echoing café, there was no way she could have failed to hear him. But she exited through the swing doors without looking back.
A/N: You will experience some EDITS in the previous chapter, so go read it.
OK, I totally thought this chapter was going to contain Ryou-bashing, but it turns out I have more sympathy for him than I realised. Maybe I just hate him when he's paired with Lettuce instead of Pai. Is it coming across that I don't like Ichigo, though?
I'm sorry if Ryou liking Lettuce seems to be a bit sudden, but I really, really need to get the plot going on this. I tried to leave a hint in the last chapter of his starting to notice her more, and to show how it's partly wanting-what-you-can't-have syndrome...but oh well. Gotta motivate him somehow.
It's actually like two or three months since I wrote that first author's note, and my cactus has been re-potted. Lol.
True
P.S. It's called Cecil. The cactus.
