THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE

Author: LittleMouse aka ElfNight

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I have nothing. I am nothing. (Weeps)

Warnings: For mild language, light references to lemony bits, and m/m kissing - making out.

Summary: Mousse is faced with the possibility of going blind; this makes him take a good hard look at his life and the people in it. What he sees changes everything... eventual shonen-ai.

A/N: I like Mousse, he's the prettiest boy in this anime, I think, so I wanted more fics with him - there aren't many - so... I'm helping... :) and I DON'T LIKE SHAMPOO - so she shall be bashed. Beware.

CHAPTER ONE

Mousse pushed his glasses up for the tenth time that morning and rubbed his burning eyes. He really needed to have an eye exam - he wondered if they made stronger prescriptions that what he already had. He smiled to himself as he went about serving the few customers in the Nekohanten. It was a slow day, which was rather unusual - none of the regulars had been in. He was amused at how much this relieved him. He was normally upset if it was a slow day, because his Beloved would be upset, fretting about not enough money and listing all the things she wanted to buy. Today he couldn't help but put concern for her pocketbook aside. His eyes were stinging and tearing so badly that his sight was far worse than usual. Only the fact that he had the restaurant thoroughly memorized kept him from tripping over the furniture. He felt a little guilty when he was glad his Love wasn't there, entertaining herself as she usually did by shoving obstacles in his path.

Several customers looked at his tear-filled eyes and asked if he was all right - he smiled at their concern and assured them he just needed new glasses. After the sixth or seventh time she heard him saying this, Cologne came marching out of the kitchen, stared at his watery grey eyes for a long moment, then demanded they switch places.

"You are bothering the customers!"

So he took residence in the warm, steamy kitchen, cooking the ramen and the various other dishes that were ordered. The moisture in the air seemed to help his eyes - he soon felt much better. After an hour or so of peaceful work, he heard the restaurant door crash open.

"Great-grandmother!" A strident female voice called, "Airen comes! Must have food ready! Where is potion?"

He sighed. The peace was definitely over now. He spent a single second wondering what potion they were going to try on poor Ranma now... wait! What did he mean, 'poor Ranma?!' That jerk deserved everything he got! He just didn't want it to be something that would actually make him love Shampoo - yeah, that was what he meant to think.

He set a huge pot of ramen to cooking on the stove, knowing that was what bottomless-pit Ranma and his friends would ask for. He was still frowning a little - lately he'd had to be careful what he thought of Shampoo and the others. He found his sympathies switching sides when he didn't consciously keep them in place, found vague thoughts floating through his head that were a bit unkind to his Beloved. He strangled them on sight, but they kept resurrecting and bringing friends with them.

He sighed again as the door crashed open and the noise level skyrocketed. Ranma was here. So much for his peaceful afternoon.

"Mousse! Bring food for Ranma! Hurry up! Where is stupid Duck Boy?"

He heard her high heels clacking as she rushed toward the kitchen, and tried to move faster. He was dishing up a large bowl of ramen, hoping to compensate for his earlier unkind thoughts by pleasing his Adored One when...

"Stupid, stupid Duck Boy! Too slow!" She squealed, reaching an octave he was sure was reserved for calling hogs - aargh! There he went again!

"The food is ready, Shampoo-san..." He turned with the tray and stopped short when he saw her evil smile.

"No, not ready yet." She reach into her cleavage and pulled out a tiny black bottle. Wriggling out the cork, she dumped a few drops of dark purple liquid into the bowl and gave it a quick stir. "Now food is ready! Make sure give this one to Ranma!" She pointed at the bowl with the potion - he had heard Akane and Ryoga's voices, too, and there were three bowls on the tray. He nodded, obedient as always, yet she gave him a funny look. "No try any funny stuff, Duck Boy." She growled, and threatened him by miming pouring cold water over his head. His expression hadn't been as Anything-for-you-Shampoo-you-are-wonderful as usual, and she was suspicious.

He followed her meekly to the table, too concerned about the burning setting itself back up in his eyes to glare at Ranma when she glomped onto him. The others didn't notice at first - it was only after he set the bowls on the table and turned back to the comforting dampness of the kitchen that Ranma spoke.

"Hey, Mousse! What's up, no death threats? No fight?"

Mousse looked back over his shoulder and shook his head mutely. Three people at the table gasped - Shampoo was cuddled as close to Ranma as she could get with him trying to shove her away, and was paying no attention at all to the long-haired boy serving them.

"Gods, Mousse, you look terrible! Have you been crying?" Akane actually sounded concerned, which surprised him. He often thought the others had trouble remembering his name.

"Oh, no." He tried a smile, unable to see their expressions with his glasses on top of his head, but he was not putting those torture devices back on right now. "It's just..."

"Stupid Mousse! Duck Boy fine, go away! No bother Airen!" Shampoo picked up a bowl of ramen - it was Ranma's, luckily for him she had forgotten about the potion - and threw it at Mousse's head. Luck seemed to be going around the Nekohanten that day - Mousse didn't see the bowl coming, but he stepped away just as she threw it and it banged into the wall instead of his skull. Ranma laughed and stole Akane's ramen, distracting both of the girls. They didn't notice how his eyes followed Mousse as he left the room. Ryoga did, but he kept his mouth shut.

Mousse took a quick look through his glasses to make sure the kitchen was in order - there was enough food prepared for the next hour or so, and Cologne was around somewhere to fix more if it was needed. He made sure no one was watching and slipped out the back door. If his eyes looked so bad his enemies noticed, he needed to see Dr. Tofu now.