AUTHOR'S NOTE- Okay, so this be my first one-shot ever. (shrugs) Not much to say about this one except that I hope you enjoy it and I hope I've people mostly in character. I don't want it to be too OOC. And remember, One-Shots are good for the soul!
Remember- regular is 'speaking'
italics is 'thinking'
Frank- ROLE IT!
Stop Kissing Me!
It was just another typical Wednesday afternoon. The sun was glistening in the sky, bathing the park in a pleasant heat. A cool breeze was humming through the trees. Children were running about the perfectly mowed lawns, giggling and screaming in pure delight of a game of tag or hide-and-seek. Lovers were strolling down the winding concrete paths gazing at one another in unconditional adoration, and marveling at the beauty in the world around them.
God, this was making me sick!
I regarded them all with cold, cobalt eyes and continued walking. I hated this daily routine ever since the summer started. Everyday I'd walk through the park to work and notice that everything around me was so sickeningly cheerful. I'd glare and then keep on walking. I'd finally arrive at work only be greeted by him.
I suddenly noticed a young teenage boy staring at me, mouth agape, while the girl next to him – obviously his girlfriend – looking horrified at his response to my presence. I smirked and began to sway my hips as I walked past them. It didn't take long for the melodious sound of him being slapped across the face to reach my ears. I turned only to see the little brunette storming off while the distressed boy ran after her, desperately trying to explain as to why he had been ogling me.
That little interlude definitely helped to raise my spirits. I smiled lightly and practically floated all the way to the pink monstrosity people referred to as a café where I worked. As I reached the front doors I made sure my frigid disposition was in place so as not to attract any unwanted attention. I pushed open the doors and nearly collided with Rettasu.
"Welcome to the Caf- WHOA!" the olive-haired girl shrieked as she tripped on a stray shoelace.
I quickly swerved to the left and caught the falling Mew Mew around her torso just before her face connected with tile. I was a little shaken – to say the least, but I soon regained my composure and glared down at the blue-eyed girl in my arms. "Rettasu…" I grit out between my clenched teeth, I was becoming increasingly annoyed by her constant clumsiness.
"Ah! Gomen, gomen-nasai1), Zakuro-san!" Rettasu prattled as I hoisted her back onto her feet. "You have no idea how sorry I am! I really-"
"Rettasu," I interrupted slowly, "Calm down. It's…okay. I'm fine. Just…be…more careful."
I left a rather stunned Rettasu standing there stupidly only to be tackled by a blur of blonde hair.
"ZAKURO-CHAN, NA NO DA!" was the overly-cheerful cry.
A small smile graced my features as I gazed down at the two joy-filled, honey eyes staring back into my own. Purin was the only one I ever allowed to refer to me with the –chan suffix, for some reason I didn't mind when she called me that. "Hello, Purin."
A grin was all I received for a response. She giggled and skipped over to where Ichigo and Minto were seated; psyching themselves up for when the afternoon rush came. Well, Ichigo more so than Minto. They gave me their customary wave and 'Konnichiwa,2) Zakuro-san'.
"Konnichiwa, Zakuro-san," greeted a cheerful, male voice.
I visibly stiffened. It was him. I turned my now hardened gaze to the smiling brunette behind me. My frown deepened and I offered him a curt bob of my head. Let's get this over with!
"Late as usual, I see," he remarked charmingly as he seized my wrist. I really hated when he did this. He gingerly brought my hand to his mouth and brushed his feather-soft lips against my knuckles, causing me to spasm inside. He did this everyday, and everyday he succeeded in making me more and more uncomfortable in his presence.
I quickly snatched my hand away and gave him another nod before I proceeded to the bathroom to change.
It wasn't always this way, there was a time when I was completely indifferent to the fact that I worked part-time in this tacky, little café. I was indifferent to the fact that Ichigo would be running around the café like a chicken with her head cut off and getting into screaming contests with Ryou. I was indifferent to the fact that we all were getting paid the same amount yet Minto did absolutely nothing except sit around and drink cha.(3) I was indifferent to the fact that Rettasu was as graceful as a baby elephant. I was indifferent to the fact that somebody needed to keep Purin away from any at all sweets. I was indifferent to the fact that Ryou acted like a complete jerk to Ichigo only to cover up the fact that he liked her. And I was absolutely indifferent to how silky Keiichiro's chocolate-brown hair looked swaying in the breeze, or how his gentle, grey eyes sparkled, or how handsome he looked when he smiled…
Darn it, I'm doing it again.
Yes, it was true. I, Zakuro Fujiwara, had developed a school-girl crush on one, Keiichiro Akasaka. And you know what? I was not happy. I never in my life had a crush; I thought I was above such trivial emotions. I also once thought that I was above friendship, but fate turned the tables on me that time and now it sought to do it again. I don't know when exactly I began developing feelings for Keiichiro. They came at me out of the blue and with the force of a speeding bullet train, leaving me dazed and confused in unfamiliar territory. I knew little in the face of friendship and even less in the face of wayward hormones. So what did I do? I built more walls around my already heavily guarded heart. What else was I supposed to do?
By the time I left the employee bathroom the afternoon rush was already well under way. Hmm, I didn't miss much. Ichigo was dashing about like a madwoman, trying to fill everyone's orders. Minto was – not surprisingly – lounging on one of the stools sipping on some cha. Rettasu was desperately trying to clean up some fallen cheese cake as fast as possible. Mmm, cheese cake...4) And Purin was balancing on a large, blue ball while serving two girls their chocolate mousse. Yup, just a normal day here at Café Mew Mew.
I looked about. I was never sure what to do because of my inability to communicate with other human beings. Not that I cared, but there were times when I felt the need to assist them and was unsure of how exactly I should help. I heaved a small sigh. The whole thing was quite depressing really.
"You could help by taking a few orders," a husky voice whispered into my ear.
I let out an uncharacteristic yelp of surprise and spun around only to meet with a pair of amused, grey eyes. I let out a low growl as my face flushed ever so slightly, "Keiichiro..."
He grinned, "I'm sorry I frightened you. But you were staring off into space again."
Sorry, my ass.
"I'm sure Ichigo would greatly appreciate it if you lent a hand. Buuut, if you don't want to, I'll understand."
Was he challenging me! You're messing with the wrong girl, bub.5) "I'll go take a few orders..." I replied as I went to turn only to have my arm grabbed by Keiichiro. I desperately tried to ignore how my flesh was burning beneath his touch. "What?"
"Before you go, you might want to...ehhh," he tapped the side of his head awkwardly.
I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
He lent in closer and whispered, "Your ears..."
My eyes widened and my hands flew up to the sides of my head. Sure enough, I felt fur. I was so startled that my wolf-ears popped out... and right in front of him! Get down, dammit! My ears humbly obliged and returned to their normal state. What? You thought only Ichigo had this problem? Oh, we all do. I promptly turned on my heel and stalked off. If he thought he could get away with intimidating me, he was dead wrong. I'll show him.
I stalked over to Minto and glared at her.
"Oh, Zakuro-san! Is something wron-"
"Come on, Minto," I interrupted impatiently, "Haul your ass off that chair and let's go."
The indigo-haired girl stared at me, stunned at my sudden command to – gasp – work! "C-Coming, Zakuro-san!
I don't think I ever worked so diligently in my entire life. I was like a breath of fresh air for Ichigo, as for Minto, well, she wasn't too pleased with the prospect of working, but she did her part reluctantly. While I wasn't as friendly as Ichigo and Minto, at least I got the job done and proved Akasaka wrong. For that, I was extremely pleased. Everything was going great, until our shift ended.
As per usual, Ichigo and Ryou were getting into yet another argument.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Ichigo screeched, face turning as red as her hair.
"Calm down, Ichigo no baka," the blonde retorted flippantly.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Do you have any idea how hard I work? DO YOU!? I work ten times harder than the others do, yet I never get a raise and I have to stay after hours and clean up! IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!"
"If you work so hard, wouldn't you be the ideal candidate for extra work?"
"WHY YOU –"
At first I had found their relationship to be quite amusing. Ichigo was so completely oblivious to the fact that Ryou only acted that way towards her so he could cover up the truth that he really did care for her. Ryou would then throw her curveballs by letting his true feelings shine through on rare occasions, leaving the poor, little red-head completely confused. Then the whole process would start all over again. Please note that I said 'at first'. Now the whole predicament was really wearing on my nerves. There were only so many times I could be entertained by a seemingly endless squabble between the two.
I had enough.
"Will you two just shut up?" I inquired icily. Dead silence filled the room. "If this bothers you so much Ichigo, I'll stay after and clean up."
Ichigo's look of shock was soon replaced with a look of pure gratitude. "Oh, domo arigatou,6) Zakuro-san!"
Ryou wasn't convinced. "You don't have to stay behind, Zakuro. Ichigo can –"
"Have the night off," I finished for him and lowered my voice so only he could hear. "Honestly, Ryou, you've got to find another way of expressing your feels for Ichigo. Getting her upset all the time won't make her return your affections," I advised with a wink.
The blonde's cheeks immediately lit bright red and he began to splutter unintelligently.
I rolled my eyes, "Oh, please, Ryou, it's completely obvious. The object of your affections is only one you have fooled. She's a little slow…" And with that said I went in search of a broom.
"Are you sure you don't need any help, Zakuro-san?" Rettasu asked timidly.
Purin piped in, "Yeah, we can help, na no da!"
"We'll feel bad if we leave you all alone," Minto added regretfully.
Ichigo glared at her fellow Mews. "Funny, you never felt bad about leaving me here all alone… with HIM!" she accused while pointing to Ryou's retreating figure, who was sauntering off into the kitchen.
Suddenly the three other girls looked guilty. Their responses seemed to confirm Ichigo's accusation. "Just as I thought, nyah," she hissed steely and walked out the door. The other three followed close behind desperately trying to apologize. Minto shot me a remorseful look, to which I responded by giving her a dismissive wave, and followed the other girls out the entrance.
Now, where's that broom?
My clean up procedure went by without interruption. I cleaned the tables, placed the chairs on the tables, and swept the floors. I did my duties briskly and without complaint. And now I was seated on one of the tables sipping thoughtfully some blueberry cha I had prepared for myself. I paused – in mid-sip – when I heard the door to the kitchen slam shut and looked up only to meet the gaze of the last person I wanted to see.
Keiichiro was staring at me with stunned, grey eyes. "Zakuro-san? Where's Ichigo-chan?"
"I gave her the night off," I stated flatly, finishing my sip of cha. "I felt she was being overworked."
The brunette's eyes morphed into crescents and he smiled. "How thoughtful of you, Zakuro-san," he commented pleasantly.
I tried to hide my steadily growing blush by taking another sip of cha. This definitely wasn't good. I was alone, in the café with Keiichiro. Not good. Not good at all. I was urgently praying that Ryou would come ambling through the room and ruin the rising tension within me. I looked to the kitchen doorway expectantly. Come on Ryou… Nothing. Come on Ryou. Still nothing. Ryou! Nope, sorry. RYOU WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!
"Well time for me to head home now. Ryou's still in the lab conducting some experiments. Sayonara,7) Zakuro-san," was his word of parting, but he moved to take my hand and perform the act that he carried out every morning. That was it; there were only so many times in one day a person could test Fujiwara Zakuro's patience and Keiichiro had pushed my tolerance to its fraying point. So I reacted in the only way I knew how to in this sort of situation. I fought back.
"STOP!" I yelled and smacked his hand away.
He stared at me with wide, surprised eyes. "Zakuro-san? What in the world –?" he made another move towards me.
"Stay away from me!" I snarled. I was fully prepared to transform at any moment in order to protect myself.
Keiichiro stood there dumbly, staring at me as though I had grown another head. An odd expression crossed his face until it was quickly replaced with skeptical realization. "Zakuro-san, are…are you afraid of me?" he asked unsure whether to be amused or disbelieving.
I nibbled on my lower lip with the hunger of a starved man. Damn, what do I say? I can't flat out tell him. No, I won't give him the pleasure of knowing he can intimidate me! However, I was so caught up in my contemplation I failed to notice Keiichiro approach me. He simply placed his hand on my shoulder. My immediate reaction was a loud shriek followed by me reeling backward onto the tabletop. "DON'T DO THAT!" I commanded completely horrified. I also dully noted that not only was Keiichiro able to scare me out of my wits, but he did so well that I had transformed into my Mew state.
The brunette now wore a small frown on his normally beaming face and pointed accusingly at me. "See? You completely freaked out, and I only patted your shoulder. Why are you so afraid of me?"
I steadied myself in a standing position and glared at him. There was no way out of this situation that didn't require me to break down a few walls surrounding my heart.
"Come now, I'm not that scary," he joked good-naturedly.
I just shook my head in defeat and frustration. "Why do you have to be so perfect?" I mumbled.
"What?"
"I said 'Why do you have to be so perfect?'," I stated loudly. All I earned was a strange look. I couldn't take it anymore. I bit my lip in pain as several walls came crashing down around my heart. "But it's true. Why do you have to be so perfect? And nice? And kind? And sweet? And generous? And handsome? And a damn good cook? Why are you always making me feel good about myself? Why are you always making me blush? Why do you make my heart race? Why do you make my palms sweat? Why do you make my heart swell when you smile? Why do make me feel the need to be near you? Why do you kiss my hand everyday? CAN'T YOU SEE YOU'RE TORTURING ME!" I cried, on the brink of tears. Funny, I never knew I had the ability to cry. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"
There, I laid all my emotions at Keiichiro's feet, now what was to become of me? Would he walk away from me like I had become so accustomed to? Would he laugh at my foolishness? Would he insult me? Or would he take me in his arms and hold me? Yes, that's what I want…
I smiled sadly at the tiled floor. "Yes, that is what I want. To be held, to be comforted, to be…loved," I unconsciously admitted. I looked up to find Keiichiro staring at me with solemn eyes. My own eyes were brimming with tears; I could only hold them back for so long. "Please," I begged. Yes, I, Fujiwara Zakuro, begged. "If you kiss me, only kiss me if you mean it. If not, then get the hell away from me…"
In one fluid motion I was held captive in Keiichiro's arms. His head rested lightly on the crook of my neck. "Cry," he commanded. And with that I collapsed into his chest, sobbing. I can't remember the last time I was held so tight by someone, let alone the last time I cried. Tears of both joy and sadness streaked down my cheeks and stained Keiichiro's brilliantly white shirt as my hands clenched the pallid fabric in a death grip. Never in my life had I felt so loved. Keiichiro's embrace was so gentle yet strong, warm and loving, and full of understanding. I'm not sure how long we stayed in each other's arms. It seemed like an eternity, but it ended all too quickly by the time we broke apart. I found that I had practically spilled my entire heart out onto Keiichiro's shirt.
My puffy red eyes stared into the most loving gaze I had ever seen. The brunette gently brushed away the remainder of my tears and moved to affectionately scratch my wolf-ears.
"Feel better?" he asked with a small hint of humor in his voice. I found I couldn't speak so I gave a small nod. "Good, I'm glad. Now, about your demand…"
He delicately grasped my leather-bound wrist and brought my right hand up to his face. He planted a light kiss in the center of my palm and rested his cheek against it. "I mean it," he confirmed huskily and kissed my hand again, flicking his tongue and nibbling the delicate flesh of my palm. My tail began to wag back and forth vigorously.
That felt…gooood.
Minto purposefully strode up to the girly café with determination flaming in her eyes. It might've taken a few hours, but indigo-haired girl was finally free of her busy schedule. She just hoped she was in time to save Zakuro. Ever since she left the café, she could only think of her poor role model, slaving away under the tyranny of Shirogane Ryou. Minto just wouldn't stand for that! She marched up to the entrance, threw open the glass doors, and froze.
If Minto wasn't an eyewitness she probably wouldn't have believed it. Akasaka Keiichiro's and Fujiwara Zakuro's mouths were engaging in a heated lip lock.
Minto was stunned. She came to save her raven-haired companion only to find her having a make out succession. For a brief moment, Minto felt white hot anger bubbling within her, but abruptly forgot her anger when she saw the expression on the supermodel's face. It was of pure happiness and love. The azure-haired girl had never seen such an air about Zakuro before.
Sh-she really loves him… Minto's gaze softened and she clasped her hands over her heart. "I wish you the best of luck, Zakuro-san," Minto whispered before she left the couple to their privacy.
FIN
Explanations-
(1) 'Gomen, gomen-nasai'- 'Gomen' means 'sorry' and 'Gomen-nasai' means 'very sorry' in Japanese
(2) 'Konnichiwa' means 'Good afternoon' in Japanese
(3) 'cha' is 'tea' in Japanese
(4) Cheese cake is one of Zakuro's favorite foods. I just thought it would be a weird, funny line.
(5) No X-men reference there, I swear.
(6) 'Domo arigatou' means 'many thanks' in Japanese
(7) 'Sayonara' means 'Goodbye' in Japanese
Okay, be sure to read and review! You will make the authoress very happy!
Frank- All forms of criticism are accepted here! (brings out flame thrower) Bring it on!