Postcard©

A Tokyo Mew Mew A La Mode Fanfiction

By mew-tsubaki

Note: This takes place a week after the day Ichigo gets back to Japan from England.

"Alright!" exclaimed Ichigo. "Another clean-up job well done! Now I need to go read the postcard I got from Masaya this morning!"

Mint came out of the locker room with Berry. "Whoa, were you busy this morning?" inquired Mint. "Now that you mention it," piped Berry, "Ichigo did seem tired all day."

"Yeah, I forgot to turn my alarm on last night, so I was late for school. Then, because of that, I rushed out of the house, grabbed my mail, and ended up causing a ruckus at school. Because of that, I had to stay after and then I rushed my way over here, and now, I'm pooped," finished Ichigo. She walked into the locker room, changed, and came out with her school bag. Ichigo sat down and opened her school bag onto one of the tables. She pulled out a small postcard with a picture of Big Ben on it.

"What's it say?" Mint asked.

Ichigo got up and started pacing Café Mew Mew's polished floor. After a few minutes, Ichigo halted and dropped down on her knees.

"What did he say, Ichigo?" asked Berry. "How is he?"

"He's fine." Ichigo stood up with the postcard crinkled in her grip. She walked over to the trash can and threw the ruined postcard away.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" inquired Mint.

"Nothing. Everything's fine." The redhead walked back to the table and collected her things. "Ciao!" With that, she dashed out of the empty café.

Moving forward towards the trash can, Ryou picked up the piece of paper Ichigo had gotten rid of and headed upstairs to his room.

Mint and Berry, neither seeing Ryou, exchanged puzzled and worried looks. "Maybe it's best we leave her alone?" Mint finally stated. "We don't know what's going on."

"Yeah," said Berry. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Got a date with Tasuku?" Mint giggled.

"N-No! We are just going to the park." Berry paused. "Would you really consider that a date?"

"Stop chatting with me and go see your boyfriend! Shoo!" Mint pushed.

"Yeah. Bye!"

"Ichigo, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Lettuce. Don't worry about me."

"But you're breaking more plates than Lettuce," Pudding pointed out. "It's not like you."

Zakuro put her hand over Ichigo's forehead, and then her own. "You don't seem to have a fever."

"I'm fine. Promise." The pink Mew forced a smile when Keiichiro walked into the room. "Ichigo, Ryou would like a word with you."

As Ichigo walked past Keiichiro, he whispered in her ear. "He's seemed down since yesterday, so he's still in his room. I'd appreciate it if you could cheer him up." Keiichiro grinned and walked off. "Welcome to Café Mew Mew…"

Ichigo walked up to Ryou's room and paused at the doorway. Slowly, she opened the door and crossed the threshold. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"No," Ryou stated as he stared out the window. "Actually, I was hoping you would talk to me, instead."

"About what?"

"You can sit down on the edge of the bed; I don't bite."

"Um, sure…" Ichigo headed over to the edge after closing the door, but not without blushing, due to the fact that Ryou seemed to be acting odd. That and he, once again, was shirtless.

"You seemed…upset yesterday."

"How did you-?" But Ichigo was cut off.

"What did he write?"

Ichigo gazed at the floor. "He-he made a friend…" cried Ichigo softly. "He said that he was having a lot of fun and that his friend was a pleasure to be with. But, his friend's name is Alana. He made a female friend that he told me he really likes and that she's into the same things as him. But- hey!-he says he misses me!" Teary-eyed, Ichigo looked up at Ryou, waiting for a comment.

There was a long pause until Ichigo heard Ryou whisper something.

"Hm? What'd you say?"

"If you're so torn, then why are you still with him? Why don't you look for someone loyal and deeply in love with you?"

"What! Who do you suggest-?"

Before Ichigo could finish, or blink, Ryou was sitting beside her on the bed, his lips touching hers. After a minute, he pulled back and gazed into her eyes. "Someone like me?"

Blankly, Ichigo stared back at him, unaware of what had just happened.

"That time, when I said I wanted to experiment if you became a cat by kissing you, it wasn't because I wanted to test a theory. It was because I was- I am- in love with you."

Dumbfounded, Ichigo could only think of one thing to say in defense. "But, you're always teasing me…"

"Don't you see!" Ryou was the one in tears now. "I just couldn't think of how to get my feelings across. I was stupid. I had been alone until you came along. You warmed my ice cold shell and I felt I could do anything around you."

Ichigo felt Ryou embrace her and sob into her chest. Involuntarily, her arms hugged Ryou, too. Poor baby, she thought.

Silently, Keiichiro twisted the doorknob to Ryou's room and opened the door. "Ryou-" he whispered. He didn't continue, nut instead, smiled. Half sitting, half lying on the bed, Ichigo and Ryou were sound asleep, cuddling. Ichigo was leaning against a pillow, while Ryou was leaning against Ichigo's chest, snuggling.

Keiichiro quietly closed the door, all smiles. He left to go close up and caught the girls as they were leaving. Everyone had left without noticing him coming down stairs- except Zakuro. "Checking up on their…conversation, are we?" asked Zakuro.

"Eh-heh… Could you do me a favor? I need you to call Ichigo's home and say that she's staying over at your house. Do you mind?"

"Sooo, they're that deep in conversation?"

"They just dozed off. Don't tell the girls, though. I think we should let Ichigo tell them."

"What would you have done if I hadn't already guessed what was going on?"

"I could never guess that that would happen in the first place."

"Well, I'll play along. Keep an eye on them, though."

"Don't trust Ryou?"

"No, I don't trust Ichigo. Ah, well, 'night."

"Yeah, good night."

Next morning…

"KYAAAAAA!"

"Ah," said Keiichiro. "They must be awake."

"Umn…" mumbled Ryou. "Why do you have to be so loud?" At once, Ryou blushed. He realized that half-way into their conversation last night, both of them had dozed off. And that Ichigo stayed over. In the same room. "Pervert!"

"I'M the one who's the pervert! YOU were the one on top of me, all snuggled into my chest like a little kid! So you shouldn't be the one saying anything!" exclaimed Ichigo. "Cripes! I'm gonna be late for school. I gotta go. See ya later!" And with that, Ichigo left Ryou alone in his room once again.

"Ichigo, wanna go to the sweetshop with us?" asked Mimi, one of Ichigo's long time friends.

"Nah, can't. I'm busy."

"With Masaya, right?" chimed in Makoto. She and Mimi giggled.

Ichigo turned to stone. She had forgotten that she had only told Ryou what happened. …Oh! That Ryou! "I'll catch you guys later!" Ichigo said as she left the classroom for the last time that day.

As Ichigo was striding over to Café Mew Mew, she thought of all the things that had happened between her and Ryou. He had teased her, cared for her health, and… saved her many times. Then with what happened the other night, Ichigo felt Ryou was there for her, just like her friends. But, something was different in how he acted towards her than how her friends acted towards her. Sure, he was a guy and her friends were girls, but they all loved her. Then it struck Ichigo.

Love…with how he acted…no wonder he seemed a bit more straightforward in protecting her than her friends. Then, he must really love me, she thought.

Ichigo, who was so lost in thought, walked right into Café Mew Mew's front doors before opening them. "Ichigo?" asked Keiichiro.

I can't get over this thing, thought Ichigo after changing into her waitress outfit. Ichigo did one final uniform check when she looked in her mirror and saw Ryou behind her. Without turning around, Ichigo stated, "Now who's the perv?"

The clumsy waitress turned and noticed he still was not wearing a shirt. "We're gonna be opening soon, so put a shirt on. Unless that's how you plan on getting customers."

"What can I do if I'm attractive?" replied Ryou.

"I see we're back to our snobby self." Ichigo smirked. And then she softened her look. "You know, you had Keiichiro really worried," said Ichigo. "…and you had…me really worried."

"Do I detect you falling for me?" grinned Ryou.

"What's wrong with falling for a guy who's loyal and deeply in love with me?" Ichigo gave him a smile. "Someone like you?"

Ryou turned bright red. "I'm s-sorry for saying all of that cheesy stuff the other night. I thought it would be stupid to just come out and say "I love you"."

"Nah, I'm plenty happy with your cheesy comments." After her comment, Ichigo went to embrace Ryou, but he kissed her lightly before she could completely wrap her arms around him.

"Are you okay now? With this? Are you happy?" worried Ryou.

"Funny, I was just going to ask you the same thing." Ichigo looked up at Ryou. "Are you okay?"

"How can't I be? I have you."

The couple remained in a silent embrace for a little while longer, so the mews who had been watching the love scene went unnoticed.

"When did this start?"

"Are you startled, Mint?"

"She's just angry that Ichigo didn't tell her, Lettuce."

"Pudding's right. Mint's like Ichigo's keeper, right, Zakuro?"

"No comment, Berry."

The other mews (except for Ichigo, who was busy) gathered around the orchid mew like a mob.

"Do you know something we don't, Zakuro?" inquired Pudding.

"…"

"Tell us what you know, Lady Zakuro!" this was the first time that Mint had raised her voice to her idol.

"I think you guys should just ask Ichigo, okay?"

Bam!

"Oww…" said Lettuce.

Apparently, Ichigo had made her way to the locker room door and opened it into Lettuce. "What are you guys doing crowded in a huddled like this? We need to open soon! Go get changed!"

"Where did you get this new spunk from!" said Mint, nastily. "From Ryou!"

Ichigo looked shocked. How did they know! she pondered. "I guess I need to fill you in…"

"Darn right you do!" piped Mint. "We've been freaking out trying find out what was wrong with you, so you better give us the whole story!"

"Well, here it is…"

"I'm sorry," said Mint. "I jumped to conclusions that you were cheating on Masaya. And I didn't like that thought since he had been so good to you. But… I had a feeing that there was something strange about Ryou, he never treated anyone else like how he treated you."

"Sort of like…when a guy picks on you, it means he really likes you," said Berry, who was beaming at Ichigo to show her approval of the new relationship.

"Yeah, I guess," blushed Ichigo. "Anyway, all of you! Go get changed! I'll go open up."

Ryou came downstairs a little while after opening, this time with a shirt on. He walked over to Mint, who was having her afternoon tea. "Hey, rich girl."

"Hey, stud." Mint quietly sipped her tea again.

"Huh?" Ryou casually turned pink. "Where did that come from!"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe for nicely picking up the pieces of Ichigo's heart and strumming up the courage to finally tell her you love her."

"Oh. You noticed."

"No. We saw you guys in the locker room earlier and managed to get Ichigo to tell us the whole story."

Ichigo came over to where the two were. "Whatcha talking about, Charming?" said Ichigo. Ryou turned a deeper shade of pink; he seemed almost magenta. He put his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her. Ichigo cuddled under his chin and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Ryou said, "So, now that you're my girlfriend, you'll work here for free out of your love for me, right?"

"No, I do almost half of the work around here." Ichigo paused and looked at Berry and Tasuku working almost as hard as she did. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Okay, maybe a third." She giggled. Ryou sighed and muttered something about losing all his money by the time he could marry Ichigo. "Ah, well, everything will be fine as long as I have my black cat."

The redhead gleamed at her love. "And as long as I have my gray cat."

"Don't get too lovey," said Pudding. "You need to get back to work, Ichigo."

"Yep!"