Summary: Mimi & Koshiro move in together. Mimi reflects on her belongings and her relationship with Koshiro

Notes: This might be a one-shot, or I might do like 2-3 chapters if people like it? Not sure. Anyway, hope you enjoy!


As Mimi looked out at the mound of boxes that surrounded her, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. She didn't want to admit it to herself, because it made her feel bad, but she truly had a lot of stuff. In her defense though, it was all great stuff. She looked over at her mound of stuffed animals, maybe she could get rid of a few of those. She looked at all her handbags, makeup, trinkets she had acquired over the years, photographs, wall art, candles, coats, jackets, and shoes. Mimi sighed. She never understood how some women could only own a few pairs of shoes. Mimi had a few pairs of shoes for every day. What if it rains and you need your shoes to be waterproof? What if the event you attended is more formal than you expected and you need a pair of back up heels? Depending on your outfit, you can't just wear any heels – they need to be the right color!

Mimi took a deep breath. She loved all her shoes, and clothes and all the other things she had acquired over the years. She wasn't sure why she felt guilty for having so many things. Was it the fear of judgment of others? She took another deep breath in. She had already filled up half of Koshiro's closet and was now taking over the guest bedroom's closet as well. She knew Koshiro never complained about all the stuff she had, but she couldn't help but wonder if maybe it bothered him and he was just too polite to tell her. Mimi picked up a blouse that she had previously loaned Sora and hung it up in the closet. Sora always loved that Mimi had a lot of clothes because she could borrow an outfit for any occasion and never needed to hit the mall. No, Mimi resolved, maybe it wasn't the fear of judgment that made her feel guilty.

Perhaps, it was the new minimalistic lifestyle certain young couples were adopting that had been making the news recently. You know the stories where the young couples sell all their belongings and travel around the world in either a van or a boat? Those people had always said they felt freer without being tied to anything. Giving up all their belongings had made them feel free. Mimi pondered this as she held up one of the stuffed bears her father had given her a few years ago and a smile crept across her face. Maybe that minimalistic lifestyle was good for certain people, but Mimi liked having all of her stuff. She loved the memories she equated to each item and she loved the wardrobe options she had built for herself over the years. All this stuff made life fun, and that's what life is about. right? Mimi took a few steps back and tripped over another box. She let out an audible sigh as she rubbed her butt where she fell. Maybe it couldn't hurt to get rid of just a few things, she made a mental note as she carried the stuffed bear to the master bedroom of the apartment and placed it on a shelf. Mimi took another step back and looked at all the boxes, she still felt a bit guilty for having it all, but she was definitely in better spirits.

Walking out of the master bedroom, Mimi walked down the hall to their new living room. It was pretty empty now, but on Thursday it would be filled with the couches and coffee table that Mimi had picked out. She thought back to furniture shopping with Koshiro the previous day and how annoyed she had been. Koshiro had told her to just pick whatever couches and table she wanted, but Mimi had wanted Koshiro's opinion and he just didn't have any. Mimi just couldn't fathom not having an opinion on your living room furniture, but no matter how hard she pressed the issue, Koshiro wouldn't give her any useful feedback. All Koshiro would say is, "Whatever you like, Mimi! They're all fine!" Mimi sighed. She knew Koshiro cared, he just cared more about making her happy than anything else. Suddenly, she felt bad for being annoyed. Koshiro had even paid for everything too. He had wanted the apartment to be beautiful and to have everything Mimi wanted. Mimi closed her eyes as she truly hoped that Koshiro liked what she ended up picking out.

Mimi sat down on the hardwood floor and began going through another box. The box was filled with photographs and right on top sat the photograph of all the DigiDestined together in the Digital World. Mimi smiled fondly as memories came back to her. She was about a foot taller than Koshiro then. She was just as surprised as everyone else when the two of them found their way together. He had fallen for her first and she felt very flattered, but it took her a while to return his feelings. Mimi had always admired Koshiro's intelligence and truthfully she found him adorable. It wasn't until he had given up his pursuits and thought all hope was lost that she had told him she liked him. Mimi laughed to herself as she recalled how nervous Koshiro was on their first date. He had even worn a suit and brought her flowers. The only guys Mimi knew who did that were actors in movies. She had been nervous too of course, but knowing she had the upper hand, felt confident.

No one really thought the two of them would work out due to their personality differences, but the two of them got along very well. Koshiro appreciated good style but didn't know how to dress or decorate and Mimi loved picking out his clothes and adding art to his life. The things Koshiro struggled with like social gatherings and being creative were things that came naturally to Mimi; and the things that Mimi struggled with like billing, numbers, and recalling certain facts, Koshiro excelled at. They had made a good team. Mimi had helped Koshiro come out of his shell and Koshiro had helped Mimi to be more sensitive and think things through. Since dating Koshiro, Mimi had made much better decisions and she honestly felt herself getting smarter. She smiled as she recalled winning 'trivia night' that she and Koshiro attended with Jou and his girlfriend. She had even made matching shirts that said, 'Beauty & Brains." To her surprise, Koshiro loved them and wore it without hesitation.

Next to the photograph of the DigiDestined was a photograph of Mimi with a few of her friends from the United States. Mimi had been quite popular when she had lived overseas. A few boys had caught her attention and she even went on a few dates with one boy that she grew particularly fond of. Mimi sighed as she remembered how things didn't work out between the two of them. That boy didn't treat Mimi well, but she was young and didn't really know what to expect out of a relationship. When she had gotten together with Koshiro, he had made her feel like a princess. No one had ever been as kind or as generous as Koshiro was to her. Mimi truly felt that he would do anything for her and that feeling was heart-warming. Mimi knew there were a lot of jerks out there and she knew she was lucky to be with someone so nice who loved her. Mimi felt guilty again as she looked at the photograph. Koshiro had never been with anyone else and honestly, Mimi wasn't sure how she felt about that. She knew she loved Koshiro because she had dated other guys and knew what she liked and what she didn't like. But how did Koshiro know he truly loved her if he had never experienced anything different? Mimi shook her head and put down the photograph. She was overthinking things now. The two of them were together and would be for this 12-month lease they had just signed.

Moving in together was a big deal. This was a big step for the both of them and Mimi knew it would make or break their relationship. If they could last these 12 months together and have a great experience, then they would probably get engaged and then married. Mimi's heart fluttered at the thought of getting married. She loved Koshiro, but she also felt pretty young to be married. Thankfully, she knew Koshiro felt the same. Right now, they each just needed to know they could live with each other and make it work. Neither one of them had lived with a significant other before, so they were figuring this thing out together. Mimi had lived with one of her friends briefly before that friend moved out and got married and Koshiro had lived with his parents.

Due to his weird work schedule and projects he worked on, Koshiro had relied on his Mother to make most of his meals, do his laundry and clean his room. Mimi remembered being nervous that Koshiro was expecting her to take care of him like his Mother did. Mimi frowned in embarrassment as she recalled asking Koshiro if he expected her to be his Mom when they moved in together. Koshiro had become so upset that she would even ask him such a question that he walked out of the room. Mimi lowered her head. She knew she had a tendency to say whatever was on her mind without thinking it through. She didn't mean to be blunt, but she was honestly curious. Truthfully though, even if he did expect to be taken care of, Mimi liked cooking meals for the two of them. She even liked cleaning up as she was very particular where certain things went. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how insensitive that question was, especially because the answer didn't really matter. Koshiro had been nothing but respectful and appreciative of Mimi. He would never have asked her anything like that.

Mimi stood up and placed the picture of the DigiDestined on the kitchen counter. Whenever the furniture arrived, she would put this picture front and center. This picture made her think of friendship, adventure, and good times. Mimi made a mental note to drag Koshiro on an adventure once they were settled in and to text the gang to get everyone back together for a meetup soon. It had been a while since all the DigiDestined had been together and Mimi felt a pull in her heart for another adventure. As she took another look at the boxes scattered around the living room, Mimi couldn't help but feel a bit old and boring now. Life had been so exciting back when they were kids. Growing up from that was tough. She was glad to have her friends, and Koshiro especially, to help her navigate through it.

Moving further into the kitchen, Mimi opened up the cabinet to put some plates away. They currently had two different sets of plates that didn't match. Mimi laughed and rolled her eyes as she remembered assigning the tasks of plates to Koshiro to pick out. He had been so resistant and pleaded that he had no sense of style, but Mimi had wanted to have at least some things in their apartment that Koshiro had picked out on his own. After all, this wasn't just Mimi's place. She wanted their relationship and home to be 50/50…even if it was usually 70/30. Mimi laughed to herself as she began putting both sets of plates away. One set was green and pink with a dark green leaf design, and the other set was blue and red with white circles. These plates were truly hilarious, but knowing that Koshiro had probably spent hours agonizing over which ones to get in the store, Mimi would love them and make it work.

Looking at the blank walls around the kitchen, the overwhelm started to creep back up. Mimi loved decorating, but she had no idea where to start. Knowing that she would have no input from Koshiro made it a bit more stressful. After all these years together, she still couldn't figure out his style. He had always gone with whatever Mimi wanted. While he always said he would like anything she picked out, Mimi wanted him to really love it. She smiled as she realized that maybe the only way to do that would be to pick out something that she truly loved herself.

Mimi took out her phone and typed up a reminder to check out the new art studio that opened in the city for decoration inspiration. Her new job started next week and was right across from the studio. Their apartment, being just outside the city, was only a short train away from where she would be working. Mimi put her phone back in her pocket. One task at a time, she thought. Slowly, but surely everything would come together. She took a deep breath in and released it. Right now, she just needed to relax and enjoy this journey that she and Koshiro were embarking on together.

With that, Mimi opened the refrigerator door, took out a bottle of Chardonnay and poured herself a glass. She held the glass high as she looked around at her new home for the next 12 months. "Cheers," Mimi said to the open space. She took a swig of wine and set down the glass, smiling to herself she added, "Cheers to new beginnings."