The Lonely Hour
Collection of One-shots
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. I own nothing. This is written for fun.
Author's Note: This is a series of Digimon One-Shots based on the Digidestined's various friendships. No romance, unless you squint. I'm more focused on bringing two unlikely characters together and exploring their friendship as adults. Over time, friendships falter and change.
These one-shots follow Digimon Canon, which includes the horrible epilogue and what I think happened after the ending, and all of the background growth and events around their lives as adults. Except no Digimon. I don't really want to complicate the stories by including them in the picture. :/
The first chapter is based on the adult friendship between Mimi and Yamato because I feel like their relationship was never really explored in the series, but I think they would've made good friends.
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'…..' = thoughts
"..." = speech
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Mimi & Yamato – I'm Not The Only One
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"Would you like some tea or coffee, mam?" The flight attendant offered, a polite smile on her face.
"No, thank you." Mimi Tachikawa responded in English and returned to staring out the airplane window. It had been a long nonstop 14 hour flight from New York to Tokyo. Night had fallen in Japan.
The beautiful brunette gazed absently at the blinking city lights below and her mind wandered to the reasons why she was returning to her homeland. She tried to block it out of her consciousness, but the farther away she got from America, the clearer reality became for her.
Mimi Tachikawa was divorced.
She never thought it would happen to her. Having been raised by two loving parents who still acted like newlyweds, it was difficult for Mimi to wrap her head around divorce. Marriage was supposed to be until death do you part. At least...that's what she used to believe and had been taught from a young age.
However, no matter how hard she tried to continue loving him, Mimi could not forgive her ex-husband, Michael Barton's infidelity. She tried to ignore all of the signs and let him get away with cheating on her for months, but eventually, it became impossible to turn a blind eye to his lies.
He broke her heart.
She had wanted to stay together for their son. Hiro Tachikawa-Barton was only eight years old and needed both of his parents. But even the deep love she had for their child could not erase the anger, hurt, and devastation she felt toward her ex. Mimi had tried. She sincerely tried to forgive Michael.
Yet, when you are the only one trying, eventually things will fall apart. Michael had blamed Mimi for his infidelity, citing her busy schedule and focus on their son, to the detriment of their own relationship.
Michael was a sweet husband when he felt content, but was a man-child at heart. Maybe it was because he had a movie star father, but the blonde was used to being doted on and needed a lot of individual attention. It had been fine at first, but once their baby was born, Mimi's attention had switched from an adoring wife to a loving mother. She hadn't neglected her husband, but he was no longer her sole focus.
Obviously it had not been enough for the man, as he started finding solace in the arms of other women. Mimi didn't want to believe that her husband and fellow Digidestined was capable of cheating on her, but began to get suspicious when he started coming home later and became more secretive around her.
Mimi valued sincerity and trust above all else, and questioned Micheal about his strange behavior. He had gotten mad and lashed out, hurting her in the process. She ignored the signs for almost a year, until it became unbearable to lay in the same bed with him at night. In her heart, resentment began to build.
However, it wasn't until Mimi received solid evidence that she decided to file for a divorce. Months into his latest affair, she received anonymous photos in the mail. The pictures revealed her husband of 10 years in the arms of another, their lips locked in a passionate kiss under the lights of Times Square.
Mimi had dropped the photos in shock and sobbed as she sunk to her knees. She later found out that the pictures had been sent by a jilted ex-lover, a woman who wanted to get back at Michael for playing with her. Sending evidence of his unfaithfulness to his wife was the ultimate revenge, and Mimi still wasn't sure if she should feel grateful or pissed that this stranger had revealed all of his dirty laundry.
In the end, the evidence had forced Michael to admit his actions and even though he begged her to stay, Mimi was resolute. She loved him, but he hurt her too deeply. It was suffocating to stay with him, and she could no longer stand to be in the same room as him, let alone accept his embrace. It made her sick.
Their son had not taken it well. He was torn at the thought of only living with one of his parents, and this was exacerbated by the fact that Mimi had decided to return to Japan. Although Hiro was fluent in Japanese (thanks to his mother, and many digi aunts and uncles), he was still an American boy at heart.
But at the end of the day, he knew that he could not leave his mother all alone. His father would still have all of their family friends and new "lady friend" to take care of him, but his mother was leaving everything she had worked so hard to build. Hiro Tachikawa-Barton chose to live with his mother.
For once in his life, Michael Barton didn't know how to react. He felt anguished by Mimi's departure, but the loss of his son ached even more. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. He begged his wife again to stay and not break up their family. Mimi could no longer accept him as her life partner, but she was sympathetic when it came to their child. She understood his desperation to hang onto their only son.
For all of their sakes, Mimi agreed to give them more time. She would leave for Odaiba as soon as the divorce papers were filed, but Hiro wouldn't join her until the spring school year started in Japan. It was not the same as the American school calendar, so he would remain with his father for three more months.
It hurt her to be away from her child, but Mimi knew that father and son needed time to heal, just as she had to get away from Michael if she wanted to overcome her own heartbreak. Mimi's life had changed in a matter of months. She had once felt like the happiest woman in the world. She felt so foolish now.
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As the plane arrived in Tokyo, Mimi felt disoriented and numb to be home. After living abroad for so many years, she almost felt like a stranger in Japan, but America had never felt 100% like home either.
Her parents had returned to Japan several years prior, but Mimi didn't feel like staying with them. Her mother had not approved of the divorce and urged Mimi to endure the pain for her child.
Satoe Tachikawa had told her daughter, "Japanese men all sleep around. I endured it for you. All mothers must sacrifice their own happiness for their children. It's natural. Don't be so selfish, Mimi."
The memory of that conversation still left an acrid taste in her mouth and was something Mimi had a difficult time forgiving her mother for. The news of her father's own infidelity also came as a shock.
She had always believed her parents to be the perfect couple. They acted like newlyweds all of the time, but now Mimi wondered how much of their behavior was just an act to keep up appearances.
Keisuke Tachikawa was not aware of his son-in-law's cheating habits. He had called his daughter self-centered and said he would not see her until she returned to her right mind. He thought Mimi was abandoning her family because she was an immature girl.
Mimi realized how little he respected her.
Whatever her parents thought, Mimi could no longer live a lie and continue to stay with a man who had betrayed her so horribly. He had left deep scars that were still freshly bleeding.
She had a wound that wasn't healing, no matter how many times Mimi told herself that she was okay; everything was okay.
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With nowhere to return to, Mimi had initially planned to stay at a hotel until she could find a suitable apartment. The only non-family member she informed of her arrival was Takeru. The two Digidestined had remained close friends over the decades and Mimi trusted him the most out of all of her old friends.
It was Takeru who first suggested that she temporarily stay with Yamato since he had a spare bedroom. The younger blonde reasoned that it wasn't good for her to be alone during such a difficult time, and she needed someone around to prevent her from going crazy and wallowing in her misery for too long.
Even if his older brother wasn't her first choice for a roommate, he was still the most suitable person out of their circle of friends to lend her a place to crash for a few weeks while she got back on her feet.
Yamato was also divorced. After a turbulent marriage Sora and Yamato had finally called it quits two years earlier. The Digidestined of Friendship knew what it was like to be alone. Takeru believed that his brother could help Mimi cope with the dissolution of her marriage and the loneliness that followed.
At first, Mimi had argued and didn't want to impose on someone she had hardly kept in touch with. Out of all of the Digidestined, Yamato was one friend she had never really gotten close to, even though she valued his friendship.
She thought it would be awkward staying with him, but as a writer, Takeru had a way with words, and eventually talked her into it. After Yamato had reluctantly agreed, it was decided.
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Yamato took one last puff of his cigarette before stomping on it. He had been trying to quit since high school, but he always came right back. Maybe it was because nicotine felt like a warm security blanket.
He glanced at his cellphone. Mimi's flight was due to arrive from America soon. She would probably be cranky and exhausted. Yamato still couldn't believe that he had agreed to let her stay with him. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall of the indoor smoking room.
"Sigh."
It was all Takeru's fault. He had finally become accustomed to his solitary bachelor's life and now his little brother had thrown a wrench into his peaceful routine. Yamato had never been a bachelor before.
Hell, he hadn't been single since he was in middle school. Although it was soul-crushingly lonely at first, without the constant presence of someone in the apartment, he quickly fell back into his old ways.
Deep down, Yamato had never minded being alone. Not that he didn't love his wife and kids, but he wasn't unhappy when he got time away from his family, whether up in outer space or on a business trip.
It was his natural need for solitude that had upset Sora for a long time, until she could no longer stand to be with him. What she told him before the divorce still stung, because he knew she spoke the truth.
"You never really needed me like I need you. You will always be fine on your own. It breaks my heart."
His ex-wife had taken main custody of their children. They were still quite young and preferred to stay with their mother over their often absentee father. It made sense. Even though Yamato made more money, his work often kept him away from home. He resembled his father in more than just looks.
The thought of being like his parents crushed his spirit during the divorce and he definitely went through a dark period. But the support of his younger brother and constant love from his children had kept him from sinking too deep.
Yamato came to understand his parents more in the last two years than he ever had throughout his childhood. As an adult, he finally understood the reason why his parents made the decisions they had. A part of his heart that had held out until then, finally forgave his mother.
His children came to stay with him every other weekend, and although it had taken an entire year, Yamato and Sora were once again on amicable terms. Even though they had broken each other's hearts, the two Digidestined had never stopped being friends and still cared about one another's well-being.
He wanted Sora to be happy. Even if that meant she married another man. It had taken him a long time to come to terms with the end of their relationship, but after two years, they had both truly moved on.
Yamato heard the announcement for Mimi's flight. Leaving the designated smoking area, he made his way to the assigned arrival hall. Running a hand through his short spiky locks, he looked to the doors.
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The drive back to his place was awkward and silent. When he first spotted her, Mimi had looked dead on her feet. Yamato had never seen her look so bleak; she had dark circles under her melancholy eyes.
There was no characteristic hug or jubilant exclamation of happiness. Mimi nodded meekly at him and mumbled a quiet thanks for picking her up. He grabbed her bag and led the way, saddened by the sight.
It was obvious that she hadn't been sleeping well and she looked too skinny to be healthy. The blonde felt the stirrings of concern and worry for his long-time friend, but decided not to question her just yet.
When they arrived at the apartment, she collapsed on his couch, obviously too tired to do much else. It wasn't just physical, Mimi was clearly at her emotional wits' end. Yamato moved to make them hot tea.
Placing the warm beverage in front of her, he tentatively took a few sips from his own cup. It felt weird to be sitting alone with Mimi in his living room given the situation behind their unexpected reunion.
'Look at us,' he thought, glancing over when he noticed Mimi pick up the green tea and distractedly stare into the steaming liquid. 'Two divorcees sitting in silence. What a happy picture we must make.'
Mimi glanced around the living room, taking in the sparse furniture and modern design. It didn't look like a house that children lived in. Of course, Yamato's two kids only stayed with him every other weekend, but she still expected to see a stray toy or article of clothing laying somewhere on the floor.
But the apartment was immaculate. It looked like the ultimate bachelor's pad, which led Mimi to think about her old house in America. She had always done her best to keep their home tidy, but with a lazy man-boy husband and a rambunctious young son, their house never seemed to be completely spotless.
She shook her head absently, trying to push the memory of her family out of her mind. She missed Hiro. Gulping down the last of her tea, Mimi didn't even notice the scalding liquid burn the back of her throat.
She abruptly stood from her seat and turned to a bewildered blonde. "Thank you again for letting me temporarily stay with you, Yamato-san. I'm really tired from the flight. Which room should I stay in?"
Blinking a few times in surprise, Yamato pointed to a door across the hall, decorated with a cute tsunomon nameplate hanging on the door. Mimi nodded and mechanically made her way into his daughter's room.
Seeing his friend in so much obvious pain was difficult for the Digidestined of Friendship. He sighed and fell back against his chair, running a tired hand through his hair. He closed his eyes in frustration.
"This is going to be a hard few weeks for the both of us."
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[TBC]
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A/N: Sorry to leave it on a somber note, but I've been having a hard time writing the second half of this short story. It's been sitting on my hard drive for over a month, so I thought I would at least post this first part. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but it's turning out to be a two-shot story now.
Please REVIEW and give me your feedback. I've been really busy and lacking inspiration lately, but reviews always work as a motivator. Hopefully, I will have time to start writing actively again soon.
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Notes:
Barton: Is the official last name given to Michael's father, so I assume they have the same last name, even though Michael's full name was never announced.
Son: Mimi's son had a similar hairstyle to Michael, so I assumed they had gotten married in the end.
Ages: The Digidestined's children all seemed much younger than they were at the start of the series, and looked to be Takeru/Hikari's age. So I guessed that the oldest kids were probably in the 3rd grade.
Sorato: I always assumed that Yamato and Sora divorced since they weren't seen standing together in the epilogue and also were not announced as married like Ken and Yolei. I could be wrong, but in my opinion they are not together as adults, but are still on amicable terms. Divorce was a mutual decision.