Okay, I have to apologise for two things right off the bat.
1) I am sorry for the insanely long delay between chapters. 6 months is too long. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter, just a lot of writing blocks, and annoyance. It almost caused me to give up on the story, but thankfully I haven't. Well, hopefully. Which leads to the next thing.
2) I'm sorry for the sub-par quality of this chapter. I ended up rushing a lot just to get it done and out of the way. I promise things will get better as they move forward, and that you forgive this blip.
Regardless, thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoy the general idea of this chapter, and let me know what you think! Much love.
"She just kissed you?"
"Yes."
"Out of no where?"
"Yup."
"At the dance?"
"That's right."
"And it took you two weeks to tell me!?"
Ken and Davis walked along the unfamiliar streets of Osaka, one feeling indignant, the other feeling guilty and embarrassed.
The two boys were away from Tokyo for the weekend at a soccer tournament with the school team. After a surprisingly good effort, the team had played their way into the consolation final, hoping to finish third. It was quite an accomplishment for them, as there were over 40 teams at the invitational tournament, and the Saber Lions hadn't been expected to advance out of the group stage.
To reward his players, the coach was extending the team curfew by two hours, so they could have a bit more fun before their game the following afternoon. Deciding to take full advantage of this opportunity, Davis and Ken arranged to meet Matt for a short while. They were meeting at a student bar near Matt's university, which would take the two friends about half an hour to reach on foot.
It was about five minutes into this journey that Ken decided to finally tell Davis what happened at the dance.
"Yeah, I know, I probably should have told you sooner," the taller boy admitted. "But I didn't want to say anything, before I had a better idea of what was actually happening between Yolei and I."
"Well, I guess that makes sense," Davis conceded. "You just took me by surprise. So if you're telling me, does that mean you know what's happening between the two of you now?"
"I wish," Ken replied glumly. "The times when Yolei and I have been alone since the dance, well they haven't exactly been devoted to conversation."
Davis raised his eyebrows and smirked, his tongue in his cheek. Ken waited for his friend to make a comment but Davis remained silent, allowing Ken to continue.
"We kind of avoided one another for a day or two. Then when we did hang out during our spare, well… we made out. A lot. And that happened the next day. And the day after that. It took until Tuesday this week for us to actually have a conversation."
"And what were the results?"
Ken sighed and his head dropped slightly. "Honestly, I don't know. We both acknowledged that we feel something for one another. But Yolei isn't sure what exactly she wants. She said she doesn't want to start a relationship in her last year of high school, because she's worried that it might not be able to go anywhere after we finish. But she also doesn't want to use my physically, because she does care about our friendship. Then she mentioned that considering we felt things didn't work out the first time, that it might be more difficult to try things again. And she's worried that if we fail a second time, it might do irreversible damage to our friendship."
"After going on for several minutes, she was getting quite emotional and I could tell she was about to start crying. So then I moved to comfort her, and before I knew it…"
"Your lips were locked again." Davis finished, using all his strength to repress a wry smile.
"Yeah, pretty much" Ken blushed.
Davis examined his friend as they continued to walk. He had long suspected that Ken's feelings for Yolei had never quite diminished since their break up. The fact that Ken often avoided giving a clear answer when he was asked if he had feelings for anyone was always a little suspicious. Ken's current reaction however, was not what Davis expected. He always assumed his friend would be much happier if he got back together with Yolei.
Deciding that being direct would be the easiest approach, Davis spoke again.
"Are you happy something's happening with Yolei? Do you want something more?"
Ken gave Davis a bemused look, as though he found it funny Davis even had to ask.
"Of course. To both those questions. I've always had a soft spot for her, and I think she'll always be important to me, even if that meaning changes as time goes on. But I don't know what to do. I mean, I want to be with her, but I want to respect her feelings."
"You don't want to feel like you're forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do," Davis clarified.
"Right. That's probably the better way of putting it," Ken sighed in frustration. "It's just really annoying because whenever I thought about the possibility of Yolei and I getting back together, it wasn't like this."
"You were picturing something overly romantic and cliché?" Davis teased.
Ken shoved his friend lightly with a smirk. "No, not like that. Well, once or twice maybe. But I just thought it would be, simpler. I thought that whatever happened, we would know what was going to happen as we went forward."
Davis reached over and grasped Ken's shoulder.
"I know it's gotta be tough right now buddy," he told his friend, "but over the last little while we've all seen that no relationship is always easy. Doesn't matter if it's romantic, or friendship, or anything else. It can all get really complicated, really quickly. Sometimes, we've just got to roll with it. But just remember, I'll be here for whenever you need me."
"Thanks Davis," Ken smiled. "It's nice to have a reminder I'm not in this alone."
"Never man. Never. And besides, at least your situation is more just confusing. You could be stuck like TK is, completely heartbroken."
"Wow, what a great friend you are. Does TK appreciate when you're that blunt with him?" Ken grinned.
"Oddly enough, no he doesn't," Davis feigned a look of puzzlement, "I guess I need to think of something else to cheer him up."
For the remainder of the walk, the two friends discussed TK, and if there was anything they might be able to do to cheer up their friend. Davis suggested they 'accidentally' push TK into the girls change room so he could see some other girls in order to get over Catherine. Ken quashed this idea however, as either TK would get a suspension for going into the room, or they would get in trouble for pushing TK in.
They reached the bar without any difficulty and entered with an air of nervous excitement. They had never been in a bar full of university students before. The idea thrilled them. After taking a moment to allow their eyes time to adjust to the dimmer light, they scanned the bar for their older friend. It only took seconds to spot him alone at a booth, his blonde hair distinguishing him.
"Hey you two!" Matt cried happily as he stood to greet them. He pulled Davis into a strong hug, before releasing the younger boy and embracing Ken as well.
The three young men sat down at the table, Matt on one side while Davis and Ken were on the other. Matt raised his drink to his lips and drained what remained. He raised his hand signalling to a nearby waiter, who promptly came over to the table.
"Another drink Matt?" He asked, grinning, "You better slow down, otherwise I may have to cut you off!"
"Bite me Toshi," Matt smirked, "Just bring us a pitcher of beer and three glasses. I'm treating my friends tonight."
The waiter raised an eyebrow and cast Davis and Ken an enquiring look. They two teenagers squirmed while they were scrutinised, worried they were going to get in trouble. However, after a few seconds, the man smiled.
"No problem Ishida," He told Matt, tipping him a large wink, "Be back in a minute."
"Thanks man," Matt grinned.
The waiter walked off and Matt turned to his friends. Davis was now wearing a look of sheepish glee, while Ken looked even more worried than he had a moment ago.
"Matt, won't we get in trouble if we get caught?" He asked nervously.
"Oh don't worry," Matt laughed, "Toshi definitely knows you guys are underage."
"What?!" Ken exclaimed in shock while Davis turned white.
"Relax you two," the older boy laughed, "Toshi is a good guy. He knows this is just a social thing, not a 'I'm trying to get minors drunk' thing. He won't say anything to his boss. Besides, I set him up with his girlfriend. So he lets me get away with a bit more than most customers here."
Davis looked relieved again, however Ken wasn't exactly heartened by this information, which Matt noticed.
"Trust me Ken, it'll be fine. Remember, I'm still a couple of months underage as well. They're not going to raise the alarm over a couple of high school seniors, having a drink with an older friend. You're not like the idiots who were here the other night."
"He's right you know," came the voice of the waiter as he returned. He set the glasses and pitcher on the table before continuing, "We had a group of kids come in, couldn't have been older than fifteen, and they tried to get some drinks. Then when they were denied, they started making a scene. Yelling, throwing chairs around. It was bad."
The waiter shook his head with a grimace, "So as long as you two promise not to pull that crap, you'll be fine."
"Don't worry, we'll behave," Davis laughed, while Ken nodded.
The waiter nodded his head in appreciation and left. The table was silent for a moment as Matt poured three foamy glasses of beer, and distributed them.
"Cheers," he said, raising his glass. Ken and Davis echoed him as they raised their own to meet his, the glasses clinking together.
"So how's the tournament going?" Matt asked as he lowered his drink.
"Really well!" Davis told him proudly, "We got a lot further than expected. We're playing for third place tomorrow afternoon."
"Nice work!" Matt beamed, "Though if you've got a big game, should you be drinking tonight?"
"Don't worry about it," Ken answered, "We got permission to have some fun. Plus, even if we completely implode and have a horrible game, we'll still finish fourth, which is a big accomplishment."
"Okay then, I'll let you two do your own thing," Matt smiled. He raised his glass taking another sip before continuing, "So if the tournament's fine, how's life at school? How's my brother doing?"
The two younger boys exchanged looks of apprehension. They knew Matt would question them about TK, but neither had quite figured out what to say. After a moment, Ken began to answer.
"Honestly Matt, we don't really know. I don't think he's doing well, but it's hard to say. He's thrown himself into the basketball team with an almost alarming amount of fervor. Like if he can focus on that, he forgets everything else. However, when he's with us and socialising, TK is almost like his old self. He's considerate to everyone else, he's cheerful, he's getting in on the jokes."
"He's usually better when Kari's around," Davis added. "He seems a bit more relaxed and at ease. I mean he's fine when he's with us in general, but when Kari's with him there's something different."
"True," Ken mused, "But despite all that, when he thinks no one's looking, he'll become quiet and reserved. You almost have to physically shake him out of his reprieve if he goes on too long."
"So yeah. Not really sure how exactly he's doing," Davis concluded.
Matt exhaled slowly, drumming his fingers on the table. He took a couple more swigs of his drink as he thought. His silent contemplation lasted until he drained the glass and refilled it.
"Well clearly, and unsurprisingly, he's still upset about Catherine."
Ken and Davis nodded in agreement, frowning slightly.
"It's not in TK's nature to get over something like this in a short period of time," Matt continued. "He holds on to things. I don't think he means to, and I KNOW he doesn't want to, but he does. I'm sure he still carries the shame of when Angemon sacrificed himself. He shouldn't, but he does. So letting go of someone so close to him won't be a simple matter. Especially considering how she ended things. He never got any closure. I wouldn't be surprised if this affects him for several months at least. I doubt he'll truly start to heal until he starts to develop feelings for someone else. That is unless Catherine talks to him and explains things a little more."
The blonde stuck the palm of his hand into his face and began to rub.
"The absolute worst part, is that TK won't intentionally let anyone help him get over this. He's going to try and deal with this all on his own. That's how he does things. Hell, he abandoned Cody just to get in a fist fight with you Ken, when there was no reason not to take Cody along. But he tried to handle a lot of stuff on his own. And right now, that's not what he needs."
Matt raised his head and gave Davis and Ken a small smile.
"Just promise me you two will keep an eye on him. I know Kari is probably doing everything she can to help him, providing she's still the same Kari, but all the same the more people he has, the better."
"Don't worry Matt, well look after him." Davis assured him.
"Thanks," Matt smiled. "So, what else is new?"
Davis gave a fleeting smirk to Ken, thinking about what they had discussed on their walk to the bar. Fortunately for Ken, this went unnoticed by Matt, who had raised his glass at the exact moment to impede his vision.
"Well, not a whole lot," Ken answered, trying to move the conversation away from a place he didn't want it to go. "But actually, we kind of wanting to talk to you about something."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, well… We sort of wanted to talk about… Tai," Davis told him nervously.
Matt's body clenched up, but not to the extent that the two younger boys had been expecting. They had been worried that Matt might start yelling at them, or worse. His instant reaction however, told them that they weren't in any immediate danger. They had touched on a sensitive topic, but not a volatile one.
Matt raised his glass and drained the entire contents before filling it up again. After taking another sip, he set his drink back down and gave a small sigh.
"Well, I can't say I'm overly surprised. I guess everyone wants to know what's happening."
"Everyone's worried," Davis said, "We're concerned that you're cutting yourself off, and that you and Tai may never patch things up."
"You don't hate Tai now, do you?" Ken asked.
"No, of course I don't," Matt sighed.
The three were silent for another moment. Matt arched his neck back with his eyes closed, clearly thinking.
"No matter what happens between us, I will never be able to hate Tai. We'll have our disagreements, but I'll never hate him. But that night… I was angry with him, but also with myself."
He lowered his head again as he continued.
"I realised several things about myself. And about Sora, and Tai. And how things have changed, and I didn't want to accept them. And I've been ashamed and embarrassed to talk to Tai about these things."
"I have talked to Sora a bit, we message each other about once a week right now. Not for long, just little bits. I'm embarrassed to talk to her too. But I haven't been able to bring myself to deal with Tai. No matter how many attempts he makes to reach out."
"You should," Davis told him instantly, "I know Tai misses you. Hell, we all miss you. And this isn't going to get better until you guys talk."
"I know that Davis, but it's not as simple as you might think. There's a lot to consider now," Matt replied somewhat darkly.
"What do you mean?" Davis asked.
Matt surveyed his two younger friends across the table as he considered answering Davis' question. While they were trustworthy, he didn't know if it would be wise to divulge everything. Information could spread around quickly and things could get out of hand. He also didn't know if they would even fully understand the importance of Matt's revelation. They would understand it on the surface, but the deeper meaning might be beyond them. Even with Ken's intellect and Davis' understanding of friendship, it would require a lot of personal explanation.
"Don't worry about it too much," Matt finally told them. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him eventually. Probably over the holidays. But there are still things I need to figure out how to phrase. Trust me, everything will be fine."
Ken and Davis turned to each other, and both gave a short nod. They realised that they probably wouldn't get anything more out of Matt, and they were at least satisfied with the answer that Matt would work at making things right. Eventually, Matt and Tai would reconcile and all would be right with the world. All they had to do, was hope that day would come soon.
Matt just hoped that when he talked to Tai, he wouldn't ruin Tai's friendship with someone else.
"So you never answered my question. Was your mom surprised Izzy? Did your sudden appearance on her birthday totally blow her away? Did she spend hours giggling and blushing with happiness?"
Izzy laughed at the over the top manner in which the questions had been delivered.
"Yes she was surprised. No, she wasn't totally blown away, just pleased. And no, she did not completely dissolve into a puddle of happiness. That's what we have you for Mimi."
The two young adults had spent the last three hours sharing a table with Tai and Sora at Tokyo University's campus bar. After having spent most of the day with his parents, Izzy had decided to pay his friends a visit as well. Partially to give his parents some privacy, but also because he missed being around his fellow DigiDestined.
"It's still weird to think I haven't seen you guys for two and a half months," Izzy mused after a moment, "It feels as though we were just hanging out yesterday. And we just picked up like no time has passed."
"That's usually how it is," Sora smiled, "I mean, I feel guilty if I go a week without talking to any of you guys. And I get worried that we're losing a connection. But without fail, we pick up as though nothing's happened."
"Yeah, but at least you three are all here together," Izzy commented, "I'm off on my own."
"It's not as though we see each other constantly though," Tai answered. "Obviously Sora and I see each other all the time, good thing I can't get enough of her company, but this is only the second or third time I've had a real opportunity to hang out with Mimi."
"That's right," Mimi agreed, "You two took me out to dinner sometime in the second week. Then I spent the afternoon at your place a couple days after TK and Catherine split, getting all the details on that. But I think that's all I've seen of you Tai. And Sora, we've only had one two coffee dates so far, right?"
"Hm?" Sora asked, a slight blush on her face.
"I asked how many times we've gone for coffee," Mimi repeated, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh right, umm two I think? Does that sound right?" Sora responded.
Mimi's eyebrow arched even higher, "Yeah, sure. That sounds right."
The table was silent for a few seconds as the boys tried to understand what was happening between the two girls. Eventually, Tai broke the silence.
"Anyway, we don't hang out together twenty-four hours a day. So this is a real treat for us too Izzy! We appreciate you bringing us together!"
"Well I like to help out in anyway I can," Izzy laughed in response.
"So Izzy tell us," Mimi began with a small smirk, "how are the girls in Kyoto treating you?"
Izzy's face turned almost the same colour as his hair.
"There's really nothing to talk about there! I've been keeping to myself the last few weeks!"
"So no more little rendezvous with Suzume?" Mimi winked.
"WHAT?!" Izzy yelled loudly, half jumping out of his seat. "How did you know about her?"
"I told her," Tai answered, looking slightly guilty. "I thought she already knew. Apparently I was wrong."
"Don't be upset with Tai though Iz," Mimi said, before the other boy could get angry with his friend. "You got so quiet about things after you told me about Miho, that I knew you were hiding something. Tai letting something slip just made things easier. Better that than me snooping through your business."
Izzy just gave his friends a look between a grimace and a smile, before lowering himself back down and taking a sip from his drink.
"So you haven't really been seeing anyone?" Sora asked, acting as though Mimi hadn't just tried to embarrass the boy she was addressing.
"Nope. I've just been focusing on school work mainly. And hanging out with some of the guys on my floor occasionally," Izzy answered.
"How did Suzume take your, well I guess it's not a break up, but how's she doing now that you guys aren't hooking up?" Tai added.
"Well, to be honest, she's kind of mad at me. But not cause like, I hurt her or anything!" Izzy quickly clarified. "And she not even really mad. Just slightly annoyed. Because apparently since word got around that she and I weren't hooking up anymore, Miho has been trying to be all buddy-buddy with her. As though Suzume has the same weird obsession or whatever that Miho does. So Suzume is just annoyed that because of me, she is constantly being bugged."
"Well that's the price she pays," Tai sighed somewhat melodramatically.
"The price she pays for what?" Izzy asked incredulously.
"For not being good enough for the great Izzy Izumi!" Tai laughed.
"You're a dick," Izzy rolled his eyes while the girls laughed. He finished his drink before raising his head, looking around. "Where's the waitress?"
"Come on, let's go to the bar," Tai smiled, patting Izzy on the back and standing up. "You two want another drink?"
"No thanks Tai. Seeing as I just got this one, I'll wait," Mimi winked, holding up her mostly full glass.
"Right. Sora, what about you? My treat."
Sora gave Tai a small smile, "Sure Tai, thanks. Just get me whatever you're having."
As the two boys walked toward the bar, Mimi turned to look at her friend. She gave Sora a scrutinizing glare, that the red head couldn't fail to notice.
"Umm, what is it Meems?"
Mimi was silent for a moment. She knew what she wanted to ask, but she was still picking the right words for the follow up questions she had planned as well.
"What's up with you tonight? You seem a little, distracted?"
"Uh, what do you mean?" Sora responded, an eyebrow raised.
"Just some of your mannerisms have seemed a little different than what I'm used to. Maybe it's because we've never really had drinks before," Mimi explained.
"Oh, it's just that I'm a little nervous," Sora told her. "I know that we're gonna be fine, but I'm always somewhat apprehensive when we got for drinks here. I know they're totally lax about the rules and that a lot of authority figures turn a blind eye to this place, but I'm always convinced that the night something goes wrong and people get busted, will be a night I'm here."
"No… that's not what I meant," Mimi said. "I meant something is different in regards to Tai."
The instant blush that consumed Sora's face told Mimi she had been exactly right in assuming that Sora was acting strangely due to Tai.
"Wh-what do you me-"
"Oh come on Sora, don't even try asking me that," Mimi interrupted her friend. "Ever since we started drinking, there have been hints. When he was talking to that classmate of his, you got all quiet until she left. When Izzy asked Tai if he was interested in anyone, you looked at him with an incredible amount of interest. When he said he wasn't interested in 'sex for the sake of sex' I swear I heard you give a small sigh. When he made that comment a few minutes ago about enjoying spending time with you, you blushed. And just now, you gave him more than a friendly smile when he told you he was buying you a drink!"
Sora somehow got even more red in the face, and turned away from Mimi.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it."
"Did something happen between the two of you? Did you kiss or anything?" Mimi continued, ignoring what Sora had said.
"NO! Not at all! It's just…"
Sora turned to look at Mimi again. She had been expecting to see a large smirk, or an excited grin on her friends face. Mimi had a habit of being too interested in other people's love lives, which Sora didn't really want to deal with, particularly if Mimi was going to be smug or gloat.
Instead what she saw, was a look of concerned curiosity, mixed with an subtle glint of hope. It was the look of someone who wanted to help as best she could, because she cared deeply. The line of questioning was for her own benefit, not Mimi's.
Sora gave a small sigh. Part of her wanted to continue to lie. To try handle everything herself, and not burden her friend. But she was also tired of the lying. Tired of trying to avoid the topic at all costs, because she was worried of the outcomes. She wanted to finally just have the option to talk about it, if she wanted.
"I have feelings for Tai," Sora said simply. "I have for a long time. And even though I've tried to hide them, I guess drinking makes me a bit more careless with my defenses."
The two girls looked at each other for a moment before Sora took a breath and continued.
"And I'm sure you're about as surprised by this as you are when the sun rises every morning. I mean, there have been enough jokes about it in the past. Which is why I never said anything. Because I didn't want it to become a part of the biggest joke ever. Cause everyone likes to laugh at how 'Sora and Tai are basically married'. This would just feed into it."
"Plus there's the fact that you're terrified of your best friend rejecting you, right?" Mimi asked, trying to sound light-hearted."
Sora couldn't help but give a small smile as she answered, "Yeah, that too."
Mimi extended an arm and grasped Sora's hand. She gave it a small squeeze of reassurance.
"Listen Sora, I understand why there's some apprehension. We all get so involved in each other's lives. But try not to let it get to you. You're allowed to have feelings for whoever you want, and you're allowed to date whoever you want. And this is Tai! He's the one person who gets and knows you more than anyone else! So of course it's going to be complicated, but that could make it so much better. You guys already have so many great moments together that it just seems right. Do you remember that time when Tai was newly single and you guys had that talk on the bridge?"
"Yeah, I do," Sora grinned, her eyes sparkling, "The way he hugged me then… I still get chills thinking about it."
"That doesn't surprise me," Mimi smirked. She looked over at the bar to see how much time she had left before the boys returned. "Look, this is obviously a conversation that we can't condense in just a few minutes. And honestly, I know that most of what I'll say is kind of moot. You'll do whatever you want. Which is fine. Just know that no matter what you decide to do, you've got my support."
"Thanks Mimi. I appreciate it."
The two girls pulled themselves together in an awkward but meaningful embrace. It was hard to maneuver themselves as they were sitting on the same side of the table, but they were still able to put their emotions into the hug.
"Damn Izzy, isn't that a hot sight to come back to?"
"Oh shut up Tai," Mimi snapped playfully as she pulled away from Sora.
While Izzy rolled his eyes, Tai simply winked and placed several glasses on the table.
"You did not get shots," Sora groaned in annoyance as she was passed not only a beer, but a small glass of clear liquid as well.
"I most certainly did!" Tai grinned maliciously. "I figured we could liven the night up a bit! Plus, the bartender thinks I'm cute so she gave them to me for half off."
Mimi couldn't help but cast a quick glance at Sora. She could have sworn she saw a pang of annoyance flash across Sora's face, but it was gone in an instant.
"Well, why the hell not. We're already drinking. What's the worst that could happen?" She asked, trying to get away from the topic of other girls being interested in Tai.
"Mimi, do you remember the last time you said that?" Izzy mused, his eyebrows raised.
"No."
"Exactly."
Everyone laughed together before they all raised their glasses and drained them together.
As Mimi put her glass on the table, she felt the blood rush to her head.
"Okay, maybe that was a bad idea…"
"Well this was certainly far from the worst thing… right?"
Mimi rolled over to her side to look at the man next to her. Izzy gave a contented sigh as he reached behind her and grasped the small of her back.
"No, definitely not the worst."
"Extra alcohol certainly does enable us to make decisions like this, doesn't it?"
"True. And it makes Tai so sick that Sora has to drag him home," Izzy laughed. "Lucky for you, I'm more of a gentleman than him. I make sure you get home safely and happy. And if need be, I'll go an extra mile on the happiness."
Mimi grinned mischievously moved her lips to Izzy's. They both let the gentle kiss linger for several seconds before Izzy pulled away.
"I really hate to do this right now, but if I'm going to catch the bus home, I should probably leave now."
"Oh. Right. Yeah, that would be smart," Mimi responded, stunned.
She watched as the boy hitched himself up and swung out of bed. Silently, she contemplated what had just happened between them as Izzy looked for his boxers. Just as the fabric covered the ass she had been staring at, she felt a surge of annoyance and sadness.
"You know, you could just crash here for the night," she suggested, raising herself to her knees.
"I really shouldn't," Izzy replied guiltily, "I told me parents I'd do my best to make it back home tonight. They worry."
"No Iz," Mimi said quietly, reaching out and grasping his hand gently. "I meant, you could stay here. With me."
Izzy faced her with a look of longing nervousness.
"Mimi…"
"What are we doing Iz? I mean, we can't just keep doing this. One night ever few months? It can't work. We need to give it more. I mean, you want more too, right? It's not just me… is it?"
Izzy closed his eyes and lowered himself on to the bed. His back was to Mimi but his neck was craned toward her.
"No Mimi, of course it's just not you. I mean, it's you. It's us. How could I not want more?"
He opened his eyes and Mimi gazed deeply into the two dark pools she had often found herself dreaming about.
"Then what are we doing with this? We're doing everything we want, but not communicating what we want from each other. That needs to stop. We need to be more. Starting right now."
She brought her lips to Izzy's again and wrapped her arms around his back. She felt his arms quickly close around her as one hand grasped her waist while the other swam through her hair. They explored each other's mouths for several minutes, letting their dancing tongues convey the emotions between them.
Finally they pulled their lips apart, gasping for air. They kept their foreheads pressed together, not wanting to fully pull away.
"We don't have to tell everyone right away, do we?" Izzy asked, panting slightly.
"Oh hell no, we should not do that until we're good and ready," Mimi smiled.
"Thank god. I don't think I'm ready for the teasing I'll get from Matt and Tai right now."
Mimi laughed lightly and gave his lips another quick peck.
"So you'll stay tonight?"
Izzy grinned broadly. "Yeah, just let me text my folks. I'll tell them I'm at Tai's though. Don't want them getting suspicious yet."
Mimi laughed again as Izzy turned around to rummage for his phone. She couldn't help but feel elated in that moment.
There was finally more between them. Sure it may have been a gut decision, made possible by them both being intoxicated, but it still felt like the right choice. And as Mimi thought about how it was all made possible by simply being honest with one another, she thought back to the bar. And she realised that she wasn't the only one who needed to open up a little bit.
So before Izzy returned to the sheets with her, Mimi spun to her bedside table and grabbed her phone. She quickly found her desired contact and rapidly typed out a new message.
You need to talk to Tai about how you feel.