I had this idea with me for some time and finally was able to up into words.

This will be my first time writing in English. I hope I had a good start though I think the text could improve in the future.

Mimi and Yamara were never friends.

Of course, they are part of the same friend group which by association made them friends, but...

They're not really friends.

They exchanged some words and smirked with a bit of disdain when Taichi did some nonsense. They also agreed - perhaps more than they had realized - when a heated discussion happened between the group, nonetheless there was a degree of discomfort between them—a lack of closeness.

They didn't know quite well how to explain it. At first, one might think it was due to the incompatibility of their personalities. However, some of Mimi and Yamato's best friends had an opposite nature to theirs too. Koushiro, an introvert, and Mimi, a classic extrovert, could easily open up with each other. The same applied to Yamato and Taichi, who fought a lot but could always understand one another.

No, it wasn't because of their personalities.

It might have missed to them a few moments alone to be able to develop a connection. It was usual to form more intimate sub-relationships in a large group, and sometimes one person could not often interact with another. Taichi and Joe were an example of this, and despite Koushiro and Sora having somewhat similar personalities – aka excessive protection with a certain someone – they weren't the closest either.

Mimi and Yamato's relationship, on the other hand, was more complex than an unplanned disconnection. Both actively tried to avoid each other, and they could feel a certain hostility in the air. Their one-to-one interactions often resulted in small bickerings, and a pet peeve grew as the years went by. Their friends usually laughed off, but they feared that those little fights could become real deep down. It seemed they were in the Cold War, and a bomb was about to explode.

Until Mimi and Yamato found themselves staring at each other in a random bar.

And worst than that: They're entirely alone after years.

WAR

They no longer remembered how or who had the idea for everyone to meet that Friday night to get drunk; it only knew that a get-together was fixed for 10 p.m.

The dropouts began shortly after noon: Hikari and Takeru had to focus on their finals at college, and Joe had a date – Mimi had a lot of fun gossiping to everyone about the new information. At 4, Sora let everybody know her mother asked for help after work, and, around 6, Koushiro sent a confidential message to Taichi saying that he had to overtime again. So both wouldn't be able to go.

This meant only Taichi, Mimi, and Yamato were standing, which wouldn't be a problem since Taichi could transform any situation into light and fun. Nonetheless, the idiot – as Mimi and Yamato would later refer to him in their thoughts – had managed to break the lock of his door.

Thus as Mimi entered the bar to face an angry Yamato staring at his phone, Taichi found himself desperately trying to call any 24-hour locksmith.

There were some minutes of complete silence shortly after Yamato broke the terrible news that neither Taichi nor Koushiro would appear, leaving Mimi and Yamato as the only ones who would attend the bar night. Mimi thought about sending a message to the others – Daisuke, Ken, Iori – to check if anyone could meet with them. Then after a while, she dismissed the idea thinking it would be a little bit pathetic of her. Maybe if Miyako were in town, she'd try to call; unfortunately, her friend was out of the country at the time. Mimi almost breathed in agony when she faced Yamato again after a long period, understanding that both were trapped in the situation.

He had a half-drunk beer in his hand, and Mimi wondered if she should order something to drink or not. That's when Yamato stared at her with his ice-blue eyes and finally said:

- Well, I guess since no one else is coming, it'd be better to leave it for another day, huh? - He concluded while drinking a long sip of his beer to go away.

Mimi frowned. Yes, maybe that was the best idea since none of them wanted to stay there. Yet the fact he quickly dismissed the idea of staying with her for some minutes made her extremely angry. How dare him, she complained to herself.

-Why? Are you scared? – she formed one of her famous smirks - Just joking.

Yamato, who was just getting up to leave, stopped for a second and tilted one of his eyebrows. Oh please. He thought. Her behavior was extremely childish. However, when he looked at her face everything changed. Those bright eyes and defiant smile caused a warmth to rise through his body. Mimi had a distinctive and effortless way of driving him crazy – of rage, obviously. So he ended up joined her game and sat abruptly in his chair again.

- If you want to stay, I can do it too- he replied, trying to look as annoyed as possible as he crossed his arms. Mimi kept a smile on her face. Inside, she was even less willing to leave. If he thinks I'm already exasperating, I'll show him I can be 100 times worse.

- Of course, I do. Let's stay - Next, she called the waiter to order a drink. Yamato drank another big split of beer.

Mimi was talking nonstop. She usually knew how to control her big mouth, but the goal was making his life a living hell. She knew Yamato hated small talk, and she was incredibly good at stretching out petty conversations. At the same time, he tried to keep his face as neutral as possible by giving short answers or sometimes just making a sign with his head.

It got to a point where he was so enraged that he almost decided to lose the battle and leave. Until she said something that caught his attention, it was something about music, they disagreed on the topic but it served its purpose. After some seconds Yamato was surprisingly replying to the conversation.

Maybe it was the drinks that made them turn that silent battle into a real dialogue.

Soon the subject of music led to deeper topics such as politics and the right way of life. He was surprised that they agreed on most things, which was strange since she was literally an heiress. On Mimi's side, she found herself laughing with him. Yamato never seemed like an enjoyable person – far from it, actually – but he had a sharp sense of humor that matched hers.

Later, the bar began to close, but both were already drunk enough to admit they were not in the mood to end the night there. So they decided to extend the talk at her house – they were only a few blocks away. Neither thought it meant anything else; after all, they were childhood friends.

CONNECTION

On their way, Mimi began to small talk again. Unlike earlier, Yamato returned the shopping and travel stories with sarcastic opinions that ended in a good laugh. They made a stop at the liquor store where they also bought drinks and some cigarettes – both smoked socially and had the same favorite brand.

Yamato had already visited her house but had never paid too much attention. It was a fancy building, he could see, but her home wasn't that big. It had only one bedroom and an American kitchen that connected with the living room. The furniture seemed handpicked in one of those expensive thrift stores. The guests could see several photos all over the rooms. There were pictures of her family, her travels, and also of her friends.

He was staring at the frames as she entered the bedroom to put more cozy clothes on. "I can't take this dress anymore. It is killing me" Mimi complained earlier when she was opening the apartment door. He could see images with Sora, Taichi, Hikari, Takeru, Joe, Koushiro, Miyako, and even Daisuke within the walls. Pretty much everyone in the group except him. The closest he got was a picture of himself, her, and Joe. Yamato couldn't even remember when they took it what made him uncomfortable. It wasn't anyone's fault, but despite that, he couldn't avoid holding a bit of regret for not being there.

Mimi returned from the room soon after, immensely relieved to be able to change and especially for: "...taking off those tight shoes" He had noticed she was wearing white sneakers when they went to the liquor store. She had to stand on tiptoes to reach the bottle of gin. "I thought you were stronger than this because of the high heels" he joked with the sarcastic tone of the walk. She then looked at him with surprise and amusement: "What? I haven't used high shoes in centuries. I hate heels, actually. You really don't know me at all, do you?" and then burst in a laugh, making Yamato feel a little bit embarrassed.

After a few sips of gin and some cigarettes, they sat on the couch. It didn't take much longer to get into really personal matters. Yamato had discovered in that particular conversation that Mimi was excellent to open up with. She had quite a unique way to make you feel comfortable. He hadn't spoken yet to Sora or Taichi about how he was missing making music despite liking the aerospace field. Instead, he ended up venting to her in a few minutes and confessing how he felt his artistic side was being oppressed by the Math and Science program he had chosen. Yamato even admitted to gave up on being a musician because it was tough to succeed. He got afraid of not being good enough.

She just smiled and made a positive sign with her head to show she understood what he was feeling. Mimi confided that she wasn't enjoying being an entrepreneur that much – she had an online store of "cute stuff", according to herself. The venture was doing well, but it was hard to deal with all the stress. She preferred to cook instead. Yamato discovered that she had thought about becoming a chef after high school. However, her family had discouraged her. "It wasn't a suitable job" they argued.

Eventually, she tried to convince him that they shouldn't neglect their hobbies despite choosing different fields. She, for instance, had gone back to create some dishes in her spare time and advised him to do the same with music. Yamato, in contrast, encouraged her to give a chance on the chef career. She had money, after all, and her parents wouldn't be that disappointed. "It is not like they would disown or something like that. I imagine they would even help. They always spoil you a lot" he observed a bit unkindly. She laughed loudly, affirming she would think about it. She promised to cook a banquet for him if she entered the business.

CONFESSIONS

Then, the relationship topic came up. Both of them were pretty opposites on this subject. Yamato was a dating person, while Mimi was sort of a free spirit that never had a real relationship. "They bored me so easy" she declared. He affirmed that was because she hadn't found the right person yet. She emphasized: "I don't really believe in this soul mate stuff" but he insisted with a soft voice: "Well, but I believe in it". What made her realize how much a sensible guy he was. A true musician that loves to suffer for love, she concluded.

They ended up talking about Sora. She curiously inquired if he still had feelings for her. He lowered his head and said: "It's complicated" what made Mimi replied "I think she still has feelings for you" - although she was unsure about the statement. "Yeah" he whispered with his head still down. She was about to shift the subject to not upset him that much when Yamato proceeded: "It seems there's something between us every time we are back together; that doesn't allow us to go forward". He stared at her with disappointed eyes, and she was just able to smile back sadly. Both knew what he was referring to. "I know how to be very selfish when I want. I was a terrible friend, you know?" Yamato sighed weakly. Without putting so much thought into it, she grabbed his hand and said: "You were! But we all have been too. Besides, no one forced anyone to sit still and suffer quietly". She was smiling, but he also could see a resolute expression on her face. He thought it was funny, she wasn't as close to him as the others, yet she was almost defending him.

Purity. He had never entirely understood it, but at that moment, he liked the meaning.

"I'm gonna tell you a secret" she spoke in a giggling tone trying to lighten the mood. "but you need to promise not to tell anyone. Not even your brother". Mimi was so overjoyed that she jumped a little closer to him. Yamato just nodded his head. "All the other boys have already confessed to me. All of them" she repeated while burst into laughing. He, on reverse, looked confused. "Yes, yes that's right" she faced him like a child who had just made a mischief. He couldn't help but grin. "Serious?" he asked rhetorically. She simply nodded.

"Joe declared himself when I was 10 or 11. I don't even remember. He wrote a letter when I was on vacation. The poor thing spent a month waiting for me to come back from Hawaii to find out the answer". Both Mimi and Yamato looked at each other chuckling. "Obviously, I didn't reply. It was so weird. I wasn't even thinking about those things at that age. Plus, he's like my big brother." without noticing, she made a disgusted face which created a broad smile on his face. Joe would die if he knew about the conversation, he imagined. "Anyway, he pretended that it never happened for a long time, and now we just laugh at the situation." Mimi was thrilled. Yamato was kind of hypnotized. The whole story alongside the drink and the cigarette made everything seemed like a dream. As if he could see the situation she described in real-time.

"And when Taichi confessed" she put confess in quotes. "Taichi, my god" he gasped, already feeling a secondhand embarrassment for his friend. "It was in the middle of your second year of college. He appeared out of nowhere ringing at my apartment at 3 a.m. on a Wednesday" Mimi had emphasized ''3 a.m.''. "He was so fucking wasted and came up saying he was in love with me. That we had sooo much in common. He said in verbatim: We are practically the same person. We should be together" again, she placed a dramatic emphasis on the "should" while trying to make a dumb voice to mimic Taichi. "Then he tried to kiss me. I denied it, of course, and he accepted nicely. Then went to vomiting in the bathroom and passed out". They are both laughing out loud at that point. "On the next day, he woke up apologizing. Saying he was going through a bad time and that he was definitely not in love with me. I was heartbroken." Mimi simulated a suffering face as she finished. She had never seen Yamato have so much fun with a story she narrated. During the description, he kept interjecting with "oh nos" "no ways" and especially "what an idiot." He even snorted at some point. It was endearing.

However, after all the laughing, he felt a little betrayed that Taichi had never disclosed to him the history. He knew his friend definitely wouldn't do that if he genuinely liked Mimi - when it came to romance Tai was resigned and shy - yet he wanted to understand what made him do that sort of thing. At the same time, Mimi didn't want to add that the confession happened right after Yamato and Sora got back together before their last and most recent breakup. She didn't want to spoil the mood.

"And then there's Koushiro. But it's not such a great story" Mimi murmured, a little sad as she stared at the glass of drink in her hand. Yamato soon put up a stoic aspect. "Hey. No need to talk about." He almost wanted to hold her hand as she had done earlier but gave up halfway. Instead, he just stared at her with his best smile. "Oh no. It's ok. It's just kind of complicated." she repeated what he had said previously and looked back at him. Mimi liked that smile on his face. "It's just...unlike Tai and Joe, he was really in love" Yamato knew that. Anyone could see it – although he didn't know if Koushiro still felt that way. "It was the last year of high school. I always knew he was going to confess someday. I adore him and we get along so well. I wanted to feel the same as him and tried everything to correspond, but I just couldn't." she chuckled melancholic at the same time that Yamato felt a knot in his stomach. He had to decline the advances of several girls in his life, but he never had to do that with a friend. It should be terrifying. "I had to tell the truth when the time came. He acted nicely, but I could see how destroyed he was. It got awkward for a while. I don't know if you remember." he wanted to say yes, but he honestly had no idea at all. He realized that her life was a blur to him. Mimi just smiled, noticing his lost look. "Don't worry. Now it's ok. It took some time, but we're back to being as usual." He wanted to ask her if she still believed Koushiro liked her, but deep down, he didn't want to know the answer.

"And finally, there was your brother" she was back to her usual cheery tone. He almost lost it when he absorbed the information. "What the fuck?" Yamato shouted a little louder than expected what made her startle on the couch a little bit. "Calm down, calm down...He was just nine" she dismissed with a smirk as he signed in relief. "I told him he was too young for me, and he went to play" he relaxed his body a little bit more on the couch and opened a bright smile. "You almost got me with this one". "A Casanova since childhood" she joked while a sense of tranquility came up between them.

CONCLUSIONS

None of them notice, but they've never been so close since the beginning of the night. Mimi was relaxing on the couch with her head resting on the backrest of the sofa. Her face was a little faced-up so that she could look at him better. Yamato tilted his body sideways at her and had placed his left elbow on the sofa. He could feel their legs touching from time to time.

She then looked straight into his face. Yamato was intrigued by her look. It was always glowing whether she was downcast, happy, or serene. He felt mesmerized. "And none of them confided in you" she said after a while. "I feel personally attacked that they are ashamed to scream about their passion for me" concluded her in a joking tone.

"After all, it's not all that surprising" he commented abruptly as she weakly chuckled. "All of them having a crush on you makes sense. You're gorgeous after all" His voice was soft and warm.

Yamato soon regretted using those words. He didn't want that to look like it was a flirt - he never flirted. However, what else could it have been? The tone of voice and their body positions made it obvious. Mimi was for sure beautiful, even though he always tried to disregard that. "Of course she's pretty, but not my type" He had lost count of how many times he told friends who were interested in her. Having said that, staring at him at that moment ..maybe it was different: he liked how carefree she was during the night, how her hair was tied in a bun with some strands falling, and the pink shorts that showed off her legs - he had found himself looking at them a few times that night. Mimi wasn't his type? Well, he couldn't tell anymore.

At the same time, she blushed. Mimi usually had no problem being flirtatious with someone. In fact, she did it daily and liked to tease the boys in the group when they were single. It was fun and boosted her ego. However, Yamato was different. She had never flirted with him - due to his comes and goes with Sora and the intimacy issues. He was clearly handsome; the number of girls who hit on him from high school to adulthood was proof of that. Even so, she had never thought about him that way because he wasn't her type after all. Having said that, staring at him at that moment ..maybe it was different: she liked how self-assured he was and how his haircut matched the clothing style, but mostly how the icy eyes that once annoyed her now caused a shiver through her body.

So finally, she got carried away and sighed. "Maybe you'll be the next one to declare". If Mimi were in her normal self, she'd use that phrase in a sexy-jokey way. She couldn't though, and instead stared intensely at his eyes as he got closer and closer. It was supposed to be funny, both were supposed to laugh at that point but they didn't. "Maybe." He replied also in a sigh. Yamato was so close that she could feel his nose touching hers. He slightly nodded his head positively to search for the confirmation he needed as she responded with the same sign.

They kissed...

and it was better than expected.

It tasted cigarettes and gin. They could feel the sexual chemistry in their bodies like an explosion of sensations and hidden desires. It just fitted naturally.

Soon the kisses led to other things. It was almost a battle on the couch, as the start of their night. The sex was frenetic and even aggressive. Mimi could feel his hands gripping her thighs, waist, and arms firmly. Without noticing, her nails we making marks on his skin. It had been good - perhaps too much - for a first time together, especially since they were partially drunk.

The second time in bed was more like the end of the night. More intimate and slower with a fun touch. Mimi liked how Yamato was romantic even though they were just having casual sex; he kissed and caressed her often. For his side, he found it sexy how vocal she was about what she liked, and her playfulness made him excited.

The two fell asleep quickly after the second time. Both were exhausted, and the alcohol effect had vanished. They slept apart, unaware that the other also didn't like cuddling after sex.

Mimi and Yamato were never really friends.

Or maybe the truth was that Mimi and Yamato could never be just friends.

Notes:

I tried not to focus too much on the romance stuff in this writing because I like the idea of creating a bond first. At the same time, I don't feel a slow burn vibe for Mimi and Yamato so I try to give a closing to the tension. Hope you liked the story. It is supposed to be a oneshoot but I also have ideas on how to continue if there is positive feedback. So let's see.

ps: Headcanons who are the best:

1. Everyone with a crush on Mimi

2. Mimi x Yamato trying to avoid one another because they have hots for each other.