"Slow Burn"(def.): an attraction for someone that is not instant, but grows over time.

-x-

Chapter Twelve: An Attempt to Tip the Scales

-x-

A smooth exit was not executed when one banged their knee on the coffee table, sufficiently knocking over a paper weight as well as a few coasters.

Why the hell do they even have those?

She wondered irately, as she struggled with the headache pounding behind her eyes.

She tiptoed around the carpeted floor, looking for the other shoe she was missing. Had it been anything else, she would have left without it, but there was no way she was going to hazard the outdoors with one shoe.

That was just insane.

A quick glance over her shoulder, the cable box read 10:32AM and she wished she had gotten up earlier.

Sorely, she rubbed her knee as she dropped down to check under the sofa, blonde hair falling over her eyes in an annoying fashion.

She was about to give up when she saw something gold glint faintly in the sunlight—the buckle to her boot.

Success!

Giddily, she slipped it on and with a quick pat down of her pockets to make sure she had everything he had come with, she made her way to the door.

She threw it open in relief, only to be met with wide brown eyes.

"Mimi…" She breathed, her own eyes dilating at the utterance.

The brunette shook off her shock quickly and the blonde had to give her a little credit for that—a lot of other girls wouldn't have been able to so easily. "I was just uh…" And her speech faltered under the scrutinizing gaze of her teammate.

Mimi just nodded slowly, "No worries, Zoe." She said briskly. "I'm here for Tai." And with that, she all but shoved past the lithe blonde to get inside the loft.

With Zoe still in the doorway, Mimi had only made it as far as the living room before the girls voice rang out. "Hey, we're cool…right?" Her voice sounded meek.

Nervous.

And Mimi pulled on a practiced smile before turning around. "Always, Z." She said.

It wasn't exactly truthful, the blonde could tell—it didn't take an expert. But she wasn't willing to push this conversation into an unpleasant place. "I, uh. I mean if I had known you'd be coming over I wouldn't have—

Mimi held up a hand, "It's not any of my concern, believe me." She said cordially. "Like I said, I'm here for my English Lit partner and no one else."

Zoe just nodded, "All right, so I'll see you at practice then?" She asked.

Mimi nodded. "Bye now." She waved a dismissive hand.

Zoe left the loft without another word and as soon as the door shut behind her, Mimi let the smile drop off her face. She felt like her insides with being run through by searing hot poker, over and over again.

She wasn't naïve enough to think that Zoe had been sneaking out this morning for any other reason but the obvious one.

And the thought alone would have had her retching up her breakfast had she been able to stomach it this morning.

She went over to the kitchen, taking a glass out of the cabinet and running it under cold water. She couldn't bring it to her lips, so she set it on the counter, gripping the edge of it so tightly her knuckles turned white.

In and out, in and out.

She coached herself to breathe, she felt like her entire world was being turned upside down. All of sudden, she had no explanation for the feelings she had or where they came from. She couldn't understand all of this aggression towards Zoe or the crushing feeling she got in her chest every time she thought of her.

And Matt.

Together.

There was a part of her that knew exactly why this was happening, what all of these things meant. But there was a whole other part that refused to accept it.

Finally, she took a staggering breath and righted herself.

She held her head up, squeezed her eyes shut and convinced herself that it didn't matter.

None of it matters.

That if Matt wanted to (and probably already did) have sex with Zoe it was none of her business, just the same way it hadn't been her business when he had been with Lucy or anyone else that had come after the girl.

Matt was her friend, her best friend and for her entire life she had convinced herself that that relationship was bigger than anything else.

It had to be.

She took a long sip of the water she had previously left untouched, before smoothing a hand over her hair and walking out of the kitchen and towards the boys' rooms.

She was just about to make the left into Tai's room, when she heard the familiar squeak of a bedroom door opening.

Shit.

She stood in the middle of the impasse like a deer in headlights, frozen.

"Mimi?" He questioned, rubbing her sleep laden eyes for good measure.

Mimi steeled herself, "Good morning." She said, in a clipped tone.

And with that, she turned towards Tai's bedroom and threw open the door. The wild haired brunette was sleeping the way she had expected him to be. With one leg thrown over the covers, his arms hugging a pillow and what looked like drool coming out of the edge of his mouth.

He was absolutely lovely.

She forcefully slammed the door behind her, knowing full well it would take nothing less than a bull horn to rouse the boxer clad male.

"Tai." She called to him.

He didn't even move a muscle.

"Tai!" A little louder.

But to no avail.

She took him by the shoulder, jostling his heavy arm as best as she could—still, nothing. She tried tickling his neck and pulling on his ears, all that had earned her was a groan and a shift to his side. She tried holding his nose shut and prying his lids open, he barely even twitched. "God, Tai! Do I have to choke you?!" She practically yelled in frustration.

A light knock on the door came before it opened a crack. "You know, if you want him up, try telling him breakfast is ready." Matt suggested. "His mom was the one that told me when we first started living together, it works like a charm."

Mimi didn't even look in his direction. "Thanks, I'll try that." She said flatly.

And Matt, who could sense her unwelcoming attitude from three rooms away, slinked out of the doorframe and back into his own room.

Mimi let out a long sigh before leaning over him. "Hey Tai." She whispered into his ear. "Breakfast is ready."

He picked his head up so fast it knocked right into her nose, flinging her to the floor. Mimi held a hand to her nose, while Tai blinked rapidly, rubbing his head. "What the hell are you doing here?" He all but demanded. "And what the hell! I don't smell any breakfast!" He began pulling the covers over himself.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare go back to sleep Taichi Kamiya not when I basically have a bloody nose from trying to wake you up!" Her voice came out in muffled screeches and she held her palm in front of her eyes, making sure there was no blood.

It didn't seem like he had done any damage, thankfully.

"Why not! And what the hell are you doing here! In case you were confused the guy you want some early morning action from is across the hall!"

That did it, she got to her feet and ceremoniously whacked him across the head with a closed fist. "You. Are. The. WORST. Partner. Ever!" Each word was punctuated by a hit. "We have less than a week to finish this Othello project and we haven't even started!"

"It's like seven in the morning, Mimi! Couldn't you have waited to come storming in here at a more decent hour."

"Try eleven, moron." She rolled her eyes. "I'm giving you five minutes to get up and get decent, the next time I come in here it's going to be with a bucket of ice water." She gave his shoulder a shove for good measure, before stomping out of the bedroom.

"Oy! At least turn out the lights!" He called after her.

And it only made her want to wring his neck.

Of course she should have known that it wouldn't have been her luck today if Matt wasn't sitting on a couch in the living room.

"Hey, I made you a cup of coffee." He gestured to the one next to his on the table.

"Thanks. But I think I'll go wait in the car." She said without looking at him.

Matt raised his eyebrows. "Why?" he asked, clearly confused.

She didn't have a real answer for that. "I'd like to hope that it would give Tai a sense of urgency if he knew." She shrugged. "And besides, I wouldn't want to cramp your style." She couldn't help the next part that came out of her mouth. "You know, in case Zoe comes back or something."

His blue eyes widened, "I, uh. Wait, what…?" His mouth flopped open and she wished she hadn't said anything at all because everything was starting to sound so stupid out loud.

So what if he had been with her, he's allowed to be with whoever he wants. She had no claim over him.

"I ran into her on my way in. Guess it worked out because I'd forgotten the key wasn't under the mat anymore, saved you a trip to the door." She tucked her hair behind her ear, still keeping only the side of her face visible to him.

Matt rubbed the back of his neck, "I…Mimi. I don't really know what to say." He felt the color rising in his face.

He had never been so uncomfortable.

"You don't have to say anything."

"Well, I mean. I'm really sorry that you know…about that." He had never been angrier with himself for his lack of articulacy.

If ever there was a time to be able to say something a little more meaningful than what had just come out of his mouth, it was now.

"What are you apologizing for?" She let out a dry laugh. "I was just caught off guard, that's all. Who you have relations with—

He cringed at the insinuation coming out of her perfect, bow shaped lips. "No, I just mean that you had to be around for it. I know it would really irk me if I had to walk in on something like that, if the roles were reversed." He told her honestly.

In fact, he'd be inclined to give the guy a black eye on sight, purely off of instinct.

Just the thought had him seeing red.

"Whatever. Like I was saying, it's not my business."

He was at a loss for what to say next, he knew there was no right thing.

"I was really hammered, I don't even think we—

"Please, Matt. If you want to do me a favor, just spare me the details." It was practically pleadingly.

He felt really bad all of a sudden.

He had no real recollection of anything past the bonfire, he knew there had been some aggressive making out. He remembered taking a cab back to his apartment and he was pretty sure what his intentions must have been but it was all a blur. He was unsure whether or not they had actually had sex or if maybe Zoe had just ended up passing out beside him. Regardless, seeing the look of pure dejection on Mimi's face right now made him regret any and all of it.

No matter what conflicting thoughts he had about her, one thing was always certain. He hated seeing her hurt.

"I wasn't trying to upset you, Mimi." He swore. "I'm honestly sorry that I have, I won't ever bring any of this—

Mimi had never been so happy to see Tai grumbling down the hall. There was no distraction more welcome than him, and she made a promise to herself to go easy on him today out of sheer gratitude.

"C'mon, princess." He said gruffly. "I'll drive. But you're buying me breakfast."

Mimi gave him the prettiest smile she could muster. "You've got yourself a deal." She beamed.

And the sight of her smile softened the expression on Tai's face. "Let's get a move on." He threw an arm around her shoulders.

"See ya later, Matt." Tai had waved over his shoulder.

Mimi hazarded a glance over her own. "Bye, Matt." It was the first time she had met his eyes all morning.

And his gaze penetrated straight to her soul.

"This isn't over, Mimi."

-x-

"You know, it feels odd to say but I don't think you're taking this very seriously."

They had been running lines for almost two hours and Mimi had managed to get only one scene all the way correct.

Tai couldn't have been more surprised, considering she was usually a natural.

She rubbed a hand over her face and it was the first time he really noticed her appearance. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen her disheveled before, Mimi was always at the very least presentable if not consistently stunning.

But today, her hair looked limp and there were dark smudges under her eyes, her lips looked dry with prominent frown lines canvassing them unnaturally.

Like she hadn't slept all night.

"Hey, is everything okay with you?" He moved to take the play book out of her hands.

She let out a long sigh.

He lowered the book from her grip and put a hand on her arm. "Look, we won't be able to get anything done if you're not focused. Just come out with it and so we can move on." He wasn't incredibly endearing but at least he was honest.

Mimi shook her head, "It's nothing." She said.

"We're not going to do this, are we?" He asked, with slight annoyance. "You're not too good at the whole hiding your emotions thing, so why don't you just drop it and talk to me."

"Well, gee, Tai. When you offer so graciously how can I refuse?" She rolled her eyes. "But I'm seriously alright, just tired. I'll get it together."

Tai shook his head, "Alright, princess. Let's just call it like it is, because as much as everyone thinks I'm completely oblivious to everything that goes on, I'm actually not. I just generally don't care enough to get involved." He shrugged.

"So why are you now?" She deadpanned.

"Key word: Care. And I do, about you." He grinned. "So let me take a shot in the dark here and you just nod your head if I'm in the ball park. Matt brought home Malibu Barbie and you're pissed." As the words left his mouth, he saw a range of emotions flick across her face perceptibly.

She wanted to smack him for reducing her inner turmoil which was so much bigger than that to something so stereotypical and predictable. But she also had to acknowledge that if she was honest with herself, that's what it boiled down to.

Tai nodded, "I get it, and don't bother denying it now because I won't believe you." He said seriously.

"Aren't you even going to as how I know?" She asked instead.

"No, coz you're a girl and girls have like a sixth sense for this sort of thing." He partially muttered. "Anyway, my point is that Ishida isn't really the type to have one night stands He was probably super plastered and couldn't tell his big toe from his di—

"Oh my god, Tai!" She shoved her hands over her ears. "You are so not helping, please let's just drop it and get back to this project." She begged.

"Sorry. All I'm saying is he's confused, but I wouldn't take that as a reason to hate him." He defended. "Not sure if you've noticed, but he isn't exactly very in tune with his feelings, cut him some slack—he probably had no idea what he did would even effect you."

She knew that Tai was just trying to help, but the truth was that he really wasn't doing much at all. She appreciated it, but it was so unnecessary at this point. "Honestly, I was just caught off guard. It's kind of weird because I see her all the time and now it's like I know this super intimate thing about her and it involves one of my best friends. Just wasn't prepared, that's all. I need a little time to process, but I promise I'm fine." She said with a smile.

Tai leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her.

Mimi let out a small laugh, hugging him back. "What's this for?" She asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

"Just in case you're not."

-x-

Monday crept up the way it always did, dragging along dark and ominously.

Tuesday had been much of the same, bringing with it dreary skies and drizzles.

And by the time Wednesday rolled around, Mimi felt like her body was going to collapse.

Cheerleading practice had been hell, and the week was only halfway through.

Mimi soon realized that her unofficial declaration of war in the form of incessant flirting with Ryo Akiyama did not go unnoticed by the raven haired co-captain. And while she thought she had been prepared for whatever Taylor could throw at her, she was wrong.

The girl was a master of guerilla warfare and underhanded tactics.

She had home field advantage and an army of subordinates.

While Mimi had herself and her resolve.

Needless to say, the scales weren't tipped in her favor.

"Tachikawa! You're a step behind! Pick it up!" Mimi bit her tongue as Taylor barked out orders.

She had been a step behind, but it was only because she was all dead limbs and sore muscles.

Taylor rounded around the girls, stopping in front of the brunette. "You know, it didn't have to be like this." She hissed venomously. "You should have stayed in line, Freshmen. Played your part—Sophia had been right when she said you have what it takes to make captain." A malicious grin spread over her face.

Mimi fought to keep her face devoid of any emotion, "Because I'm good." She squared her shoulders.

"Tch." Taylor scoffed. "Take a look around you, Tachikawa—we're nationally ranked, everyone on this squad is good." She rolled her eyes. "Takes more than good to be a leader, to be captain, and I just don't think you have it."

Mimi held her position, "Well it's lucky for me you won't be here much longer, isn't it?" She said sweetly.

Her brows furrowed, "Watch your step, Tachikawa." Her eyes flashed dangerously, mirroring the indigo night sky in their depth and darkness. "Who knows, maybe you won't be either." She pushed past the brunette with a shoulder, successfully knocking Mimi, who had been on one foot, off balance.

Mimi felt her ankle give out from under her, as she fell onto her bottom with an ungraceful thud. She let out a hiss as a sharp pain shot up from her ankle and through her leg. By this time, half of the team had turned around to stare at her and Mimi fought back tears of frustration and embarrassment (along with a little pain) She went down to rip off her shoe to further examine the extent of the fall.

"Wait!" Sophia called out.

Mimi froze, hands lingering above her sneaker.

"Don't take off your shoe, you need to keep the bone in place in case it's fractured or broken." Sophia said calmly, rushing over to the brunette.

Mimi squeezed her eyes shut, taking sharp breaths in through her nose. "Look, just trust me okay?" Sophia leaned in front of her. "Keiko! Get a bag of ice from the locker room! Suzuhara, run out and get the sports medic, he should be out on the field with the boys! Izumi, see if you can get a hold of the school nurse just in case!" She shouted out orders over her shoulder to the other girls.

"Mimi, just try to lean back a little. On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain?"

Mimi opened one eye, "It's uh, it's pretty sharp right now." She sucked in a breath. "Probably like a seven, maybe." She felt like her sock was constricting blood flow at this point, her ankle felt like it was on fire.

Suzuhara came running back in, the sports medicine physician and athletic trainer on her heels. Behind them a wild mop of brown hair sped in, practically barreling through the gym full of girls.

He was beside her before the doctors were, looking over her with worry etched all over his face. "Are you okay? What happened?" He asked her.

Mimi struggled a nod, "I'm okay. I just uh." Her eyes cut to the raven haired co-captain who wasn't even feigning concern. "Lost my balance, that's all."

"Mister Kamiya, if you could please give us a little space we would like to get a look at the girl." A controlled voice said from behind Tai. "Kindly remove yourself, I can assure you your girlfriend will not be in any immediate danger."

Tai, red-faced but unperturbed, lifted himself up. "For the record, she's not my girlfriend." He announced casually, before standing off to the side. "I don't do girlfriends."

The medic, who had wiry glasses that reminded her of Jyou's and a stern face, examined her ankle for a few minutes. "May I?" He lifted her foot, signaling to the shoe.

"Yeah, that's fine." He loosened her laces. "The good news is, it is mostly likely not a break. The bone, from a physical examination standpoint, seems to be intact. I believe it's probably just a sprain, however, due to the swelling it might be best to get an x-ray." He told her. "In fact, I would strongly recommend getting one right away—further exacerbating the ankle might lead to more serious damage. Would you like me to call an ambulance?" He reached for his cellphone.

Mimi's face paled at the mention of an ambulance, she shook her head.

"I'll take her." Tai offered quickly.

"I'll come with you." Sophia said.

He looked at her with marked confusion. "I'm her co-captain. I have a vested interest in her ability to use that ankle, you know." She rolled her eyes.

Tai just shrugged. "Works for me." He went over to Mimi. "Alright, easy does it." He carefully lifted her up, making sure she didn't put any weight on the injured angle. "Grab her other side, Soph?" He requested.

The brunette came over quickly, supporting half of Mimi's weight on her shoulders. "I'll drive."

-x-

Two hours in the emergency room and a few x-rays later, everyone was assured that no bones were broken, instead it was just a pretty bad sprain.

She had been advised to avoid any physical exertion (meaning cheerleading) for two to three weeks, along with nightly icing and keeping a support wrap on it for stability.

Tai had insisted they give her crutches, argued with the doctor for nearly thirty minutes before Mimi was able to convince him that she would be a bigger danger to herself on them than without.

He couldn't deny that.

Mimi made sure to thank Sophia for driving her here, for staying throughout and for her overall concern.

Maybe she had a friend on the squad after all...

Sora had gotten to the emergency room in time to pick her up, and she received a scolding the entire ride back for not informing the redhead sooner.

She was mid lecture when Mimi's phone cut her off, the brunette silently thanked whoever interrupted this with their impeccable timing.

Matt's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello?" She answered, hating herself for sounding nervous.

"What happened? Are you okay? Tai JUST told me, I'm running out to the car now are you at Tokyo General or—

"Matt, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm out." She let out a giggle at his frantic questioning. "It was just a bad sprain." She promised him.

"How? Are you sure you're okay? Did they check out everything, what if they missed something? Was Joe on rotations? I'm going to call and ask him to reexamine you."

"They were super thorough, it is honestly nothing but a sprain." She told him seriously. "I'm okay, Matt. I swear."

She heard him let out a breath on the other side. "You had me worried."

"Really? I couldn't tell." She said playfully.

"I just don't want to hear your name in the same sentence as the word hospital, ever again."

"Aye, aye, captain. No more hospital trips for me." She said good-naturedly.

"Get some rest, Tachikawa. I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks for checking in, Yama. Sorry I worried you." She said apologetically.

"Ah, it's fine. I'm just relieved to hear you're okay."

-x-

The last thing Mimi had been expecting to find was Ryo Akiyama hanging out outside of her dorm building, flowers hanging limply out of a hand.

Sora looked over at the brunette. "I'll give you two some time." She grinned.

"Where are you going?"

"I've actually been meaning to drop something off at the loft, I'll be back in a bit. See what he has to say, Meems. It can't hurt." She put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Mimi nodded and Sora signaled for Ryo to come over to the car.

"What do you have to drop off anyway?"

Sora chuckled, "It's kind of a long story really but Tai's had this weird lucky charm he's carried around on game days forever—he'd kill me if I told anyone what it was—but anyway, the day of homecoming he wanted me to hold on to it, never told me why. Just that he'd want it back if they won." She shrugged.

Mimi's face softened, "You guys are like the weirdest best friends in the history of best friends." She laughed.

Ryo tapped on the window, "Well, I'll see you in a bit. Drive safe." Mimi smiled as Sora unlocked the door.

"I will, make sure you take care. I won't be gone long, please don't strain yourself and I'm serious, Meems. You have to be super careful, alright?"

"I will."

"And when I get back, you're going to tell me what actually happened."

Mimi raised a brow, "What?"

"Oh come on, I know you better than to believe you just lost your balance. I want the full story, M. Details."

"Fine, but it involves the bitch formerly known as Taylor Fujiyama."

"Formerly?"

"Yeah, because I'm going to ruin her." And with that, she gave Sora a wave and let Ryo help her out of car.

Ryo steadied Mimi's balance, putting a strong arm around her waist as she slid one over his shoulders for support. "What are you doing here?" She asked softly.

He grinned down at her, "What, not happy to see me?" He asked.

Mimi smiled despite herself. "It's not that, I'm just surprised that's all." She told him.

"I heard about what happened at practice, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He explained. "Brought you flowers." He gestured to the hand that wasn't wrapped around her waist.

"I can see that, thank you."

She hobbled her way into the building, for the first time taking the elevator instead of the stairs. She never realized how awkward elevator rides could be when you didn't know what to say to the other person. In truth, she was flattered Ryo had come so quickly but it confused her. This week had felt like a lifetime and it was only Wednesday night, at this rate she wasn't sure if she would make it to Sunday.

When they finally got to her room, he gently set her down on the bed. "You know, everyone is treating me like an invalid and while it's nice you guys all care so much but so unnecessary. It's an ankle sprain, not a death sentence." She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, but it isn't everyday someone gets carried out on a stretcher during practice."

"Oh my god! Is that what people think! I did not get carried out on anything—well except maybe by Tai but that's not the point—I went to the hospital for a precautionary x-ray!"

She felt her face enflaming over the fact that half the school thought that she had basically been carted off in an ambulance and all it was a damn ankle sprain.

Ryo chuckled, sitting down at the foot of her bed.

"What?" She asked, when she noticed his green gaze lingering on her.

"Nothing, you're just kinda cute when you're flustered. That's all."

Mimi looked away, "It's been a looong day." She tilted her head back, closing her eyes.

"Is there anything I can do? Anything you need before I go?"

Mimi opened an eye to look at him, "You can stay for a bit. Just hang." She suggested a little shyly.

Ryo's face lit up in front of her eyes, "Yeah, definitely. For sure." He cursed himself for being so quick to answer, for getting all tongue tied around her.

Who was he?

Since when did he girls make him nervous like this?

"So, tell me something. Anything really."

"Like what?"

"Anything that has nothing to do with this stupid, god awful, day."

He was quiet, contemplative as he considered her words.

The silence stretched on for minutes, before he spoke again. "I can tell you a story, if you want. If that'll make you feel better?"

Mimi nodded happily, clapping her hands lightly at his offer. "I love stories!" She said excitedly.

He laughed at her childish elation over something so simple.

"The first time I ever picked up a soccer ball, I was six years old. First grade gym glass—I remember it pretty vividly too because I had never felt something so powerful before. I mean, the second I started kicking it up the grass I felt like this was something I had been made to do. It was meant for me."

Mimi listened to him, at first distractedly but as he continued, the emotions rising in his eyes, she couldn't stop herself from staring. He was so immersed in the memory, it was a little astounding to see someone so incredibly taken by something that was for all intents and purposes, inanimate.

"I think everyone else knew it too, I don't know. The gym teacher told my dad I was a natural talent, that he would be crazy not to put me in pee wee. My dad signed me up the same afternoon and I can't tell you how scared I'd been seeing all the other kids that were there." He stopped, looking over at her. "Terrified, really. Because while I'd had fun that day, I had no idea what it meant to be on a team or how to actually play the sport. I didn't want to go but my dad wouldn't hear any of it, I guess he just really believed in me." He didn't sound so convinced, but it didn't seem to matter to him either way.

Briefly, she considered the dynamic between Ryo and his father—if it had been cemented on this very day.

"I didn't wanna let him down, you know? I just really wanted him to be proud." He said, his voice softer now. "But I couldn't stop my hands from shaking and I couldn't stop myself from being nauseous, or the room from spinning."

Mimi shifted closer until she was barely inches from him, "What, what did you…" She moved her hand over his.

He flashed her a reassuring smile, "My uh my mom came in, she just… she always knew." His smile grew a little melancholy and in a soul crushing way Mimi realized that most likely the reason Ryo never saw his mom wasn't because of a divorce…

"She said I didn't have to go out there if I didn't want to, that my dad would understand and it would be okay. But then, she told me about how much they both believed in me—how proud they already were and that no matter what happened from this moment on, nothing would change that." He rubbed a hand over his hair, "She promised me that if I did decide to join the league, she would always be out there with me, that I'd never be alone. Not for a single game."

She saw it on his face, the way his the corners of his mouth turned down into a painful grimace. Inadvertently, his grip on her hand tightened and she squeezed his hand back. "Ryo…" She whispered.

"My mom never broke her promises, not to me. And she was always there." He stopped for a second, taking a deep breath. "Until, one day she wasn't." His voice broke and Mimi thought her heart might have too.

"I knew something was wrong, I felt it the entire time. That game stretched an eternity, I remember being benched early on because I couldn't stop looking into the bleachers. I must've scanned every inch of the stands a hundred times and all I could think about was how my mother had never kept me waiting a day in my life. That something bad had to have happened for her not to be here right now."

She couldn't stop the pricking at her eyes, her throat from constricting. Silently, she cursed herself for being so weak—so emotional. That right now, she should be strong because tears were the last thing he needed.

But it was no use.

They came anyway, no matter how hard she tried to will them away.

"Car accident. Ran a red light… running late to my game… a semi-truck… DOA." The words came out in rasps, his voice thick with unshed emotion.

Before she could stop herself, his arms were around his neck and she had him pressed against her body. "I am so sorry." She whispered over and over again.

She was sorry for all of it, for his mom and the fact that he had to experience such a profound loss at such a young age.

But she was sorry for her own behavior too, for misjudging him, for thinking he was something that he wasn't.

Ryo rubbed a hand over her back, "It's okay, it was a really long time ago." He said into her shoulder.

She made sure to swipe away her tears before pulling herself away from him. "Why did you… why did you tell me that?" She asked him sincerely.

He gave her half a grin, "I want you to know me, Mimi." He said, green eyes shining. "And I want to know you." He reached over, brushing a finger down the length of her face.

"But… this was so personal."

"I know, but I trust you."

Mimi felt her eyes widen, "You, you do?" She asked him.

He nodded, "Why shouldn't I?"

"I…I don't know." She answered. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't." She felt really bad about wanting to use him for anything.

Felt bad for mistrusting him for no reason.

He let out a small chuckle, "Look, I didn't come here to make you sad." He said. "Or to pressure you into anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. As for all the stuff about my mom, yeah it's shitty and I guess you never actually get through something like that completely, I still miss her everyday but eventually, it did get easier. Once I was old enough, I realized that no matter where she was—is, she's still always with me just like she promised." He put a gentle hand behind her neck, bringing her closer to him.

She closed her eyes as she felt him press his lips against her forehead, "Shouldn't I be the one comforting you?" She laughed, wiping at a stray tear that had leaked out of the corner of her eyes.

"Nah, you've had a rough day."

-x-

Saturday night was universally considered to be date night and on this particular Saturday Mimi could say that was true.

She had a date with a rather handsome, green eyed, soccer player whom she'd dangled on a string long enough.

It was about time they give this a chance.

She had been teetering on the edge of saying no, something didn't feel quite right. But then, well…then, she ran into Zoe at the loft and Taylor practically broke her leg at practice and then…

She and Ryo had finally connected, really and truly connected on something that was so much deeper than athletic mixers and fundraisers and dimly lit nightclubs.

He was real.

Not made up of preconceived notions and a bad boy reputation. He was just so much more than that now.

The night he had come to see her, things had changed between them—at least for her. Not exponentially, or in a way that was incredibly profound but still, there was a shift in their dynamic that had led her to believe that she could have something with this boy.

What that something would be, she still wasn't entirely sure of. But still, it was worth exploring, besides he was hot and talented and seemingly decent. The fact that he was her arch nemesis' ex-boyfriend and current love interest was just the cherry on top.

Plus, if it helped shake that blonde monkey she had on her back that kept her all out of sorts, then even better.

Sora came into the dorm room as Mimi was doing a one last mirror check. "Wow, look at you." The redhead said with a small whistle. "Who's the lucky guy?" She set her backpack down on the floor and shrugged out of her leather jacket.

Mimi smoothed out a loose ringlet, "Ryo." She said, smudging on a little more lip gloss before turning away from the mirror.

Sora seemed surprised, but not shocked. "He was persistent, wasn't he?" She mused.

The brunette just shrugged a shoulder. "Do you think I'm making a mistake?" She asked.

Sora tilted her head, pensive for a moment. "Not necessarily." She admitted finally. "Do you?"

Mimi sat back on her bed with a sigh. "I don't know anymore. You know at first I was so set on not giving him the time of day, I really thought I had him figured out. But he surprised me by not being exactly who I thought he was. But then somewhere in there, it also became about this weird power struggle with Taylor and I just really don't want that to be inadvertently the reason I'm doing this. I'm…I'm just confused." Finally, she let out a breath with a resigned sigh.

Sora sat across from Mimi, one leg tucked under her while the other dangled off the bed. "Do you think it would be easier for you if you knew how he felt?" She asked gently.

Under other circumstances, the brunette probably would have answered 'yes.' But when Mimi thought about everything he had already said, their conversations and his recent actions. And how he had already admitted that he didn't have eyes for anyone but her. Telling her about his mother, about how he trusted her.

There wasn't much left unsaid about his feelings towards her.

"I…I think I already do."

Sora smiled, "And do you believe him?" She asked.

"I….yeah, I mean I honestly have no reason not to." She said sincerely. "He hasn't done a single thing wrong since we started talking. He's been perfect, really and I've been such a bitch sometimes but he never gave up, you know? He's waited for a while just to…" She didn't feel like finishing the sentence, the more she talked about him, the more unsure she felt about everything.

It wouldn't be fair to Ryo if she went into this with ulterior motives.

"Mimi, is there something else that's stopping you? Something you're not necessarily telling me?"

There it was, everything coming full circle, bringing her right back to the beginning.

And she knew Sora knew exactly what that something was. She wasn't hesitant because of Ryo's reputation or because of Taylor or because she thought she couldn't trust him.

None of that stuff mattered anymore.

The real reason she was so conflicted had nothing to do with Ryo Akiyama himself.

Piercing blue eyes flashed in front of her.

Her shoulders slumped, "Did you know Matt slept with Zoe the night of the bonfire?" She was shit at keeping secrets, especially from Sora and she needed to talk about this.

Maybe once she got it out, she would get over it.

The redheads eyebrows shot up, "You're serious?" She asked, amber eyes wide.

"I am." Mimi nodded.

"How, how did you even know that?" She couldn't imagine Matt being so forthcoming with information like that, especially to Mimi.

The brunette let out a dry laugh, "Well, I kinda walked in while she was walk of shaming it out." She said with a shake of her head.

"Oh my God, this just keeps getting worst and worst." Sora threw her head back with a groan. "Did you like talk to her? How do you know she and Matt had…?"

"We didn't really talk much. It was mostly me being a bitch." She admitted. "And trust me Sora, I know."

Sora tugged at the ends of her hair, "It's just not like Matt, I guess I'm just surprised. Does it bother you though, that he slept with her?"

Mimi was silent for a while, nibbling off her lip gloss absentmindedly. "I… I never thought it would." She spit her lip out contemplatively. "But something about seeing it, it just…" She wasn't even sure she could put into words what she had felt like in that moment.

The redhead put a comforting hand over her knee. "Mimi, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if you…liked him. He's one of the best people I know." She said in the softest voice she could manage.

"No, it's not that. I…it can't be that. It's not." Mimi shook her head vehemently.

"Hey, listen. It's going to be fine. Look, if you like him—

"Sora, stop, seriously. Please." Mimi cut her off with a panicked shrill. "God, do you even realize what you're saying? Do you really think that things could ever be that simple between him and me? That he would be some fleeting crush that I'd just get over—no. This is Matt." She felt like she couldn't breathe, her thoughts were scattered and manic. "It wouldn't be just 'like' if I felt something for him, Sora. I would feel everything and it would consume me." Her voice was strained and raw as it tore from her throat.

It was like being overwhelmed by a wave and suddenly she was drowning.

"I…I'm not ready for this."

Sora had only just opened her mouth when Mimi's cell phone rang through the silent room.

Ryo Akiyama's name flashed on the screen.

Mimi pushed steadying breath into her lungs, "I have to go. I'll see you when I get back." She pulled a hand through her hair before getting up.

"Mimi, I'm sorry."

"Me too."

-x-

A/N: Sooo, what do you guys think! Okay, so I had a little trouble with this chapter—not really vision wise but details. It's actually quite different than what I originally had, I also cut out a scene that I'm unsure if I should have left or not. I do that a lot, so maybe at the end of this story I'm going to have like a separate fic for deleted scenes just for anyone who wants to read them. (It was a mimato scene Lol, perhaps that should have been left unsaid :P) Things are starting to move faster now, and that's on purpose. I had always meant for the first ten or so chapters to be a really slow build up and I think maybe that's why some of the chapters felt very filler-ish. But it's going to pick up some from this point on.

The scene with Ryo and Mimi was actually something I hadn't planned on ever incorporating but…it happened and it actually made me SAD reading it while I was editing. My goal is to make Ryo so lovable and relatable that by the end of this you guys are SO TORN between him and Matt that you don't know who you want Mimi to end up with.

Yes, I'm evil. Sorry for that in advance 0:)

Hope everyone enjoyed all the Taichi I put in this chapter, coz I sure as hell loved writing him.

Also, for anyone confused: DOA means Dead on Arrival—it's usually meant to signify that the person was already dead when they got to the hospital (or in this case, when the cops showed up to the scene of the accident)

I feel like I'm forgetting something…if you have any questions of need clarification please don't hesitate to ask.

ON TO THE THANK YOU'S! Because you're all so amazing it actually still blows my mind to this day that so many people read and appreciate my work. So humbling, I'm so grateful to you guys. I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much.

Absolutelfaith: LOL, I'm so glad you enjoyed the little BleachxDigi crossover. It took all I had not to add some IchiRuki in there, but I had to hold myself back because if I would've started in with them this really would have turned into a crossover. I honestly love Rangiku and I think it might have been you who suggested a scene between her and Tai and I couldn't resist.
As for Matt and Zoe…well, I guess I'll just wait for your reaction to what happened just now lol. The expression was correct, but I think turning down Ryo would be a little too easy—we have to make Matt work for it a little bit ESPECIALLY now. Haha. I hope you liked this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts on it! Thank you so much for your continued support!

Angelxchild: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I always look forward to your feedback. I'm so happy you liked the chapter, it was honestly one of my favorites to write of the whole story—it came together so easily (isn't it just great when that happens) Tai is always so fun for me, I love his character so much he's probably my favorite (Sorry Yama!) Haha, the build up is super slow, but it's going to start picking up from here on so stay tuned! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always I hope to hear from you soon!

Scripturiens: YOUR REVIEWS GIVE ME LIFE haha. I love reading what you have to say because it's always insightful and usually on the money. I actually have a really bad habit of rambling in general and it definitely translates into my writing. You should see what these chapters look like before the editing LOL. I know what you mean about being very in tune with Mimi's emotions because I also tend to be that way, especially with the female leads (that I like anyway) I'm glad you started warming up to Ryo as the story progressed though because that was what I was going for. Hopefully after this chapter you like him a little more and more.
I'm always a little nervous about updating because I never want any of the scenes to feel forced or unnatural, so to hear you say that they don't is relieving—thank you!
LOL, the kiss was something I had planned for a long time. I honestly love Zoe—something about how spunky she is always makes me want to incorporate her in my stories. Originally, I had an idea of her just being the basic anti-heroine—the girl you love to hate because of her opposition to Mimi but it was too hard for me to put her in that role because of my fondness of her character. Sorry, there I go rambling again lol. Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait and deserving of your excitement. Like I said before, I had trouble with keeping and deleting so I'm just a little anxious about posting this.
Like I said, thank you so much for your feedback and hopefully I'll get to hear your thoughts on this chapter!

Isabel Nightray: LOL, I always update really late at night so I'm going to take a guess and say this chapter caught you at work too haha. Sorry in advance if it did.
I love Tai so much and I love writing him, as you can probably tell since this chapter was pretty Tai heavy. Lol, i love hearing that youre starting to love Ryo beyond your will because that's seriously what I want everyone to feel. I want this to be a hard decision not just for Mimi but also for all of us too! I like how you dubbed the hatred for anyone other than Mimi with Matt 'the sora effect' that's gold. I was hoping no one would miss the game scene too much because I honestly really didn't feel like writing it in, it was too complicated for me lol. The Michi friendship is an angle I love exploring, especially because of how much I love both characters. Oh right, your work is in Spanish, that's why I was never able to check it out! Bummer!
Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Your reviews make my day, and just the way you're usually grinning at work while reading the chapter I'm literally the same way reading your reviews. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!

Angelic Moonlight: HAHA, you are not despicable at all and I think that's what everyone (including me) wants to happen. For Ryo to some how become so hateable that you don't care he loses the girl. It would be too easy if it was that way though, wouldn't it? Tai is and always has been my comic relief character because my writing always tends to be heavy on the drama and angst. LOL, your comment Taylor made me laugh, I'm sure she didn't win any points this chapter either.
Thank you for your review and for your positivity and encouragement. I am trying really hard to update as regularly as I can without compromising quality so I'm glad it's coming together. Did you finish an unexpected change? I think I have to read the last chapter then, if I haven't! Thank you for your continued support and I hope to hear from you soon!

Guest (1): LOL when you said Mimi is going to cut a b-tch (insert crying-laugh emoji), that was hilarious. I'm trying to keep the mimato interactions as spaced out as possible because I don't want there to be too much just yet—gotta keep the buildup slow! Thank you so much for the review and for your continued support—it means everything to me! I hope this chapter was okay and I'll hear your thoughts on it soon!

96bittersweetblackcat: Thank you so much for you review and for your kind words, truly they mean so much to me. I'm so happy you're enjoying my work! I hope this chapter finds you well and that it was worth the anticipation! Thank you again for your continued support and interest and I hope to hear from you soon!

Kikixoxo: the next update is… NOW. I'm glad that you liked the kiss if only because it added a little bit of spice to the story. I imagine the kiss to be somewhat of a catalyst for things to come. I hope this chapter answered some of your questions (maybe confused you more, LOL) and hopefully you enjoyed reading it! Please let me know what you thought of the latest update! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!

Cancercute: AHHH, I love reading your reviews. They are seriously such a treat because you always just get what I'm trying to convey! I think its sufficient to say that you were right about the last scene getting things going ;) Hopefully you don't hate me too much for the beginning. If you thought Ryo was vulnerable before…well, I think there's a new definition for it after this chapter haha. I'm honestly really trying to make Ryo a contender here because I don't want it to be easy for Mimi lol.
LOL, the last part of your review made me smile—it's so true. I feel like I'm supposed to be so wise and mature now that I'm getting married but here I am writing digimon fanfiction in my spare time! It would be a little sad if it didn't love it so much! I don't think I'll ever be able to let go of this fandom lol. Thank you so much always supporting me and sticking with me through all my mimato endeavors. You're awesome. Hopefully this chapter was up to par and worth the wait, let me know what you thought!

Guest (2): Aww, thank you so much for your kind words and positivity. It means the world to me and I am completely undeserving of such high praise! I hope this chapter was up to standards and you liked it. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Exit Poll: I've been fiddling with an idea I have to incorporate Koushiro/Izzy into the story, let me know if you would be interested in seeing more of his character.