"Slow Burn"(def.): an attraction for someone that is not instant, but grows over time.
-x-
Chapter Fifteen: Welcome to the Fallout
-x-
Tell myself just breathe, just breathe you in…
Every inch of her skin was on fire and behind her eyes were bursts of colors like fireworks exploding against a dark sky. Her heart felt as if it was a cadence away from tearing through her clothes, the blood rushing through her ears like waves crashing against jagged rocks. And all she could feel were his hands and his mouth and the way her body came alive under his touch.
He was magic, he was madness.
He was heaven, he was sin.
And in all her clouded misguidance, in every tumultuous emotion and confused caress was something she could no longer ignore.
Whatever was happening was probably wrong but God, did it feel right.
Kissing her was even beyond his wildest expectations. He had never actually thought about what it would be like, he had never let his mind get that far. But now, holding her, touching her, being this close to her—all he could think was how he hadn't done this sooner. How could he have deprived himself of such perfection. The way her body molded into his, her fingertips tracing embers across every part of him.
I won't let you leave, don't leave me here
If he had ever deluded himself into believing they could be 'just friends', it was all out the window now. He was too far gone to turn back around.
He realized what he'd been missing for so long and the urge to devour her ripped through him like a wildfire.
His mouth moved haphazardly down her chin, his grip tightening around her. Suddenly, her legs were locked around his waist and he was clearing the counter. A second later, he had her on it and there was a feral impulse that took over. The tepidness had disappeared from her touch, as her hands glided over him with unabashed fervor.
His lips drifted to her neck, teeth scraping against the soft flesh, enamored with her sweetness. She rubbed herself against him and he groaned into her skin. His mouth leaving ragged, open mouthed kisses along her flesh, her fair skin turning darkening under his callous lips.
Mimi dug her fingers into his soft blonde hair, her free hand tugging at the bottom of his shirt. He reached the hollow of her throat, his tongue darting out as he pushed himself against her. A mewling sound escaped her, hot and throaty against his ear.
"Matt." She rasped breathlessly.
Don't you know I need you now?
He pulled away from her, blue eyes blinking as if they were seeing her for the first time.
And in some ways, maybe he was. She was the embodiment of everything beautiful and divine—the Goddess Aphrodite in all her swollen lips and porcelain skin and lustful eyes.
She was perfection.
His eyes dropped from her mussed hair to slender neck, down to her chest where her perfect breasts were rising and falling at a rapid pace. And when his eyes traveled the length of her body, he had to suppress a groan at the long legs that were dangling over the counter.
He wanted her, he wanted her so bad it physically hurt.
He wanted to claim every inch of her for himself, swallow her whole and disappear inside her all at the same time.
Don't you know I need you now?
He moved back in and reclaimed her lips with renewed vigor, a hand on her thigh drawing close to the hem on her, rather his, shirt. Internally, all he could do was marvel at the smoothness of her skin and how deeply entrenched he was in her scent and how he couldn't remember if there was ever a woman before her that could have come close to being comparable.
If he would ever be able to settle for anyone else after her.
Boldly, her tongue snuck into his mouth with the lithe prowess of a lioness. And while he had thought it impossible, when she decided to take that little bit of control from him, he hardened painfully against her. It was almost she was challenging him, and he never could resist a challenge. His hand wound its way into her hair, gripping the back of her head with a fistful of curls.
His other hand began to slowly push up the shirt she was wearing, his heart quickening at every second, as his fingers drew closer and closer to her. It was only when he'd caught a hint of the silky piece of fabric underneath that one of her hands came up to his chest, barely pushing him back but relaying a message all the same.
"Is this really how you want it to happen, us?" She whispered. "We can, I want to—God, I want to so bad. But like this?" It was a sincere question, one laden with insecurity and hesitation.
It was like being doused with a bucket of ice water.
She regretted the words the second they came out and as he backed away from her she could feel the cold enveloping her immediately.
She missed his warmth, his touch and God, did she miss his lips.
But she knew that if she hadn't stopped him now, even though it took every inch of her self-control to do it, she wouldn't have been able to at all.
She wanted him, fiber of her being was calling out to him, it was as if just the simple act of kissing him had unleashed something inside her that refused to be caged back in. It was like being free of a weight that had been hanging around her neck since the second she got back into town. And all she wanted was to be back in his embrace, to get lost in him and all the feelings he had woken in her.
But with all the exhilaration and reckless abandon came fear.
As much as he fascinated her, ensnared her body and mind, kept her emotions reeling from one extreme to the next—he terrified her.
And there was no way she would be able to deny that she had wanted everything that happened tonight, it was a shock they'd been able to hold out this long, but she wasn't sure about what would come next. It was too uncertain and before they went there, went that far, she needed to make sure that everything wouldn't be lost.
Because one thing was certain in all this, Mimi knew that sex would probably mean something different to her than it did to him.
And she just didn't want to take that chance.
She was fragile and emotional, flighty and she got attached too easily.
She was never careful enough with her heart and when it would get broken he would always be there to pick up the pieces with her. But if he were the one to break it…
She wasn't sure she would ever be able to recover from that.
He pulled a hand through his hair, "I… no. You're right. I'm sorry, for getting so carried away." He apologized thickly.
"Don't be, it's honestly okay." Mimi waived a hand dismissively. "I just…" She stopped to take a deep breath in. "Matt, I really don't want things to get weird now." And even as she requested it, she was unsure of what she meant.
Because how the hell weren't they going to be weird, after everything that just happened.
"Yeah, me either."
She slid off the counter, "I don't regret it." She told him with full honesty. "Really. So you shouldn't feel like you did anything wrong. I just think that if anything else happens, it should be when we both know exactly what we're doing." She wanted to remember every second of it, be completely certain and entirely coherent.
She wanted to be sure and secure and she needed to know that their relationship, complicated and infuriating as it was, wouldn't suffer irreparably.
Because there was just so much more to them than this.
And there was no way she would reduce them, everything they had been through and all their history, to a drunken one night stand in the Loft's kitchen.
"I don't regret it either, Mimi. I just don't know what to make of it." He shrugged a shoulder. "And it really doesn't help me think straight when you're standing in front of me looking like…that." He threw his head back with a groan, eyes squeezed shut.
She was all legs and exposed flesh and he was having a hard enough time not thinking about the fact that just mere seconds ago those perfect, glorious, amazing legs had been wrapped around him like a second skin.
She felt a blush rising to her cheeks, "Right…sorry." She tugged at the ends of his shirt.
The silence grew between them as the second hand ticked on. He saw as her brows began to furrow, her bottom lip sucked between her teeth, hands twisting aimlessly around each other as her eyes darted around the tiled floor.
He sighed, taking a few purposeful strides forward. "I know what you're thinking." His presence startled her, but she didn't look up. "And it won't happen." He put his hands on her shoulders.
She muttered something unintelligible and he knew that for the first time he would have to do all the talking. It was going to be uncomfortable and God, he hated emotions but he would for her because she was so vulnerable and so adorable and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her.
"I'm not going anywhere okay? And that put up the wall I usually build when things start getting out of my depth, well I won't let it come between us." He said resolutely.
She looked up, eyes widening with surprise.
"I'm not oblivious to my tendencies, Mimi." He said as if it were obvious. "I do things a certain way because it's easier for me to process. But I know it hurts when I push you away, I won't do that this time." He promised.
"Can I trust that?"
"Do you trust me?"
"With my life." She said, without really even thinking about it.
A relieved smile washed over him, "Whatever this is, Mimi, we'll figure it out." He brushing her hair behind her ears.
And even that gesture, one that had been so incredibly platonic and brotherly at one point, now felt different.
Loaded with ambiguity, bogged down by meaning.
"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" She asked softly.
His hand dropped out of her hair, "In some ways, yeah." He answered. "But some things won't ever change."
"Like?"
"Like how much I care about you, above everything else. I won't be the one to hurt you, Mimi." He tucked a gentle hand under her chin, coaxing her into looking at him. "Not now or ever, for that matter."
He knew that some things couldn't be conveyed no matter how meaningful the words might be, he just hoped she understood all the same.
Her gaze met his, "I'm always going to care about you too, Matt." She admitted. "More than I've ever cared about anyone, really." He was everything to her.
She pulled him into a hug before he could say much else, her arms squeezing around him so tight as if he might slip away at any moment. And with her face buried so deeply in his chest, she drowned herself in him—because this was her safest space.
Here, where all she could hear was his heart beat and feel the familiar weight of his arms around her. It was everything she craved when it felt like nothing else made sense.
He was the sun, the center of her universe, keeping all things in their right place.
"Now what?" She muttered into his shirt.
"I have no idea." He said.
"You know, all this could have been so much simpler if you hadn't been sucha good kisser." She chastised playfully.
A low chuckle escaped him, "I could probably file the same complaint against you." He countered.
"We probably shouldn't make a habit of it, though." She said more seriously. "The whole kissing thing, I mean." She cleared her throat shyly.
Matt let her pull away from him, "Afraid?" He raised his brows teasingly.
"Of?"
"That you won't be able to stop so easily next time." He gave her a lopsided grin.
One that was equally enticing as it was annoying. "Hardly." She let out a snort. "And there won't be a next time."
"I wouldn't bet on that, Tachikawa."
"You shouldn't, Ishida. Because you'd lose."
"Is that right?" He asked, a competitive glint in his brilliant blue eyes.
Mimi squared her shoulders, "Do you really think you're that tempting?" She kinked a brow. "Because I hate to bruise your ego, but you're really not that hard to resist."
"Well, you didn't do a very good job tonight." He smirked.
Her face twisted into a glare. "And on that note, I'm going to bed." She shoved his chest.
"Perfect, I'll join you." He winked.
Mimi rolled her eyes, "Sorry, Sora's got dibs." She said.
"It's fine, I can put her Tai's room. Besides, I'm way more fun to cuddle."
"Sounds soooo enticing, but I'll have to decline."
"Your loss, Tachikawa."
"I think I'll survive it."
"I'll see you in the morning." He said with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
She clasped her hands behind her back, "Yes, breakfast with a side of residual awkwardness from a drunken make out session. Wouldn't miss it." She said flatly.
"A really good make out session though."
"Good night, Ishida." She said pointedly.
He gave her wave, stopped at the bathroom door as he watched her disappear into his bedroom. She closed the door without a second glance and he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
He knew the second he'd be on the couch all he'd be able to think about would be what just happened and he didn't want to come off the high of it just yet. There would be uncertainty and doubt and self- loathing that would inevitably settle in his bones, dragging him down and trying to get him to regret all of this and he just didn't want to deal with all that just yet.
There would be a fallout, he wasn't naive enough to believe otherwise, but what was the harm in prolonging the inevitable just a little while longer.
Mimi laid beside Sora, pulling the covers up to her chest, arms folded over her stomach. She tried, in vain, to shut her eyes and begged for sleep to overcome her. But it was futile, her eyes snapped open and stared at the ceiling. All she could smell was him—on the sheets, on this pillow, in this damn room. And all she wanted was to jump out of bed and seek out the security of his touch. Share that tiny couch with him, his arms wound around her so tight she wouldn't know where he began and bury herself so deep in him she'd never find the surface.
But she couldn't do that, she couldn't do any of it.
She was happy that the kiss hadn't made things super weird. That they could sort of laugh it off and at the very least speak of it openly as oppose to shoving it beneath the rug that was probably the size of a mountain by now with everything they'd swept under it already. But none of that was enough, not even a little, because it had been minutes since she had left and she already missed him so terribly she could barely stand it.
She let out an aggravated sigh, his bed was the last place she should be right now.
Mimi opened the door a crack, the pitch blackness of the living room alerted her that he was already on the couch and she hoped, fast asleep.
Silently, she tip toed out of the room and into Tai's.
Slipping into bed beside the brunette, she elbowed her way into the comforter, shoving and kicking him until he rolled over. Of course, none of her poking and prodding was enough to wake him up and for once she was grateful that he slept like a log. Finally, she allowed herself to turn on her side, back to Tai, and tried to quietly fall asleep
But the only problem was, she couldn't fall asleep. Not when all she could think about was how Yamato Ishida was a few feet away from her, and the only thing separating his skin from her was this damn door. And it took every fiber in her being not to go to him, it was wrong.
It was over.
It happened once, they got it out of their system.
It would never happen again.
Feels like
we both know this night has ended
Daylight
Finds me feeling almost gone…
-x-
He felt like he had just closed his eyes, finally fallen into a slumber, when he was woken by the loud thumping of someone knocking at the door.
Trying to ignore them, willing them to go away, he rolled onto his stomach and shoved the pillow he was sleeping on over his ears. But it was no use, whoever was on the other side of his door was persistent and there was no getting them to go away.
He opened one eye to squint at the time on his phone, 11:12 AM flashed back at him.
Grumbling profanities under his breath, wondering if he had even slept at all the entire night, Matt grudgingly got up from the too small couch to open the door.
He hoped that whoever was on the other side had a list of good reasons to be here right now, he was in no mood for unnecessary company.
He flung open the door, only to be left slack jawed a second later.
"Surprise!" Kari squealed, a tray of banana bread held out in offering. "Good morning, sleepy head!" She said cheerfully.
From behind her, TK scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Hey bro, hope we're not interrupting. I told Kar we shoulda called first." He said apologetically.
"And I said that was nonsense." She chastised over she shoulder. "We do not need any prior notice to surprise our brothers." And with that, she pushed her petite frame passed Matt.
"The place is a mess." Matt cringed.
"By your standards." TK laughed, clapping his older brother on the shoulder. "How've you been, man?"
"I've been better." He admitted, "Still good to see you though." He said honestly, because it was only when he saw TK that he realized how much he truly missed him.
TK came in with a shopping bag in each arm, "Hey, Kar. Where do you want all this?" He asked the pixie-like brunette, who had busied herself with tidying up the kitchen.
"Just leave it on the counter, thanks." She smiled.
Matt wandered around the kitchen, taking a corner piece of the banana bread, the aroma of which was slowly beginning to waft through the house. "God, Kari. This is amazing." He told her, Kari was an exceptional cook.
"Thank you, but you're ruining my presentation so please contain yourself."
Matt chuckled, heading out of the kitchen and into the living room, where TK had turned on the TV. "So why are you on the couch?" He raised his brows.
"Long story." Matt muttered. "The girls are sleeping in my room."
"Girls!" Kari, who for all intents and purposes had not been paying attention to any of the conversation until that very sentence. "As in plural?"
"Girls as in Sora and Mimi."
TK laughed while Kari's expression immediately brightened, "Yay! That's even better." She chirped happily. "It's a good thing I packed extra."
"Yes, if by extra you mean enough to feed a small village." TK jested.
"My brother is a small village, I should've packed more." She sighed ruefully.
TK let out a laugh.
"So, where's Aeris?"
"Home, she's got two wickedly hard exams coming up. She's been holed up like a hermit for the last two weeks."
"Well, perhaps some of her dedication will rub off on your lazy ass."
"Funny, but I do recall a certain Ishida walking into his last high school exam still drunk from the night before."
"I aced that exam."
TK had only just opened his mouth to fire off a playful rebuttal when movement at the threshold of the room caught his eye. "What happened last night?" Sora moaned, eyes still closed, hand tangled in her curls rubbing the side of her head.
"Sora!" Kari clapped happily, bounding out of the kitchen.
Sora had barely gotten her eyes open when she was enveloped in a familiar, bone crushing hug. "Kari! What are you doing here!"
"I could ask you the same thing, Sor." Kari giggled. "Me and TK just wanted to come up for the weekend and visit Tai and Matt." She explained, as they let go.
"Yes and not Davis?" Sora raised an eyebrow.
At the mention of her boyfriend, a light pink blush rose in the petite brunette's cheeks. "Well, obviously. But…"
"I'm kidding, but you're adorable. Now what did you bring to eat because whatever I smell is heavenly and I am in dire need of sustenance right now." She was practically salivating.
"Just give me ten minutes to reheat everything, in the meantime—shouldn't someone get my brother and Mimi?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised you woke up but she didn't." TK noticed. "I remember her being quite the light sleeper back in the DW."
Sora plopped down on the sofa beside Matt. "Beats me. She wasn't in bed when I woke up." She said with a shrug.
Matt turned to face the redhead, "She wasn't?" He asked, wide eyed.
"Was she supposed to be…?" She asked with confusion.
"Uh, from someone on the opposite end of this conversation, it sounds like Mimi's missing. Should we be concerned?" Kari called from the kitchen.
"Mimi's not missing, guys. That's just insane. She's a person not a puppy." Matt tried to quell the hysteria before it reached dramatic proportions.
Which seemed to approaching very quickly given the girls reactions.
"Maybe she just got up before you and she's in the bathroom, freshening up." TK suggested.
"Maybe…" Sora said squeezing her eyes shut. "You have any advil here, rockstar? I'm dying right now."
"Yeah, but I think it's in Tai's room. I'll go get it." Matt offered.
"Thank you, friend." Sora said appreciatively.
"Wake him up while you're at it, Matt?" Kari asked. "Tell him breakfast is ready." She winked.
Matt chuckled on his way out.
He wasn't really sure what he had been expecting to find on the other side of Tai's bedroom door, maybe just a really big mess and haphazardly thrown around soccer cleats.
What he got was something he wasn't even remotely prepared for.
Mimi in bed…
With Tai.
Immediately it was as if someone had taken a baseball bat to his stomach, all the air leaving his lungs. He had never realized it before, but in this moment he was sure there wasn't a worse feeling in the world. He felt a wave of nausea crash around him as the urge to smash his fist into the nearest object ripped through his veins.
And fuck, she looked so beautiful. So peaceful. Her caramel tresses spread around her evenly like a crown...like a halo.
Suddenly and inexplicably, he realized how badly he wished to be Tai right now. And he wasn't even touching her, it wasn't as if they were in the least bit intimate. He was just there, sleeping beside her and still, he would trade places with the soccer star in an instant. Just to be so close to her.
He shook out those thoughts, he wasn't supposed to be having them. He knew that what happened last night had complicated an already overly complicated situation, but he couldn't do a thing about the war that was raging inside him.
Wordlessly, Matt backed out of the room. Pasting himself against the wall, he pulled out his phone from his pocket.
Found Mimi. A little back up would be nice…
He was sure he wouldn't need to explain the situation to Sora, or why it wouldn't want to go in there alone. He just hoped she had her phone on her.
He let out a relieved breath when he saw three dots bubble immediately.
Tai's room? No way…
Matt glared at the phone.
Any day now, Takenouchi…
He heard shuffling in the other room, and within moments Sora was beside him. "You really don't need to be here for this." Sora said. "Go wash up, I can handle Hurricane Taichi."
"You haven't seen him in the morning in a while, Sor. He's much worse now than ever." Matt grinned.
"You underestimate me, Ishida. Tai may be the big man on campus in everyone else's eyes, but I've seen him scream bloody murder in the face of a spider, I've got this covered."
"I really do forget how much you have over him…and me." Matt said uncomfortably. "You're kinda scary."
Sora smirked, "Well, you should try to stay on my good side then, huh?" She kinked a brow.
"Definitely." Matt gulped. "I'm just gonna go use the bathroom now."
-x-
Sober, showered and coherent, Matt felt much less sure about seeing Mimi than he had last night, when the only thing on his mind had been the softness of her lips and the touch of her skin. Now, all he could think about were the consequences of those lips and that skin.
It was worth it though, he decided, because even now with the pangs of regret setting in, he had never felt more alive than he did last night. She had brought something out in him that he hadn't felt in a really long time, if ever.
Reckless abandon.
Throwing caution to the wind.
Living in the moment, damning the consequences.
Whatever the words, however it was phrased, he had acted out of character but it was what he had needed. Nothing had ever felt more liberating than not worrying about what was going to come next.
He would never completely regret that.
But he hated how he couldn't stop thinking about her, because even now, all he could think about was what it would be like to kiss her again, this time sober, with full cognition.
He mussed his damp hair in the mirror, before glancing at his reflection for a final time.
As soon as he left the restroom, he was met with the image of Mimi Tachikawa, still dressed in nothing but his old band tee and a pair of tube socks. Immediately, he tried to turn tail and hide in his room. Surely no one would think it out of the ordinary if he napped, after all, how good of a night's sleep could he have gotten on the couch anyway…
But of course, it wouldn't be his best friend if he didn't inadvertently make his life harder by simply existing. "Finally, bro. Kari won't let us start breakfast until everyone's together." Tai half whined, half complained.
Mimi's eyes met his immediately, he briefly noticed the way she had her neck cocked to the right side, her fingers desperately combing through her hair. She got off the backward stool on the opposite side of the counter, heading in his direction.
"Finally." She hissed, "I've been needing to cover this up forever." She pulled down the collar of the t-shirt she was wearing to reveal an angry red mark on her neck.
His eyes widened, "Sorry." He muttered, trying to make the exchange look as comfortable as possible since it seemed like all eyes were on them.
"Keep your teeth to yourself, Ishida. Marking people is so not cool." She gave him a shove before disappearing into the bathroom.
He winced as the door shut with a slam, drawing in a deep breath he went into the living room.
"Aw great! Now Mimi's gone! Kari, please? I'm going to die." He begged dramatically.
The petite brunette laughed, clearly enjoying the torture she was inflicting on her older brother. "I'm sure she won't be long."
"Have you met Mimi!" He balked in disbelief. "She found a way to take a two hour bath in a river!" He cried out.
TK chuckled, "Well, he's got a point, Kar." He aided the wild haired brunette.
To settle the debate, Mimi poked her head out of the bathroom door. "Hey, Kari. I love you for wanting to wait for me but it's okay to start. I wouldn't want Tai to go into a coma from undernourishment." She rolled her eyes.
Sora giggled.
"If you're sure?"
"I am, I'll be out in ten." She promised.
Matt surveyed the spread Kari had set up on the dinner table, equipped with eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes of three different varieties, fresh fruits, French toast with powdered sugar, oatmeal all topped off by her famous banana bread.
Feeling his stomach begin to grumble, he could hardly even blame Tai for not being able to wait anymore. It was a miracle the guy even made it this long.
The food looked amazing.
By the time Mimi had emerged from the bathroom, they had settled in the sitting room with their plates.
Fishing around the back of the refrigerator, she found a half empty bottle of vodka. "I'm making mimosas, any takers?" She called from the kitchen.
"Me please, I could really use one." Sora said immediately.
"I'll have one." Kari piped up.
"Kari!" Tai yelped. "Mimosas have… vodka in them." He whispered wide-eyed.
Kari rolled her bright brown eyes at her brother's annoying overprotective attitude. "Believe it or not, Tai, I was already aware of that." She deadpanned.
TK and Matt snickered at that.
Tai grumbled under his breath, but was too distracted by his breakfast to say any more.
Mimi came into the sitting room, balancing two glasses and her plate in two hands. She handed the glass to Sora, before taking the open seat beside TK.
She didn't even look in his direction, let alone speak a word to him, yet all he could do was think of her. It was as if everything else around him had suddenly just...stopped and the only thing left in his world was her. Everyone else faded to black and she was his color, with her perfect alabaster skin and her honeydew eyes and perfect strawberry lips. She threw her head back in laughter, something TK had said, maybe it was Tai, he had no idea just that she was enchantingly beautiful when she laughed like that.
He wanted to make her laugh like that.
He knew the night before was bound to complicate things, but he hadn't imagined it being so complicated for him. Perhaps it was prideful, sheer arrogance, but he really had assumed that he would be the one walking away with the least amount of collateral damage. He was the one that easily compartmentalized emotions, he was the one that was good at keeping feelings repressed, she was the one that wore her heart on her sleeve.
So why, all of a sudden, did it feel as if she was holding all the cards, while his were face up on the table.
It wasn't as if she was ignoring him though either, she was perfectly… normal.
So normal, that if they hadn't had that brief exchange by the bathroom he would have thought the events of the night before had been a dream.
Why was this so easy for her?
Why wasn't she plagued by thoughts of him the way that he was right now.
She was stuck on his mind and it seemed like he was the furthest thing from hers.
"This breakfast was seriously amazing, Kari." Mimi gushed. "You need to give me the recipe for your pancakes—they're so fluffy." She closed her eyes, lips pursed together in pure ecstasy.
"What are you gonna do with that recipe, Meems, frame it?" Tai smirked. "Because Lord help us all if you ever tried to use it."
Mimi scowled. "Shut it, Tai. I'll have you know I've only burnt like three percent of the things I've cooked my whole life." She stuck her tongue out.
"I'm sure the sample size for that statistic isn't nearly large enough to be reliable."
Sora rolled her eyes, shoving Tai's shoulder. "Taichi and I will clean up, Kar." She offered.
"We will?" He stared at the redhead with disbelief.
"Yes, we will." She repeated with a hard stare. "It's the least we can do when Kari did so much for us."
Tai's grumbling was interrupted by a loud rapping at the door. "I'll get that." Kari said brightly, getting up before anyone could object.
"I'm gonna run to the bathroom." TK said, leaving the space he had been occupying between Matt and Mimi vacant.
And just like that, everyone was somewhere else and they were so abruptly alone.
Her gaze met his, his electric blue eyes sending currents pulsating through her nerves. Matt had only opened his mouth to say something, when he shut it promptly interrupted by the door opening.
The unmistakable baritone of Daisuke Motomiya barreled through the Loft. "There she is!" He grabbed the petite brunette in his arms the moment she was within grasp. "Hello, beautiful." He grinned, before lifting her off the ground and capturing her lips with his own.
Sora busied Tai with a pile of dishes to distract him from the lip locked reunion taking place in the doorway.
"Seriously, D. I get it, but can you let us get in before you mount her right here in the hallway—
The dishes clanked to the ground. "Mount her?" Tai's voice cut through the air, "Akiyama, that's my baby sister. And Motomiya, you've got three seconds to remove your mouth from said sister before I remove your head from your body." He growled.
Davis pulled away with a jolt, while Ryo and Ken just snickered behind him.
A bright red blush coated Kari's face. "Come in guys, we just had breakfast." She said, hiding her face shyly behind her short brown hair.
Ryo came in first, ruffling Kari's hair in the process. "Don't worry about Tai, kiddo. I'll handle him." He said with a gentle smile. "D.M, why don't you take your lady on a proper date?" He prompted shortly.
"But... practice." He said, with a crestfallen expression on his face.
Kari, who looked equally as dejected, said nothing.
Ryo put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'll talk to coach... and Sam." He offered. "Take the day, it's not all the time you get to see your girl."
"Thanks man!" Davis fist pumped enthusiastically. "You heard that, baby? We've got the whole day to ourselves!" He said excitedly.
If looks could kill…
"Chill out, T. They've been dating forever. You gotta let it go." Ryo said with a laugh.
Once inside, Ryo's eyes fell on Mimi who was glued to her cell phone. Matt got up to greet the Davis and Ken, offering a quick nod to Ryo before walking into the kitchen with Tai and Sora. TK had rejoined the group and greeted his friends with surprise, as the four of them spoke animatedly and casually.
Ryo grabbed Mimi's phone from her hand simultaneously sitting in seat beside her. "Hey!" She yelled, her eyes widening when she realized who it was.
"Oh, well good to know this thing still works." He elbowed her lightly, holding the phone out of her reach. "You've just been using it to ignore me."
"Untrue." She reached over him to try to get it back, but he held it out of her grasp.
"Very true, I had asked you to come see me before you left… no response."
"I didn't know where you were, Akiyama. Besides, you could have just as easily came to me." She rolled her eyes.
"You never asked."
"Ah, so if I would've, then you would've?"
"Probably not, but now you'll never know."
"And that will keep me up at night."
Mimi stuck him with a withering stare, "Mind giving me back what's mine, now?" She asked, arms crossed over chest.
"For a price." He said with a wicked grin.
Her face fell flat. "What?" She asked in a tone equally as flat.
Ryo tapped his cheek.
"You can't be serious."
But he didn't say anything, just continued to wait.
Mimi took glanced into the kitchen, where Matt was standing with his back to her, quickly she gave him a peck on the cheek before snatching her phone out of Ryo's grasp.
Satisfied, Ryo sunk back into the couch. "Nice threads, by the way. The Teenage Wolves." He read with an amused smirk.
"Yama's band, they're on hiatus right now but their music is like…" Her tone took on a dreamy quality as she went shamelessly starry eyed over the boy band. "Oh I sure hope they get back together soon." She pouted.
The smirk fell off Ryo's face immediately. "Ah, so you have a penchant for musicians." He said quietly.
Mimi turned her head, "What girl doesn't?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Well, in that case, you should know that I took drum lessons until I was about fourteen." He said with playful boasting.
Mimi laughed, "Take me now." She mock swooned.
"Listen T.E—I could take you in a game of basketball any day, any way, any court. Name the time and place." Davis said loudly, effectively silencing any side conversations that were going on.
Kari had a hand on her forehead, while Ken just looked entertained at Davis and TK who were standing head to head engaged in a fierce battle of "who's better" mostly perpetuated by Davis.
"Here and now, there's a park with a full court down the block. I've got a basketball in my car." T.K offered leisurely.
Which only seemed to get Davis madder. "You're on." He huffed.
Kari, who knew arguing would be futile, just sighed. "So much for getting to spend the whole day together, huh, baby?"
Davis took her by the shoulders, "I'll be quick, beautiful." He promised. "T.J's light work."
"You know, Davis. Pretending you don't know T.K's name by now isn't nearly as clever as it was when we were twelve." Ken pointed out with a chuckle.
Davis chose to vehemently ignore that statement.
From across the kitchen, all a certain blonde could do was restrain himself from breaking the glass that was in his grasp. Watching Ryo Akiyama effortlessly flirt with the girl he had just had on this very counter mere hours before was making him damn near homicidal.
All he wanted to do was take Mimi by the hand, drag her to his bedroom, kiss her senseless and send Akiyama packing.
But he couldn't do that, he wasn't allowed to.
She was his friend, his best friend, and last night didn't do anything but complicate the situation, there was no clarity, their entire relationship was clouded in a shroud of obscurity and yet he felt as if she owed him more than to be flirting with someone else right in front of his face.
This girl was driving him absolutely insane, she had him completely undone and she had no fucking idea.
Around and around…
you're turning my world upside down
I've got you stuck on my mind
And it's driving me crazy.
-x-
A/N: Soooo maybe this is like an awkward place to end the chapter, maybe it's not, but I wanted to leave it in, so this is what it is LOL. Anyway, the next chapter will obviously pick up somewhere near here, so it'll be fluid. The next chapter will have a bit more insight on how Mimi feels, what she's thinking since the latter half was pretty Yama heavy.
SO HOW DID MY LOVELY READERS LIKE THIS CHAPTER? See, it was SO MUCH MORE than a kiss…and like, I couldn't have it being an awkward interaction, especially right away so this is what felt right to me. I hope you guys feel the same way and that it did justice to the penultimate moment of the story thus far.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
Once again it's 430am as I'm updating this but I just had to get it out, please forgive me for anything I missed or any mistakes I'm seriously delirious.
You guys are soooo amazing, by the way. I know just about every is so busy with their own lives and of course we all have priorities but it means so much that you all take the time out to read and review my work, it's so inspiring to me and it makes me work so much harder to give you guys updates that are the best that I can do. There as a bit longer of a wait between chapters this time (was there?) but I wanted it to be as good as I could possibly make it.
AHHH, I'm so happy most of you really got the vibe I was going for for the kitchen scene, I poured over that scene, I mean it was seriously blood, sweat and tears.
Anyway, you guys are awesome, you deserve like a billion dollars (sadly, I have like 4 cents in my bank account so I'm not good for it) and unicorns and a skittles rainbow and yeah, I'll stop there. Thank you for the unlimited support and love, hope that you liked this chapter and I'd love to hear from all of you guys soon!
Feedback is not only appreciated but encouraged!
Song: Cadence by Fractures.
I thought it captured the mood of this chapter so perfectly, but I was seriously torn between using it now or saving it for later chapters. Well, I obviously didn't save it.
Also, there's a part where I say: "He was magic, he was madness. He was heaven. He was sin." Totally from Blank Space by Taylor Swift, in care anyone didn't catch that LOL.
On to the reply's!
CHAPTER 13 Reviews:
Guest (1): I'm pretty sure the same person reviewed chapter 1 and 13 so I just through id reply at once. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU SUPPORT AND YOUR REVIEW. It means the world to me that you took the time out to binge my story and I really hope it was worth it Thank you so much for your words of encouragement, I can't wait to hear what you thought of the next chapter (which I guess means ch15, or 14 if you haven't read it already LOL)
Angelic Moonlight: Aww I totally understand that you weren't able to review, I did update this story around the holiday times that time so I get it, it's hard. Thank you for always taking the time out to review and read my work. It means everything to me, reviews are what keep me going and keep me motivated. HAHA, I'm sure your expression was priceless when Yamato turned out to be the waiter, I was hoping for that kind of reaction coz I got a little cringey myself just writing it. I'm like ughhhh poor Yama, he so doesn't need this right now lmao. Thank you for your well wishes, love you!
Isabel Nightray: I've said this before, I'll say it again, your reviews give me life. I WISH YOUR WORK WAS IN ENGLISH SO I COULD READ IT. I wanna put it in a translator so bad but I feel like everything always gets lost in translation whenever I've ever tried to do that, but if you have any suggestions that would be great lol, I'm serious! I don't know if you received my PM about your review, but it was obviously to personally thank you for all the trouble you went to to leave me a review, it was truly touching and I appreciate it beyond words. Your insight is always spot on and your feedback is refreshing.
Your input about the characters is exactly what I was going for, I kinda love Zoe in my own way as well. She's a character I like to build on, it's kinda why I gave her that tortured, daddy issues, back story. I want to evolve her into a likable, secure character by the end of this story.
I love writing Ryo. He's the guy you wanna hate for being such an over-privileged ass, but like you can't because he's so adorable with our favorite girl. I want him to give Matt a run for his money, I always said I want the readers to be torn between the two at some point.
Tai is my absolute fave, like I LOVE WRITING AND READING TAI. I don't know what it is about him, but if I wasn't so die hard Mimato he would be front and center lead of all my stories. Aww, I love how much you love Tai—it's literally how I feel about him.
Thank you, again, for your dedicated review LOL, I feel bad you had to go through so much but dude, I seriously appreciate it. You're awesome. FIND ME A WAY TO READ YOUR STORIES! TEACH ME SPANISH! Lol, kidding, but seriously if there's a way—TELL ME.
Darkywitch: Haha, I don't mean to be mean! You didn't have to wait thaaat long, did you? Well, I'm sorry, please forgive me. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my work, I appreciate it beyond words. I hope the next chapter finds you well and that I hear from you soon!
Supernatural17980: Thank you as always for you unwavering support and review, I really do appreciate it so much. So glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter!
Cancercute: Haha, I know broody and self-loathsome Matt is super annoying but it's how I love writing him! Brooding Matt is my specialty LOL. HAHA, the restaurant scene was one of my faves because I just really wanted to capture Matt's kind of jealous side that he keeps hidden under his cool exterior. I really liked writing the little scene when Mimi was leaving and he tried to tell her how she deserved better and she got pissed lmao, I just like putting Matt through the ringer I think. I wanted the Zoe and Mimi scene to be kind of like a girl code thing, where she was genuinely reaching out to Mimi as like a fellow female. P.S I just read your PM about updating and I answered—it's so funny because I'm literally on my way to updating right now.
Angelxchild: AWW thank you for being so sweet. I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter, it was a fun one to write even though there was a bit of lack of mimato, though I think these next two ch's make up for that ;) I loved writing the restaurant scene, I just wanted to give Matt a little karma for his stunt with Zoe. Michi friendships are kinda my thing, writing their dynamic is so fun for me but I always have to tread lightly because I'll get tempted to turn them into something a little less platonic haha. Thanks for the review and your continued support!
Absolutelfaith: aww, it's okay you forgot to review, I don't blame you, we all get busy sometimes. I appreciate you reviewing when you can and giving me feedback, it means so much to me I can't even express it. Haha, I totally agree with you about Matt being a total GUY in these scenes because its like dude either just fess up to your love for her or let her be, stop jerking her around like a puppet though! Tai's my baby, I don't think I'd be able to paint him in a negative light if I tried, I just have too much love for him! Anyways, thanks again for all your support and for bearing with me, you're the best! Hope to hear from you soon!
Chapter 14 Reviews:
bleu comme l'hiver: First, thank you for your kind words and support, I am so thankful to everyone who reads and especially reviews my work so I'm really happy to hear that you like my work. Let me say, I'm right there with you with the heartbreak over canon, honestly, I think Mimato was my first ever ship (along with Ash/Misty) so when they didn't happen it was such a bummer. Thanks for reviewing and giving me your feedback, hope to hear from you soon!
Guest: Awww your words were so sweet, it's always so nice to hear compliments and to know that my writing has influenced other people, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I've been hearing some good things about my characterizations and the progress of this story so that's always reassuring. I'm so glad that the Taiora scene was able to shine through all the mimato-ness, it was subtle but I was trying to get it across all the same. AHHHH I'm so happy the song heightened the reading experience, that was my goal—the song was honestly so perfect that the scene wrote itself. Again, thank you for your review and your kind words and I hope I'll hear from you for the next chapter
Isabel Nightray: HAHA, I love reading your reviews, they're always a good time. I was hoping for the scene to be received the way you did, I was nervous and excited posting it, so I'm super relieved to know that the scene translated the way that I had wanted it to. I LOL'd at you saying you would've fainted if you weren't already lying down, haha. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much and I can't wait to hear what you thought of it.
Guest (2): Well, it didn't get swept under the rug, that's for sure. LOL. I was a little unsure about the kiss in the last chapter, but I also think they've held out long enough. Thank you so much for the review, I'm so appreciative of your compliments and your feedback, it's so encouraging. I hope you liked the latest installment, let me know what you thought!
OnceUponAnOriginal: YAYYY, so glad this was your favorite chapter—mine is still chapter 11 (from a readers perspective LOL) but I loved writing chapter 14 as well. It was soooo much fun to write just the four of them and then of course writing the Mimato at the end. Thank you for you unwavering support and for always taking the time out to review my chapters, it means the world and I appreciate it beyond words. Hope to hear from you soon!
Guest (3): LOLLL, your reaction made me laugh a little (in a good way, of course) because its basically the reaction I was hoping to get. I feel like the mimato tease has been going on from the beginning, I had my doubts about giving them a kiss but I just couldn't resist. It wrote itself, really, I had no control! But, I'm honestly glad it was received well, it was very reassuring. I'm so glad you liked the chapter and I can't wait to know what you thought of the aftermath!
Angelic Moonlight: Awww, your reviews are always such a treat! They're so fun to read and always full of insight. THANK YOU FOR SAYING ALL THOSE NICE THINGS (*crying emojisx100*) You know, I feel like obviously the Mimato shocker at the end stole the show, but I really loved writing the bonding sesh and even when I read it back it warmed me because at the heart of it I just love their friendships with each other but as well as the group dynamic as a whole. I'm glad that the emotions I wanted to convey were translated to the readers because Sora's story in particular was one that I didn't want to be too overdrawn but I didn't want to mess it up either by downplaying it. I think getting Tai's reaction was the hardest part for because part of me wanted to write him as like angry and overprotective, but I just felt like that would've been overkill. Anyway, sorry I just rambled on to you just now (See what happens when I get started LOL) I'm just really happy you enjoyed the chapter and the kiss. I can't wait to hear what you thought of this one! Let me know how I did ;)
Supernatural17980: Thank you for always being such a loyal reader and reviewer, I really appreciate the fact that you drop me a comment or two after every chapter—it means everything I'm glad that even though I took a while to update before, it was worth the wait. Thank you for your support and I can't wait to hear what you thought of this one!
Silentuser: AWWW thank you for always reviewing my work, it's so nice to have reliable feedback and I know I can always count on you! So many other people have said that some of the scenes in this chapter read like a movie or a tv show and that's SUCH A HIGH COMPLIMENT (fan girl squeal) because it's seriously what I want it to feel like.I think I kind of did end up making you guys wait a month and I'M SORRY! To be fair, I have no excuses for this one except laziness—I HATE EDITING. Like editing and revisions are the bane of my existence. You're so sweet, I love this fandom and I have for sooooo long, I feel like this community is like a little family and some of the people still on here I've actually known through FF for YEARS so it's like crazy to hear from them because they've watched my progression as an author since I was in high school. Anyway, there I go—rambling. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement and your constant support, it inspires me always. Can't wait to hear from you next chapter!
Rose: Hello, first and foremost I'd like to thank you for not only taking the time out to read my story but also for reviewing it, I will always appreciate feedback no matter what. I'm not the type to disregard reviews—ever—so there's no need to worry about that, I take the opinions of my readers very seriously and constructive criticism is always welcome. I don't at all think you were trying to bash me, I've been on this site and writing for a really long time, so I'm well aware that not every single person who reads my stories is going to fall in love with my work— but I definitely don't take it personally. However, there are a few points that I wanted to reply to, perhaps maybe clear up for you, to give you a better understanding of what I was trying to portray because it seems as if it didn't come across the way I had intended.
1. Immaturity: Well, to assume that these 17/18/19 year olds at the beginning of their college careers would have the emotional maturity or depth of adults would be a bit of a reach, in my book. I personally don't believe that in the three months between high school graduation and the start of college enough personal growth takes place in order for a person to become a fully functioning and entirely rational adult. I think that making better decisions, understanding how to act upon emotions and gaining self- actualization happens over time, at a slow but steady rate and is shaped entirely by experience. Perhaps it is a cultural thing, but I wasn't trying to write these teenagers as adults, I'm still not. I'm going to write them with the level of maturity that I think is appropriate for the setting.
2. "Lust" I think you're missing the point a little with this one, Matt and Mimi's actions up until that very end scene were governed by the exact opposite of lust, that being logic. Instead of acting on their attraction for each other, they were trying to suppress it because they didn't want to ruin their carefully cultivated friendship. I'm writing this from an angle where the two have been really good friends for the entire time Mimi has been away. Now she's back and she's not the same ten year old girl she was when she left, nor is Matt the same eleven year old boy. They're seeing each other in a completely different light and are struggling with the realization that their friendship and love for each other might not be as platonic as they once believed. If you've ever been in a situation like that, where you start to have feelings for a guy you considered to be like a brother or like your best friend, then maybe you can agree that usually it starts out with admitting you're attracted to that person and that's the stage they're at right now.
3. Everything else aside and with all due respect. PLEASE, don't ever assume to know me or my actual life. For you to leap to conclusions about a person you actually don't know and try to give them unsolicited love or life advice is a little insulting, not to mention pretentious. I don't mind you voicing your opinions about my work, what you liked or didn't like about it, I really do appreciate the honesty. But what I will never appreciate nor tolerate is any form of judgement directed at my person, because again, I'll repeat, You don't actually know me.
Other than that, my response was not intended to defend my work or to prove my story to you, instead I just thought I'd clear any misconceptions you might have to perhaps make this a better reading experience for you. If it did not, I still sincerely thank you for the support and wish you well.
Angelxchild: AWWW YOURE SO SWEEEET. I love hearing from my faithful readers and reviewers you guys make my life! I'm so glad you didn't think the kiss was rushed, I was soooo worried about that. Seems like the majority of you guys enjoyed the Mimato scene at the end and that is sooo relieving. I'm so happy that it was received so well. I hope you did end up rereading the last scene with the song, I feel like it changes the experience all together LOL. Regardless, thank you so much for your continued support, it means the world to me. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter and on how the conversation went POST KISS!
Cancercute: I love you. You know I absolutely love you and seeing your reviews literally make my day. You and SincereFriendship have been on this site with me for sooo long, i honestly feel like we grew up together LOL. Started with Polar Opposites now we're here, hahah! I was just on your bio and that Intimacy story you have up (Takari) caught my eye (I've been Daikari lately, though) so I think I'm going to give it a read! I do love your work. Okay, your review is like totally spot on, it's like you're in my brain because that's EXACTLY what I was trying to convey. Like that they're these confused teenagers with obvi raging hormones but they're best friends and it's so frustrating LOL. I'm glad the song gave the scene a little more depth, you know I'm all about soundtrack to the scene haha. I hope you liked this chapter, I honestly can't wait to hear what you thought of this chapter, you have to let me know! Thanks as always, girl, you're my fave. xx
Kdesir: aww, you are so sweet. Thank you for reading and reviewing my work, it always feels so good to hear that. It actually amazes me how many people still read Polar Opposites because I finished it SEVEN YEARS AGO (mind=blown) but to hear anyone still bring it up or read it even now makes me feel so special because it truly is something I'm proud of. I'm happy this story is being received equally as well and I'm really relieved to hear that you like it so far. HAHA, your comment about the kiss scene being like waiting until the third season of a tv show to get to was priceless, I totally agree, the slow burn was killing me too! I'm happy the kiss scene didn't feel so rushed and I really hope you let me know what you thought of the aftermath in this chapter!
Once again, to everyone who reads and reviews my work—THANK YOU.
Until next time!