As school let out the following day, there was a lot of murmuring as people looked at the girl who
was standing outside the school gates, apparently waiting for someone. Mimi was dressed in a
dark blue t-shirt and jean shorts with tennis shoes. She had figured that she wasn't dressed
specially or anything, but nonetheless she was attracting several stray gazes. She hoped Izzy
would show up soon, as she could begin to see a group of boys heading her way wanting to talk
to her. Just before they got into talking range, Izzy popped around the corner. Her expression lit
up immediately.
"Sorry, Ken needed to get some of my old history notes and I couldn't find the file right away." he
said.
"No apologies necessary! All ready?" she asked.
"Absolutely!"
The two of them began to walk along, and Mimi could still feel the stares of the other boys around
on the both of them. She smiled to herself and decided to give them all something to talk about.
She jumped ahead of Izzy quickly and stopped, looking him over consideringly.
"Is, um, something wrong Mimi?" Izzy asked, as he began to pick up on the attention they were
getting.
"Hmm...yeah, I think you're missing something actually." she said as she stepped up to him.
"I am? What?"
Mimi smiled and stepped right up to him, draping her arms around his neck.
"This." she said just before kissing him. Izzy felt instinct kick in and kissed her back, his hands
going to her sides, but not moving from there. They broke the kiss a moment later, and she took
his hand. "There. Now you're ready to go."
Izzy looked around a moment and saw the stunned looks on everyone's faces and smiled.
Scenes like this usually only happened in the movies, but he didn't care. He walked off hand in
hand with Mimi, leaving everyone stunned and talking about the spectacle.
*********************************************
Izzy was a regular at the particular game center they stopped at, and he did his best to introduce
a few of his gaming friends to Mimi. The game of the day was Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Izzy took
a seat as soon as his turn came up. Mimi stood behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders
as she watched. She fancied herself as his "good luck charm" just like as if her were gambling,
and watched as Izzy played. You could pick teams of 3, but Izzy only ever chose one character:
Iori Yagami. And he was good with him. Very good.
Ten games later, Izzy was still winning and Mimi was more or less his own personal cheerleader.
She never thought she could get that much into a video game, but honestly watching him fight
was exciting and fun to her. Especially when he pulled off his special moves. Izzy noted the time
just then and figured it was time to go, so he purposefully lost his next match.
The two said their goodbyes and headed out of the game center, continuing on to Izzy's home.
As they walked, Mimi perked her ears up like she heard something in the distance.
"Did you hear a rumble?" she asked.
"I don't think so, although it is pretty cloudy." Izzy said, looking at the sky. Just then, there was
another rumble from the sky, confirming their suspicions.
"How far are we from you home?" Mimi asked.
"A couple more blocks." Izzy said. "Never to fear, though, dear lady! I come prepared!"
Izzy reached into his bag and produced a compact umbrella, which he quickly unfolded. They
could both feel droplets of rain beginning to fall, so Izzy put it up. It wasn't a terribly big umbrella,
but if they huddled close they could both more or less stay dry. Neither of them could complain
about it for that matter, as sharing an umbrella was often a symbol of intimacy between a man
and woman in Japan.
They reached Izzy's home a short while later. Izzy was far more wet than Mimi was, which Mimi
felt a little conscious about.
"You should've used more of the umbrella! You'll catch a cold or something!" she said in a
worried tone.
"Nah, I'm fine. I'll just dry off and change clothes quickly. C'mon in, they're all expecting you."
Izzy said as he opened the door. Sure enough, Mr. and Mrs. Izumi greeted Mimi as she entered
and quickly made her feel at home as Izzy headed to his room and changed into a green t-shirt
and a pair of black shorts. Dinner was Mrs. Izumi's now famous pineapple pizza, which at first
some of the other kids had been hesitant about, but was now a favorite of anyone who visited
Izzy's place. They all talked over dinner and caught up on times passed, and Mimi fielded
questions about America that she was more than happy to answer for them.
"Well, it's about time for us to turn in." Mr. Izumi announced. The clock only read 8:00 PM, but as
Izzy said, his parents were notorious for turning in early. "Izzy, I'll trust you to see this fine young
lady home and all."
"I've got it covered dad, no problems." Izzy said as a crack of thunder echoed in the background.
The rain outside had gotten a bit worse since they'd gotten home, and was now a full on storm.
"Well it was pleasant seeing you again, Mimi. I hope your travels bring you back here again
sometime." Mrs. Izumi said, bowing to her.
"Thank you very much for the hospitality. I really appreciate it." Mimi said, bowing in return.
Izzy's parents then turned in for the night, leaving the two of them to their own devices.
"Wanna catch a movie?" Izzy asked as he crouched by their tape collection.
"Sure, I'll let you pick." Mimi said as she sat on the couch. Izzy picked out his copy of the original
Star Wars. Nothing special, but at least it was something they could relax and watch together.
After putting it in the VCR and turning it on, he took a seat next to Mimi on the couch. Mimi was
quick to lean against him, and Izzy put an arm around her as they sat and watched the movie.
Everything was going along fine, until a particularly loud crash of thunder jolted them, and also
sent the power out.
"Oh great. So much for movie night." Izzy said, rolling his eyes.
"Got any candles or anything?" Mimi asked.
"Yeah, stay here and I'll find 'em." Izzy told her as he extracted himself from the couch. He felt
his way around the apartment and found their set of emergency candles, lighting a couple and
setting them on the coffee table in front of the couch for light. "You'd better call you folks and let
them know we're kinda stuck here for now. No way am I going to take you out in this storm."
Mimi nodded and grabbed the phone quickly, calling the hotel and asking for her room number.
"Hi, mom? Yeah, I'm at Izzy's right now. The storm just got real bad, and the power's out. We're
fine, but I'm going to stay here a while until things die down a little. At the worst, I'll just stay the
night here and see you in the morning tomorrow. Okay? Love ya, bye!"
Mimi put the phone back down and returned to the couch where Izzy sat, leaning back against
one of the arms. She sat opposite him, leaning against the other arm.
"So what's on your mind?" she asked.
"Just idly wondering." he said. "I used to think that things like this couldn't happen to guys like
me."
"Things like what?"
"You know, finding someone like you and falling for them and all. I thought love was a luxury I'd
never be able to afford."
'Did he/I just say 'love'...?' the both of them thought simultaneously. Both of them, suddenly a bit
more nervous, sat up and looked at each other.
"You shouldn't think things like that, Izzy. After all, love has a way of finding you..." Mimi said as
she found herself inching closer to him.
"I wouldn't know. I've never been in love before." Izzy told her, likewise moving closer to her.
"Truth be told, neither have I." Mimi told him with a smile. "But I'm pretty sure it goes something
like this."
The two of them started to kiss, their kisses quickly turning deeper as their tongues met. Their
hands met and locked together, their fingers interweaving with each other. Izzy managed to
break off the kiss for a moment.
"You sure we're not moving too fast on all of this?" he asked.
"I don't care, just kiss me..." Mimi said breathlessly. She returned to kissing him, pushing him
back a bit.
Izzy let himself be pushed back, until he was stretched out on the couch. Mimi laid herself down
on top of him, her hands roaming up to his hair, running through it and stroking it as she kissed
him. Izzy's hands ran all up and down her back, and even to her rear. The storm continued to
rage on outside as the two made out on the couch, oblivious to it all.
'This is so intense...and I can't stop! I don't want to stop! Do I think I love Mimi? If I do...' Izzy
thought as he lost himself in the moment.
'This feels so right, and so good...who cares if this is considered 'going too fast', I've fallen head
over heels for him.' Mimi thought. 'Time, then, to step things up even further. I just hope he
doesn't freak out too much this time.'
Mimi pushed herself up slightly, creating some space between the two of them, though she
continued to kiss him. She slid her right hand down his left arm to the wrist again and slowly
dragged it up her side. To her delight, he didn't try to struggle against her. She led his hand
higher and higher, eventually sliding it under her to cup her breast. Her heart began to race, and
she groaned a bit more audibly at the contact. Izzy felt the blood rush to his face, realizing what
she was having him do. He held her a little closer with his right arm as he explored her breast
with his left hand, fondling it gently. He felt her nipple begin to respond to his work through her
clothing and let his fingers play over it gently a bit before returning to his main work.
"Ahhh...Kou-chan..." Mimi moaned as she broke the kiss for a moment. The sensations that were
filling her now were almost overwhelming. It was taking what little restraint she had left to not
follow through with her ultimate plans right then and there. But the timing and location was totally
wrong, and there was the danger that Izzy's parents would wake up and catch them, and that
thought alone was enough.
"Is it too much, Mimi-chan?" Izzy asked quietly, suddenly a bit worried.
"No...kami-sama no...keep doing that, please...!" Mimi told him, closing her eyes. Izzy complied
and continued with his ministrations as they intermittently kissed again and again. It all went on
for what seemed like an eternity, until the both of them slowed down and stopped, both bordering
on exhaustion. Mimi rested her head on his chest as she worked to catch her breath.
"Did you mean what you said before, Kou-chan?" she asked. "Do you...love me?"
"I...believe me, for a long time I tried to convince myself that it could never happen to me. But
after all we've been through, and all the things we've shared up to now...well, let me put it this
way." Izzy said. He lifted his head to look down at her as she looked up at him. Her eyes
entrancing him yet again, as they always seemed to do. "If I'm not in love with you already, Mimi,
I'm at least falling in love with you."
"Kou-chan...that's funny, because I'm feeling the same about you..." she said, smiling up at him.
Izzy could see a couple of tears forming in her eyes and wiped them away for her. "Oh, don't
worry. They're 'happy tears', not sad ones. Believe me, these are tears I don't mind shedding."
"If I had my way, they'd be the only kind of tears you'd ever shed, Mimi-chan."
Mimi smiled and scooted up a bit, kissing him again gently. She then backed off of him and sat
up. Izzy went to sit up as well, though he found he had to move a little slower than normal.
"You okay?" Mimi asked, seeing his trouble sitting up.
"Yeah, just fine. Just...er, um...it's kinda embarrassing, but let's just say other parts of me are,
um, hindering me from sitting up right away." Izzy said, blushing profusely. Mimi had to stifle a
chuckle as she quickly figured out what he meant. Izzy looked out to see the storm raging away
relentlessly outside his door. "That storm isn't going to let up, you'd better spend the night here."
"Okay, how should we handle this?"
"Well, if it were anyone else I'd say you could have the couch and the spare pillow and blanket we
keep for such occasions. However, since it's you, I know just what to do."
Izzy stood up and headed over to the closet, grabbing the spare pillow and blanket and sitting
back down on the couch.
"I'll take the couch. You can have my room." he said.
"Izzy! I can't do that!" Mimi said, her brow furrowing a bit.
"I insist, Mimi. No way would I think of making you sleep out here, and my folks certainly wouldn't
react well to finding us together for that matter."
"But Kou-chan...!"
"But nothing, Mimi. This is my choice."
"Oh, alright then."
Mimi got up from the couch, letting Izzy stretch out on it. She knelt by his head as he settled in,
stroking his hair gently. Izzy was already pretty tired, and the gentle feeling of her hand running
through his hair was quickly putting him to sleep.
"I'll be fine, Mimi. G'night, sleep well." he said, beginning to drift off already. Mimi nodded, but
stayed with him for a moment as he began to fall asleep. Once she was satisfied that he was
more or less asleep, she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, only to whisper in his ear
before she left to head to bed.
"When it's my choice, Kou-chan, we will be sharing that bed. I promise..."
******************************************************
A bright light awoke Mimi from her sleep. She grumbled as she rolled over a bit, looking at the
clock. The time read 8:30. She took a deep breath and got her bearings, remembering all of a
sudden that she was still at Izzy's home. She hopped out of bed and quickly made the bed as
well, and then turned to check herself out in the mirror. She'd slept in her clothes, and her hair
was a bit of a mess, so she looked less than spectacular in her own estimation. Quietly, she
peeked her head out from Izzy's room only to discover that she was alone. A note sat on the
kitchen table to her, which she unfolded and read as she sat down.
Mimi,
Sorry I won't be around when you wake up, but I do have school today. No worries,
though, I'll be available after school as usual. Feel free to have something
for breakfast before you head out. My home is your home as far as I'm concerned. Also,
don't forget that tomorrow starts a long weekend for me. Maybe we'll
have to think of something to do tomorrow.
If you could, please, lock up after you leave I'd appreciate it. The key is hidden behind
our apartment number, you'll find it. Take care, and I'll see you later today!
Love, Izzy
Mimi folded the note back up and pocketed it, and then turned to the refrigerator for some food.
Not wanting to impose too greatly, she found some orange juice and bread and butter. A few
minutes later she was munching on a piece of buttered toast with a glass of orange juice to wash
it down. As she ate her small breakfast, she played through the events of the past few days in
her mind.
'Well, so far everything's gone according to plan. Judging by Izzy's reactions to what we've been
doing, especially last night, I'd say the idea has to at least to be passing through his mind by
now.'
Mimi closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, recalling the previous night's activity.
'I've never felt like that ever before. Granted I needed to coach him a bit to let him know it was
okay, but once he got started...I can still imagine he's holding me right now. Oh, with as good
and as right as this all feels, how could this possibly be rushing things? Every day I'm with him I
become more and more convinced that I love him. And this is what people in love do to express
that love to each other.'
Finishing her breakfast, Mimi placed her dishes in the sink in the kitchen and left the apartment,
locking it with the key she found just where Izzy said it would be and then replacing the key
carefully. She continued to think to herself as she left the apartment complex on her way back to
the hotel.
'My Kou-chan, you've given and given to me without end, and you still expect nothing in return.
Well just you wait. In three days' time, you'll get everything and more that has been due to you, I
guarantee it.'
****************************************************************
Matt set the two trays he was carrying down at the lunch table carefully. It was a balancing act
that at times was still tricky, though he'd had plenty of practice ever since he and Sora had gotten
together. His eyes scanned across the lunchroom as he sat down, finally focusing on Sora after
a moment. She was still in line trying to get them drinks. She waved back to him when she
noticed his gaze, and Matt just smiled.
'Yamato Ishida, you are one lucky guy.' he thought to himself. Turning his attention back to the
table, he then noticed the only other person sitting there at the time. Izzy sat in front of his
untouched food, a blank stare on his face. Part of his hair was bunched up in a cowlick on the
right side of his head, for that matter. Matt leaned across the table a bit, inspecting his friend.
"Izzy? You in there? Hellloooo?" he said as he waved his hand in front of Izzy's face. Izzy didn't
even so much as blink. Matt stepped up his efforts. "Earth to Izzy! You're at school! And your
food's getting cold!" Still no response. Matt got up and walked around to the other side of the
table and leaned down close to Izzy's ear. He took in a deep breath and...
"IZZY!!!!"
"WAAAAA!" Izzy yelled as he snapped back to reality. He looked to his right to see Matt
returning to his seat. There was a slight ringing in his ear fro Matt's yelling, but otherwise he was
okay.
"Thank God! For a second there I thought you might actually be asleep."
"Sorry about that. Last night was a little difficult. I had to sleep on my couch."
"Why'd you have to do that?"
"Because Mimi ended up spending the night. We were just going to have dinner with my folks
and watch a movie, but that storm was so bad last night I couldn't send her back out into it. So I
let her have my bed and I slept on the couch. I've got a stiff neck and a bit of sleep deprivation to
show for it."
"Not to mention a bad hair day." Matt said, motioning to Izzy's hair with his fork. Izzy's hand
reached up to the side of his head and felt the cowlick. He sighed and rolled his eyes, disgusted
with himself.
"Still, all in all it wasn't a bad night." Izzy said, finally starting to pick at his food. Matt looked up at
him, intrigued by Izzy's story.
"Oh? I take it things have been going well between you two?" he asked as he considered his
hamburger for a second, wondering if it really was meat.
"To say the least."
"Anything you wanna talk about?"
"Well..."
"I understand if you're hesitant, Izzy."
"No, I need to talk to someone sooner or later. Just do yourself a favor and set your food aside
for a bit."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to end up wearing it when you overreact to what I'm going to tell you."
For the next few minutes, Izzy told Matt most of what had happened over the past few days
between him and Mimi, though he stopped short of getting too graphic in his descriptions. By the
end of it, Matt's eyes were practically the size of golf balls.
"You two have gone *that* far since she got here?" Matt asked as Izzy finished his story.
"I can't shake the feeling that she's trying to tell me something, though I'm so horribly
inexperienced at all of this I've ended up more confused than anything else." Izzy said, his eyes
shifting downward a bit.
"Izzy, the message is pretty clear to me: she wants you, and bad!"
"Wants me? You don't mean..."
Matt's slow nod confirmed the thoughts that had only just that day begun to race through Izzy's
head. Izzy's face instantly turned beet red as he hung his head, looking straight down at his food.
"Look, I know I'm not privy to the particulars of how, or even why things have gotten to the point
they have between the two of you, Izzy. For that matter, I don't want to pry them out of you
either. What I will tell you is that it's obvious she cares very deeply for you, and she's trying to
express that caring for you physically instead of just in words."
"I-I'm no good at...you know, physical stuff..."
"Neither was I to start out, Izzy."
"Now there's a statement I find hard to believe."
"It's the truth! When Sora and I first started going out seriously, I suddenly turned into the
clumsiest guy around. It was all so awkward, feeling that way for the first time and all, it even
came through in my music."
"You're kidding!"
"For a couple of days, whenever she came to our practices I got so crackly-voiced that I couldn't
stand to sing!"
Izzy found himself busting up with laughter at the mental image Matt just gave him. Sora
happened by at that point, puzzled as to why Izzy was howling with laughter.
"Last time I checked Izzy wasn't prone to spontaneous fits of laughter, Matt. What'd you tell him
about?" she asked as she set milk down for the both of them.
Matt bit his lip and tried to stall as Izzy recovered from his laughing fit, not knowing that Sora was
already aware of Mimi's plans. Finally, Izzy looked up and caught his breath.
"Matt was just trying to help me out with something with Mimi is all, Sora." he said, wiping tears
away from his eyes that had come out while he was laughing.
"I see...care to fill me in on the details?"
"I'll let Matt tell you later. For now let's eat. I'm starving!"
"By the way, did you know you have a bit of a cowlick right over there, Izzy?"
"It's all part of the story, babe. Trust me." Matt said, patting her on the shoulder. Tai and Yuki
joined them a moment later, and lunch got down to business as usual.
***************************************************
"She what?!" Matt cried. He was walking the halls talking with Sora about Izzy and Mimi, and
Sora had just spilled the beans about Mimi's plans for him.
"That was my first reaction. Now try telling her why it's a bad idea. You know how she is, Matt.
Once Mimi gets an idea in her head she follows through on it, and she's pretty certain about it for
that matter." Sora told him. "But she seems certain that she loves him, and far be it from me, the
one entrusted with the Crest of Love, to get in their way you know?"
"It's not Mimi that I'm worried about, Sora, it's Izzy."
Sora stopped and looked at Matt, curiosity in her eyes.
"You lost me there." she said, leaning against the wall. Matt spun to look at her.
"The poor guy is all tied up in knots over it. I know a couple others like him, they're a bit on the
old fashioned side of things. I have no doubt that Mimi's intentions are good, nor do I doubt the
possibility that she may even love him, but I can't help but wonder if Izzy is ready for something
like that, no matter how much he may love her back."
"One of those others that you know that are like him wouldn't happen to be you, now would it?"
Sora asked, half-smiling at him. "Oh what the rest of the world doesn't know, that 'Mr. Coolest
Dude in the Universe' is really anything but around his girl."
"Yeah, yeah, pick on me some more about it." Matt said, partially annoyed. "The bottom line is, I
know what Izzy's going through right now. After you and I...you know, did it for the first time Sora,
I dwelled on it for days on end, worrying about what it meant and all. Izzy's about a hundred
times worse than me. Compounded with all the other problems that we know run through his
head constantly, I just hope he doesn't crack from it all."
"See, I don't see it that way at all Matt. Izzy is a lot like you were, granted. And he's always been
really quiet and introverted for that matter. But he needs to come out of that shell sometime. He
needs to become a part of the world. He's already taken some big steps for that matter. He's not
eating in the computer room anymore, he's paying more attention to how he looks, and he's
become a lot more sociable. I don't think he'll 'crack' at all, Matt. If anything, I'd say this might be
just what Izzy needs."
"For his sake, I hope that's the case."
"Wasn't it with you?" Sora asked as she slid an arm around his waist. "Or do I need to maybe
refresh you memory one of these weekends when either of our parents are out of town?"
"Hmm...gee, I dunno. I can't seem to remember that well. Maybe you will need to remind me."
Matt said, playing dumb all of a sudden. Sora gaped at him indignantly and began to tickle him
right there. Matt reacted quickly and ran off towards his next class, with Sora in hot pursuit.
*****************************************************************
School had ended, and all of the Digidestined that could make it were hanging out at the park
near the apartment complex after having changed out of their school uniforms. With a long
weekend ahead of them, the gang decided to kick things off right by just cutting loose and
relaxing.
"Hey, aren't we missing someone?" Cody remarked as he swung on a swing. He looked around
and was pretty sure someone was missing.
"Yeah, where's Izzy?" Ken asked, taking a moment to look around himself.
"I wouldn't worry too much about him, Ken. He'll get here when he gets here." Matt said as he
relaxed, laying in Sora's lap.
"Which will be whenever Mimi decides to let him get here." Sora added to him quietly. No sooner
did she say that than Izzy and Mimi showed up, hand in hand.
"Sorry we're a little late! I got a little lost." Mimi said as she began to greet everyone.
"Whoa, so the rumors going around the school are true after all!" Davis said, spotting the couple.
"You did get a girlfriend after all, Izzy!"
"Rumors?" Izzy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A whole mess of people saw you go home with a girl who kissed you on the way. You should've
heard some of the ones that went around!" Yolei told him. "Now we know it was just you and
Mimi."
"All of that because I have a girlfriend now? I'm not that much of a basket case, am I?" Izzy
asked as he scratched his head. Most everyone else just laughed at the comment and made
their way over to greet the couple. Mimi was the only one who didn't laugh, however. Something
that Izzy said had caught her attention.
'...I'm his girlfriend now? He truly considers me his girlfriend?' she thought for a moment. Even
with all the commotion around her, Mimi closed her eyes and concentrated on the perfectly warm
feeling she had inside, hearing Izzy call her his girlfriend. If it were any other time, she might
have started crying she was so happy, but surrounded by the rest of their friends she shook off
that urge and opened her eyes again, starting to talk to all of them in turn.
As the sun set, everyone gathered around in a circle, trading stories and jokes for a while. Then
Matt stood up and stretched a bit.
"Hang on guys, I'll be right back." he said, heading back for his place. He returned a few minutes
later, his acoustic guitar in hand. A round of cheers and applause rose from the group.
"Thought I'd do a couple for everyone here. This first one I've been working on a bit. It's in
English, and I know mine isn't great, but I think you'll all like it." he said. He looked over at Izzy
and Mimi, who were sitting together as well, Mimi in front of Izzy with Izzy's arms around her
waist hugging her from behind. "And I think it's particularly significant for two of you, but I'll let
you figure that out on your own. So here goes."
He began to strum the guitar's strings and closed his eyes as the melody came to him, recalling
the Eric Clapton song and trying to emulate it as best he could.
~o/
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong
And carry on
'Cos I know I don't belong
Here in heaven
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven
I'll find my way through night and day
'Cos I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven
Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart
Have you begging please
Begging please
Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure
And I know
There'll be no more
Tears in heaven
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong and carry on
'Cos I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
/o~
As the song played, Izzy and Mimi caught the lyrics and quickly understood what Matt was
singing about. Mimi turned herself a bit and looked up at Izzy as they listened. Izzy gazed into
her eyes and stroked her hair gently. Though they didn't say a word, they seemed to know what
each other was thinking.
'We only have a few days left together...it'll be hard being apart like that...but I'll be strong, I have
to be...this was meant to be, I know it...'
Matt finished the song with a flourish and a bow as the applause came. He looked up and smiled
to everyone, his eyes gazing over to Izzy and Mimi who were now lost in a kiss that he knew
must've been inspired by his song.
'They got the message. That's all I wanted.' he thought as he sat back down. "Okay, folks, let's
pick something a little more upbeat!"
Matt sang a couple more songs, a bit more uplifting than the first one was. As the sun set, people
eventually started getting tired and cold and the group parted ways for the night. Izzy walked with
Mimi back towards the train station, her hand firmly in his.
"Matt's singing was nice..." Izzy said, not looking at Mimi.
"Yeah. I guess we have something we can call our song now, huh?" Mimi replied.
"It certainly sums up a lot of what I've felt in the past...and some of what I'm feeling now."
"Izzy, can we stop and talk for a second? Please?"
Izzy stopped and looked over at Mimi, who looked to be doing her best to contain her emotions.
He took both of her hands in his, trying to keep them warm as he looked at her.
"Izzy...did you mean what you said when we first got there? About me...being your girlfriend?"
Mimi asked, slowly looking at him. Her eyes met his, and she could see the emotions he was
trying to express in words in them.
"Yes, Mimi...I did mean them. I don't say things I don't mean, after all." Izzy told her in an even
toned voice.
Mimi closed her eyes again, this time the tears spilling forth.
"You don't know how happy that makes me to hear..." she said, her voice trembling. She felt his
hand reach up, trying to brush away the tears a bit, and she leaned her face into his one hand a
little. "After everything with Michael, I felt broken inside. Like something had died and, for a time
I thought, might never come back. You brought that...me, that is, back to life Izzy. I just can't
deny my feelings anymore, it's so overwhelming."
"I know, Mimi." Izzy said softly as he caressed her cheek gently. "I thought for a long time I'd
never feel like this. That no one ever could feel like this for me. But you've awoken all that and
more in me, and as scared as I am I can only sum it up in these words."
Mimi opened her eyes again, focusing her vision through her tears on him.
"I love you, Mimi Tachikawa..."
"And I love you too, Koushiro Izumi..."
The couple shared another kiss, though this one was ten times more meaningful than any kiss
they'd had so far. It was the affirmation of their love that was the last piece of the puzzle for Mimi.
Whatever doubts had lingered in her mind were now totally destroyed. Izzy was her love, and
although they would have to part ways come Sunday, Saturday would be theirs and theirs alone.
was standing outside the school gates, apparently waiting for someone. Mimi was dressed in a
dark blue t-shirt and jean shorts with tennis shoes. She had figured that she wasn't dressed
specially or anything, but nonetheless she was attracting several stray gazes. She hoped Izzy
would show up soon, as she could begin to see a group of boys heading her way wanting to talk
to her. Just before they got into talking range, Izzy popped around the corner. Her expression lit
up immediately.
"Sorry, Ken needed to get some of my old history notes and I couldn't find the file right away." he
said.
"No apologies necessary! All ready?" she asked.
"Absolutely!"
The two of them began to walk along, and Mimi could still feel the stares of the other boys around
on the both of them. She smiled to herself and decided to give them all something to talk about.
She jumped ahead of Izzy quickly and stopped, looking him over consideringly.
"Is, um, something wrong Mimi?" Izzy asked, as he began to pick up on the attention they were
getting.
"Hmm...yeah, I think you're missing something actually." she said as she stepped up to him.
"I am? What?"
Mimi smiled and stepped right up to him, draping her arms around his neck.
"This." she said just before kissing him. Izzy felt instinct kick in and kissed her back, his hands
going to her sides, but not moving from there. They broke the kiss a moment later, and she took
his hand. "There. Now you're ready to go."
Izzy looked around a moment and saw the stunned looks on everyone's faces and smiled.
Scenes like this usually only happened in the movies, but he didn't care. He walked off hand in
hand with Mimi, leaving everyone stunned and talking about the spectacle.
*********************************************
Izzy was a regular at the particular game center they stopped at, and he did his best to introduce
a few of his gaming friends to Mimi. The game of the day was Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Izzy took
a seat as soon as his turn came up. Mimi stood behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders
as she watched. She fancied herself as his "good luck charm" just like as if her were gambling,
and watched as Izzy played. You could pick teams of 3, but Izzy only ever chose one character:
Iori Yagami. And he was good with him. Very good.
Ten games later, Izzy was still winning and Mimi was more or less his own personal cheerleader.
She never thought she could get that much into a video game, but honestly watching him fight
was exciting and fun to her. Especially when he pulled off his special moves. Izzy noted the time
just then and figured it was time to go, so he purposefully lost his next match.
The two said their goodbyes and headed out of the game center, continuing on to Izzy's home.
As they walked, Mimi perked her ears up like she heard something in the distance.
"Did you hear a rumble?" she asked.
"I don't think so, although it is pretty cloudy." Izzy said, looking at the sky. Just then, there was
another rumble from the sky, confirming their suspicions.
"How far are we from you home?" Mimi asked.
"A couple more blocks." Izzy said. "Never to fear, though, dear lady! I come prepared!"
Izzy reached into his bag and produced a compact umbrella, which he quickly unfolded. They
could both feel droplets of rain beginning to fall, so Izzy put it up. It wasn't a terribly big umbrella,
but if they huddled close they could both more or less stay dry. Neither of them could complain
about it for that matter, as sharing an umbrella was often a symbol of intimacy between a man
and woman in Japan.
They reached Izzy's home a short while later. Izzy was far more wet than Mimi was, which Mimi
felt a little conscious about.
"You should've used more of the umbrella! You'll catch a cold or something!" she said in a
worried tone.
"Nah, I'm fine. I'll just dry off and change clothes quickly. C'mon in, they're all expecting you."
Izzy said as he opened the door. Sure enough, Mr. and Mrs. Izumi greeted Mimi as she entered
and quickly made her feel at home as Izzy headed to his room and changed into a green t-shirt
and a pair of black shorts. Dinner was Mrs. Izumi's now famous pineapple pizza, which at first
some of the other kids had been hesitant about, but was now a favorite of anyone who visited
Izzy's place. They all talked over dinner and caught up on times passed, and Mimi fielded
questions about America that she was more than happy to answer for them.
"Well, it's about time for us to turn in." Mr. Izumi announced. The clock only read 8:00 PM, but as
Izzy said, his parents were notorious for turning in early. "Izzy, I'll trust you to see this fine young
lady home and all."
"I've got it covered dad, no problems." Izzy said as a crack of thunder echoed in the background.
The rain outside had gotten a bit worse since they'd gotten home, and was now a full on storm.
"Well it was pleasant seeing you again, Mimi. I hope your travels bring you back here again
sometime." Mrs. Izumi said, bowing to her.
"Thank you very much for the hospitality. I really appreciate it." Mimi said, bowing in return.
Izzy's parents then turned in for the night, leaving the two of them to their own devices.
"Wanna catch a movie?" Izzy asked as he crouched by their tape collection.
"Sure, I'll let you pick." Mimi said as she sat on the couch. Izzy picked out his copy of the original
Star Wars. Nothing special, but at least it was something they could relax and watch together.
After putting it in the VCR and turning it on, he took a seat next to Mimi on the couch. Mimi was
quick to lean against him, and Izzy put an arm around her as they sat and watched the movie.
Everything was going along fine, until a particularly loud crash of thunder jolted them, and also
sent the power out.
"Oh great. So much for movie night." Izzy said, rolling his eyes.
"Got any candles or anything?" Mimi asked.
"Yeah, stay here and I'll find 'em." Izzy told her as he extracted himself from the couch. He felt
his way around the apartment and found their set of emergency candles, lighting a couple and
setting them on the coffee table in front of the couch for light. "You'd better call you folks and let
them know we're kinda stuck here for now. No way am I going to take you out in this storm."
Mimi nodded and grabbed the phone quickly, calling the hotel and asking for her room number.
"Hi, mom? Yeah, I'm at Izzy's right now. The storm just got real bad, and the power's out. We're
fine, but I'm going to stay here a while until things die down a little. At the worst, I'll just stay the
night here and see you in the morning tomorrow. Okay? Love ya, bye!"
Mimi put the phone back down and returned to the couch where Izzy sat, leaning back against
one of the arms. She sat opposite him, leaning against the other arm.
"So what's on your mind?" she asked.
"Just idly wondering." he said. "I used to think that things like this couldn't happen to guys like
me."
"Things like what?"
"You know, finding someone like you and falling for them and all. I thought love was a luxury I'd
never be able to afford."
'Did he/I just say 'love'...?' the both of them thought simultaneously. Both of them, suddenly a bit
more nervous, sat up and looked at each other.
"You shouldn't think things like that, Izzy. After all, love has a way of finding you..." Mimi said as
she found herself inching closer to him.
"I wouldn't know. I've never been in love before." Izzy told her, likewise moving closer to her.
"Truth be told, neither have I." Mimi told him with a smile. "But I'm pretty sure it goes something
like this."
The two of them started to kiss, their kisses quickly turning deeper as their tongues met. Their
hands met and locked together, their fingers interweaving with each other. Izzy managed to
break off the kiss for a moment.
"You sure we're not moving too fast on all of this?" he asked.
"I don't care, just kiss me..." Mimi said breathlessly. She returned to kissing him, pushing him
back a bit.
Izzy let himself be pushed back, until he was stretched out on the couch. Mimi laid herself down
on top of him, her hands roaming up to his hair, running through it and stroking it as she kissed
him. Izzy's hands ran all up and down her back, and even to her rear. The storm continued to
rage on outside as the two made out on the couch, oblivious to it all.
'This is so intense...and I can't stop! I don't want to stop! Do I think I love Mimi? If I do...' Izzy
thought as he lost himself in the moment.
'This feels so right, and so good...who cares if this is considered 'going too fast', I've fallen head
over heels for him.' Mimi thought. 'Time, then, to step things up even further. I just hope he
doesn't freak out too much this time.'
Mimi pushed herself up slightly, creating some space between the two of them, though she
continued to kiss him. She slid her right hand down his left arm to the wrist again and slowly
dragged it up her side. To her delight, he didn't try to struggle against her. She led his hand
higher and higher, eventually sliding it under her to cup her breast. Her heart began to race, and
she groaned a bit more audibly at the contact. Izzy felt the blood rush to his face, realizing what
she was having him do. He held her a little closer with his right arm as he explored her breast
with his left hand, fondling it gently. He felt her nipple begin to respond to his work through her
clothing and let his fingers play over it gently a bit before returning to his main work.
"Ahhh...Kou-chan..." Mimi moaned as she broke the kiss for a moment. The sensations that were
filling her now were almost overwhelming. It was taking what little restraint she had left to not
follow through with her ultimate plans right then and there. But the timing and location was totally
wrong, and there was the danger that Izzy's parents would wake up and catch them, and that
thought alone was enough.
"Is it too much, Mimi-chan?" Izzy asked quietly, suddenly a bit worried.
"No...kami-sama no...keep doing that, please...!" Mimi told him, closing her eyes. Izzy complied
and continued with his ministrations as they intermittently kissed again and again. It all went on
for what seemed like an eternity, until the both of them slowed down and stopped, both bordering
on exhaustion. Mimi rested her head on his chest as she worked to catch her breath.
"Did you mean what you said before, Kou-chan?" she asked. "Do you...love me?"
"I...believe me, for a long time I tried to convince myself that it could never happen to me. But
after all we've been through, and all the things we've shared up to now...well, let me put it this
way." Izzy said. He lifted his head to look down at her as she looked up at him. Her eyes
entrancing him yet again, as they always seemed to do. "If I'm not in love with you already, Mimi,
I'm at least falling in love with you."
"Kou-chan...that's funny, because I'm feeling the same about you..." she said, smiling up at him.
Izzy could see a couple of tears forming in her eyes and wiped them away for her. "Oh, don't
worry. They're 'happy tears', not sad ones. Believe me, these are tears I don't mind shedding."
"If I had my way, they'd be the only kind of tears you'd ever shed, Mimi-chan."
Mimi smiled and scooted up a bit, kissing him again gently. She then backed off of him and sat
up. Izzy went to sit up as well, though he found he had to move a little slower than normal.
"You okay?" Mimi asked, seeing his trouble sitting up.
"Yeah, just fine. Just...er, um...it's kinda embarrassing, but let's just say other parts of me are,
um, hindering me from sitting up right away." Izzy said, blushing profusely. Mimi had to stifle a
chuckle as she quickly figured out what he meant. Izzy looked out to see the storm raging away
relentlessly outside his door. "That storm isn't going to let up, you'd better spend the night here."
"Okay, how should we handle this?"
"Well, if it were anyone else I'd say you could have the couch and the spare pillow and blanket we
keep for such occasions. However, since it's you, I know just what to do."
Izzy stood up and headed over to the closet, grabbing the spare pillow and blanket and sitting
back down on the couch.
"I'll take the couch. You can have my room." he said.
"Izzy! I can't do that!" Mimi said, her brow furrowing a bit.
"I insist, Mimi. No way would I think of making you sleep out here, and my folks certainly wouldn't
react well to finding us together for that matter."
"But Kou-chan...!"
"But nothing, Mimi. This is my choice."
"Oh, alright then."
Mimi got up from the couch, letting Izzy stretch out on it. She knelt by his head as he settled in,
stroking his hair gently. Izzy was already pretty tired, and the gentle feeling of her hand running
through his hair was quickly putting him to sleep.
"I'll be fine, Mimi. G'night, sleep well." he said, beginning to drift off already. Mimi nodded, but
stayed with him for a moment as he began to fall asleep. Once she was satisfied that he was
more or less asleep, she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, only to whisper in his ear
before she left to head to bed.
"When it's my choice, Kou-chan, we will be sharing that bed. I promise..."
******************************************************
A bright light awoke Mimi from her sleep. She grumbled as she rolled over a bit, looking at the
clock. The time read 8:30. She took a deep breath and got her bearings, remembering all of a
sudden that she was still at Izzy's home. She hopped out of bed and quickly made the bed as
well, and then turned to check herself out in the mirror. She'd slept in her clothes, and her hair
was a bit of a mess, so she looked less than spectacular in her own estimation. Quietly, she
peeked her head out from Izzy's room only to discover that she was alone. A note sat on the
kitchen table to her, which she unfolded and read as she sat down.
Mimi,
Sorry I won't be around when you wake up, but I do have school today. No worries,
though, I'll be available after school as usual. Feel free to have something
for breakfast before you head out. My home is your home as far as I'm concerned. Also,
don't forget that tomorrow starts a long weekend for me. Maybe we'll
have to think of something to do tomorrow.
If you could, please, lock up after you leave I'd appreciate it. The key is hidden behind
our apartment number, you'll find it. Take care, and I'll see you later today!
Love, Izzy
Mimi folded the note back up and pocketed it, and then turned to the refrigerator for some food.
Not wanting to impose too greatly, she found some orange juice and bread and butter. A few
minutes later she was munching on a piece of buttered toast with a glass of orange juice to wash
it down. As she ate her small breakfast, she played through the events of the past few days in
her mind.
'Well, so far everything's gone according to plan. Judging by Izzy's reactions to what we've been
doing, especially last night, I'd say the idea has to at least to be passing through his mind by
now.'
Mimi closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, recalling the previous night's activity.
'I've never felt like that ever before. Granted I needed to coach him a bit to let him know it was
okay, but once he got started...I can still imagine he's holding me right now. Oh, with as good
and as right as this all feels, how could this possibly be rushing things? Every day I'm with him I
become more and more convinced that I love him. And this is what people in love do to express
that love to each other.'
Finishing her breakfast, Mimi placed her dishes in the sink in the kitchen and left the apartment,
locking it with the key she found just where Izzy said it would be and then replacing the key
carefully. She continued to think to herself as she left the apartment complex on her way back to
the hotel.
'My Kou-chan, you've given and given to me without end, and you still expect nothing in return.
Well just you wait. In three days' time, you'll get everything and more that has been due to you, I
guarantee it.'
****************************************************************
Matt set the two trays he was carrying down at the lunch table carefully. It was a balancing act
that at times was still tricky, though he'd had plenty of practice ever since he and Sora had gotten
together. His eyes scanned across the lunchroom as he sat down, finally focusing on Sora after
a moment. She was still in line trying to get them drinks. She waved back to him when she
noticed his gaze, and Matt just smiled.
'Yamato Ishida, you are one lucky guy.' he thought to himself. Turning his attention back to the
table, he then noticed the only other person sitting there at the time. Izzy sat in front of his
untouched food, a blank stare on his face. Part of his hair was bunched up in a cowlick on the
right side of his head, for that matter. Matt leaned across the table a bit, inspecting his friend.
"Izzy? You in there? Hellloooo?" he said as he waved his hand in front of Izzy's face. Izzy didn't
even so much as blink. Matt stepped up his efforts. "Earth to Izzy! You're at school! And your
food's getting cold!" Still no response. Matt got up and walked around to the other side of the
table and leaned down close to Izzy's ear. He took in a deep breath and...
"IZZY!!!!"
"WAAAAA!" Izzy yelled as he snapped back to reality. He looked to his right to see Matt
returning to his seat. There was a slight ringing in his ear fro Matt's yelling, but otherwise he was
okay.
"Thank God! For a second there I thought you might actually be asleep."
"Sorry about that. Last night was a little difficult. I had to sleep on my couch."
"Why'd you have to do that?"
"Because Mimi ended up spending the night. We were just going to have dinner with my folks
and watch a movie, but that storm was so bad last night I couldn't send her back out into it. So I
let her have my bed and I slept on the couch. I've got a stiff neck and a bit of sleep deprivation to
show for it."
"Not to mention a bad hair day." Matt said, motioning to Izzy's hair with his fork. Izzy's hand
reached up to the side of his head and felt the cowlick. He sighed and rolled his eyes, disgusted
with himself.
"Still, all in all it wasn't a bad night." Izzy said, finally starting to pick at his food. Matt looked up at
him, intrigued by Izzy's story.
"Oh? I take it things have been going well between you two?" he asked as he considered his
hamburger for a second, wondering if it really was meat.
"To say the least."
"Anything you wanna talk about?"
"Well..."
"I understand if you're hesitant, Izzy."
"No, I need to talk to someone sooner or later. Just do yourself a favor and set your food aside
for a bit."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to end up wearing it when you overreact to what I'm going to tell you."
For the next few minutes, Izzy told Matt most of what had happened over the past few days
between him and Mimi, though he stopped short of getting too graphic in his descriptions. By the
end of it, Matt's eyes were practically the size of golf balls.
"You two have gone *that* far since she got here?" Matt asked as Izzy finished his story.
"I can't shake the feeling that she's trying to tell me something, though I'm so horribly
inexperienced at all of this I've ended up more confused than anything else." Izzy said, his eyes
shifting downward a bit.
"Izzy, the message is pretty clear to me: she wants you, and bad!"
"Wants me? You don't mean..."
Matt's slow nod confirmed the thoughts that had only just that day begun to race through Izzy's
head. Izzy's face instantly turned beet red as he hung his head, looking straight down at his food.
"Look, I know I'm not privy to the particulars of how, or even why things have gotten to the point
they have between the two of you, Izzy. For that matter, I don't want to pry them out of you
either. What I will tell you is that it's obvious she cares very deeply for you, and she's trying to
express that caring for you physically instead of just in words."
"I-I'm no good at...you know, physical stuff..."
"Neither was I to start out, Izzy."
"Now there's a statement I find hard to believe."
"It's the truth! When Sora and I first started going out seriously, I suddenly turned into the
clumsiest guy around. It was all so awkward, feeling that way for the first time and all, it even
came through in my music."
"You're kidding!"
"For a couple of days, whenever she came to our practices I got so crackly-voiced that I couldn't
stand to sing!"
Izzy found himself busting up with laughter at the mental image Matt just gave him. Sora
happened by at that point, puzzled as to why Izzy was howling with laughter.
"Last time I checked Izzy wasn't prone to spontaneous fits of laughter, Matt. What'd you tell him
about?" she asked as she set milk down for the both of them.
Matt bit his lip and tried to stall as Izzy recovered from his laughing fit, not knowing that Sora was
already aware of Mimi's plans. Finally, Izzy looked up and caught his breath.
"Matt was just trying to help me out with something with Mimi is all, Sora." he said, wiping tears
away from his eyes that had come out while he was laughing.
"I see...care to fill me in on the details?"
"I'll let Matt tell you later. For now let's eat. I'm starving!"
"By the way, did you know you have a bit of a cowlick right over there, Izzy?"
"It's all part of the story, babe. Trust me." Matt said, patting her on the shoulder. Tai and Yuki
joined them a moment later, and lunch got down to business as usual.
***************************************************
"She what?!" Matt cried. He was walking the halls talking with Sora about Izzy and Mimi, and
Sora had just spilled the beans about Mimi's plans for him.
"That was my first reaction. Now try telling her why it's a bad idea. You know how she is, Matt.
Once Mimi gets an idea in her head she follows through on it, and she's pretty certain about it for
that matter." Sora told him. "But she seems certain that she loves him, and far be it from me, the
one entrusted with the Crest of Love, to get in their way you know?"
"It's not Mimi that I'm worried about, Sora, it's Izzy."
Sora stopped and looked at Matt, curiosity in her eyes.
"You lost me there." she said, leaning against the wall. Matt spun to look at her.
"The poor guy is all tied up in knots over it. I know a couple others like him, they're a bit on the
old fashioned side of things. I have no doubt that Mimi's intentions are good, nor do I doubt the
possibility that she may even love him, but I can't help but wonder if Izzy is ready for something
like that, no matter how much he may love her back."
"One of those others that you know that are like him wouldn't happen to be you, now would it?"
Sora asked, half-smiling at him. "Oh what the rest of the world doesn't know, that 'Mr. Coolest
Dude in the Universe' is really anything but around his girl."
"Yeah, yeah, pick on me some more about it." Matt said, partially annoyed. "The bottom line is, I
know what Izzy's going through right now. After you and I...you know, did it for the first time Sora,
I dwelled on it for days on end, worrying about what it meant and all. Izzy's about a hundred
times worse than me. Compounded with all the other problems that we know run through his
head constantly, I just hope he doesn't crack from it all."
"See, I don't see it that way at all Matt. Izzy is a lot like you were, granted. And he's always been
really quiet and introverted for that matter. But he needs to come out of that shell sometime. He
needs to become a part of the world. He's already taken some big steps for that matter. He's not
eating in the computer room anymore, he's paying more attention to how he looks, and he's
become a lot more sociable. I don't think he'll 'crack' at all, Matt. If anything, I'd say this might be
just what Izzy needs."
"For his sake, I hope that's the case."
"Wasn't it with you?" Sora asked as she slid an arm around his waist. "Or do I need to maybe
refresh you memory one of these weekends when either of our parents are out of town?"
"Hmm...gee, I dunno. I can't seem to remember that well. Maybe you will need to remind me."
Matt said, playing dumb all of a sudden. Sora gaped at him indignantly and began to tickle him
right there. Matt reacted quickly and ran off towards his next class, with Sora in hot pursuit.
*****************************************************************
School had ended, and all of the Digidestined that could make it were hanging out at the park
near the apartment complex after having changed out of their school uniforms. With a long
weekend ahead of them, the gang decided to kick things off right by just cutting loose and
relaxing.
"Hey, aren't we missing someone?" Cody remarked as he swung on a swing. He looked around
and was pretty sure someone was missing.
"Yeah, where's Izzy?" Ken asked, taking a moment to look around himself.
"I wouldn't worry too much about him, Ken. He'll get here when he gets here." Matt said as he
relaxed, laying in Sora's lap.
"Which will be whenever Mimi decides to let him get here." Sora added to him quietly. No sooner
did she say that than Izzy and Mimi showed up, hand in hand.
"Sorry we're a little late! I got a little lost." Mimi said as she began to greet everyone.
"Whoa, so the rumors going around the school are true after all!" Davis said, spotting the couple.
"You did get a girlfriend after all, Izzy!"
"Rumors?" Izzy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A whole mess of people saw you go home with a girl who kissed you on the way. You should've
heard some of the ones that went around!" Yolei told him. "Now we know it was just you and
Mimi."
"All of that because I have a girlfriend now? I'm not that much of a basket case, am I?" Izzy
asked as he scratched his head. Most everyone else just laughed at the comment and made
their way over to greet the couple. Mimi was the only one who didn't laugh, however. Something
that Izzy said had caught her attention.
'...I'm his girlfriend now? He truly considers me his girlfriend?' she thought for a moment. Even
with all the commotion around her, Mimi closed her eyes and concentrated on the perfectly warm
feeling she had inside, hearing Izzy call her his girlfriend. If it were any other time, she might
have started crying she was so happy, but surrounded by the rest of their friends she shook off
that urge and opened her eyes again, starting to talk to all of them in turn.
As the sun set, everyone gathered around in a circle, trading stories and jokes for a while. Then
Matt stood up and stretched a bit.
"Hang on guys, I'll be right back." he said, heading back for his place. He returned a few minutes
later, his acoustic guitar in hand. A round of cheers and applause rose from the group.
"Thought I'd do a couple for everyone here. This first one I've been working on a bit. It's in
English, and I know mine isn't great, but I think you'll all like it." he said. He looked over at Izzy
and Mimi, who were sitting together as well, Mimi in front of Izzy with Izzy's arms around her
waist hugging her from behind. "And I think it's particularly significant for two of you, but I'll let
you figure that out on your own. So here goes."
He began to strum the guitar's strings and closed his eyes as the melody came to him, recalling
the Eric Clapton song and trying to emulate it as best he could.
~o/
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong
And carry on
'Cos I know I don't belong
Here in heaven
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven
I'll find my way through night and day
'Cos I know I just can't stay
Here in heaven
Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart
Have you begging please
Begging please
Beyond the door
There's peace I'm sure
And I know
There'll be no more
Tears in heaven
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong and carry on
'Cos I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.
/o~
As the song played, Izzy and Mimi caught the lyrics and quickly understood what Matt was
singing about. Mimi turned herself a bit and looked up at Izzy as they listened. Izzy gazed into
her eyes and stroked her hair gently. Though they didn't say a word, they seemed to know what
each other was thinking.
'We only have a few days left together...it'll be hard being apart like that...but I'll be strong, I have
to be...this was meant to be, I know it...'
Matt finished the song with a flourish and a bow as the applause came. He looked up and smiled
to everyone, his eyes gazing over to Izzy and Mimi who were now lost in a kiss that he knew
must've been inspired by his song.
'They got the message. That's all I wanted.' he thought as he sat back down. "Okay, folks, let's
pick something a little more upbeat!"
Matt sang a couple more songs, a bit more uplifting than the first one was. As the sun set, people
eventually started getting tired and cold and the group parted ways for the night. Izzy walked with
Mimi back towards the train station, her hand firmly in his.
"Matt's singing was nice..." Izzy said, not looking at Mimi.
"Yeah. I guess we have something we can call our song now, huh?" Mimi replied.
"It certainly sums up a lot of what I've felt in the past...and some of what I'm feeling now."
"Izzy, can we stop and talk for a second? Please?"
Izzy stopped and looked over at Mimi, who looked to be doing her best to contain her emotions.
He took both of her hands in his, trying to keep them warm as he looked at her.
"Izzy...did you mean what you said when we first got there? About me...being your girlfriend?"
Mimi asked, slowly looking at him. Her eyes met his, and she could see the emotions he was
trying to express in words in them.
"Yes, Mimi...I did mean them. I don't say things I don't mean, after all." Izzy told her in an even
toned voice.
Mimi closed her eyes again, this time the tears spilling forth.
"You don't know how happy that makes me to hear..." she said, her voice trembling. She felt his
hand reach up, trying to brush away the tears a bit, and she leaned her face into his one hand a
little. "After everything with Michael, I felt broken inside. Like something had died and, for a time
I thought, might never come back. You brought that...me, that is, back to life Izzy. I just can't
deny my feelings anymore, it's so overwhelming."
"I know, Mimi." Izzy said softly as he caressed her cheek gently. "I thought for a long time I'd
never feel like this. That no one ever could feel like this for me. But you've awoken all that and
more in me, and as scared as I am I can only sum it up in these words."
Mimi opened her eyes again, focusing her vision through her tears on him.
"I love you, Mimi Tachikawa..."
"And I love you too, Koushiro Izumi..."
The couple shared another kiss, though this one was ten times more meaningful than any kiss
they'd had so far. It was the affirmation of their love that was the last piece of the puzzle for Mimi.
Whatever doubts had lingered in her mind were now totally destroyed. Izzy was her love, and
although they would have to part ways come Sunday, Saturday would be theirs and theirs alone.