Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: One more chapter to go!
My Best Friend's Girlfriend
Chapter 34: The Crest of Sincerity
Mimi Tachikawa
Mimi's heart almost burst out of her chest, and she felt an icy shiver race down her spine. She had been more than ready to tell Matt about her feelings for him, after Sora's enthusiastic pep talk, but now, all of a sudden, she was starting to have second thoughts.
Tai, you idiot! I know you're trying to help me, but this isn't exactly how my conversation with Matt was supposed to go! Now what am I going to do?
"Mimi, Tai never told me your secret because he wants you to tell me what it is. You aren't going to let him down, are you?"
"I can't!" she cried desperately, jerking out of his arms and covering her face with her hands. She peeked through her fingers and blushed when she realized he was staring back at her. "Matt..."
Matt raised his golden eyebrows and gazed calmly into her eyes. "Why not?"
"Because you'll laugh at me!"
Matt frowned at her and slowly shook his head. "Mimi, I would never laugh at you, especially not about something this serious."
"Why not? You've laughed at me before."
"Well, you can be really funny sometimes. What do you expect?"
"You think I'm funny?"
"I meant that as a compliment. It's...nice to have something to laugh about once in a while."
Mimi stared at him in confusion and let out a gasp when she suddenly realized what he was trying to say. She, of all people, was one of those rare human beings who could bring a genuine smile to his face.
"Matt...I..."
Matt gently placed his fingers under her chin, and for the life of her she could not remember what she had been about to say. The touch of his skin sent another shiver racing down her spine, but this one was nothing at all like the first one. This one was a lot more...pleasant.
I wonder what he's thinking. It's so hard to tell sometimes. Is there a chance he might be willing to change his mind about that other girl he's in love with?
Matt suddenly leaned close to her, and she blushed as his lips brushed lightly against her ear. "Are you going to tell me or not? I can be very persuasive, you know."
Mimi lowered her eyes to the ground and realized her hands were trembling. She did not doubt him for a second.
He's being unusually...friendly today. Is there a chance he might have feelings for me after all?
She gazed into his sapphire eyes for a moment and frowned at the cool expression on his face. The look in his eyes gave no indication as to what he was thinking at the moment, and the ease with which he held himself sent her brain into overdrive. He looked like he could care less what the answer to his question might be, but for some unexplained reason she knew his easygoing attitude was nothing but an act to cover up how he was really feeling. Matt was not the type of person who could just reach out to everyone around him and treat them as if they were good friends. In order to receive a hug, a smile, a pat on the back, or some other gesture of affection you had to be extremely close to him because he did not give out those kinds of gestures as if they were a free gift with no purchase. He was normally a very private person, and that was why she was so surprised by his sudden interest in her. He had willingly reached out to her several times now, and that was definitely not something to be taken lightly.
He obviously trusts me, but that doesn't mean he has feelings for me, too. I have no idea what's going to happen anymore. Maybe I'm just imagining things...
It was not as if Matt did not want to reach out to other people. She knew he desperately did, but most of the time he was afraid of looking foolish or being rejected.
And yet he did not hesitate to pull me into his arms and give me a hug. Oh, Matt, your heart is made of pure gold. If only you could see how much all of us Digidestined want to carry a small part of it with us.
"Mimi, I'm not leaving this room until you tell me what your secret is."
"I will, but first you have to tell me who you're in love with," she blurted out before she could stop herself.
To her complete surprise, Matt's cheeks turned very pale and his sapphire eyes began to grow dark with uncertainty. "How did you-"
"Sora told me you're in love with someone else, but she doesn't have a clue who the lucky girl is. I take it that's one of the reasons you and Sora broke up? At least, that's the impression I got from Sora."
"Yes, we broke up for a lot of reasons, including the fact that she's in love with Tai."
Mimi stared at him in disbelief and smiled slightly. She could not believe how honest he was being. It was a nice change from the way he usually tried to avoid answering any unwanted questions. "Well? Who is she?"
The barest flicker of emotion flashed across his face, but it was quickly hidden by a smirk. "Why should I tell you when you won't tell me who you're in love with?"
Mimi froze and stared at him in horror. But...but...he can't know! Tai only mentioned something about me having a secret. He never said anything about being in love with someone, and Sora couldn't have either because she didn't know at the time. How could this have happened?
Matt crossed his arms and smiled in amusement at the look on her face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she mumbled, blushing furiously. "You think I'm in love with someone? Where did you come up with an idea like that?"
Matt brushed a stray strand of rosy hair off her shoulder, and she let out a squeak of surprise when she suddenly realized how close to one another they were sitting. She could feel his shoulder and thigh pressing against her side, and her pulse started to throb at a pace that left her feeling slightly dizzy. She itched to run her fingers through his golden hair, but somehow she had a feeling he would not appreciate her gesture of affection very much. He could be very unreasonable when it came to his hair. In fact, he was worse than she was.
"From you, of course," Matt snorted, his hand coming to rest lightly on her arm. "Have you forgotten already or have you given up on your new mystery guy? Yolei said the two of you were stalking your new love interest a while ago. Don't you remember?"
At first Mimi had no clue what he was talking about, but then she remembered the story Yolei had come up with to cover up their suspicions about Tai and burst into giggles. "I'm sorry, Matt, but Yolei and I only came up with that story to stop you from finding out the truth about Tai's soccer game. Trust me, there is no mystery guy."
Matt's sapphire eyes narrowed into a frown, and Mimi slipped her arms around him in a comforting hug. "I really am sorry, Matt."
"I know."
I can't believe I thought he knew I was in love with him. Of course he doesn't know. Who would have had a chance to tell him? Tai and Sora definitely didn't, and no one else knows the truth.
She let out a small sigh of relief and pressed her cheek against the musician's heart. She could feel it beating rapidly against her ear, and the sensation made her blush.
Wait a minute. Why's his heart beating as fast as mine is? If I didn't know any better I'd say he was nervous about something, but what in the Digiworld could Matt Ishida, of all people, be nervous about?
"Mimi, you might not have been in love with someone then, but you are now. I can tell just by looking in your eyes. Tai knows, doesn't he, and I bet Sora does, too. That's what your secret is, isn't it? You can't fool me, Mimi. I know, and I don't think it's fair for you to keep me in the dark. How can I help you if you won't even tell me who he is?"
Mimi slowly closed her eyes and held his warm body tightly in her arms. As much as she did not want to tell him about her feelings, it did not look as if she had a choice anymore.
He's going to find out on his own eventually anyway so I might as well tell him and get it over with.
"This guy you love is obviously hurting you. What can I do to make you feel better?"
Mimi gently brushed a lock of golden hair out of his eyes, and he jerked back in surprise at her sudden touch. He tried to pull away from her, but she buried her face against his neck and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace. She could tell he was confused, but after a brief moment of uncertainty she felt him slip his arms around her waist. The warmth of his hands began to travel up and down her spine, and she smiled when he started to run his fingers through her long hair. She pressed her lips against his throbbing pulse, and after several minutes she managed to find her voice. "Matt, do you remember the conversations we used to have over the phone when I was in New York?"
Matt's reaction to her words was instantaneous. She felt him stiffen in her arms, and he squirmed away from her before she could expand on what she had been trying to say. Tears filled her eyes, but she did not bother to brush tham away. Let him see her cry. Maybe then he would finally understand why she felt so helpless.
Why did I ever think I stood a chance with him? In fact, I'm the kind of girl he tends to avoid...
"I remember. I was the one who brought it up in the first place, or have you forgotten already?"
Matt's words were so soft she barely heard them. The sound of his voice made her look up, and she realized the cool expression on his handsome face was no longer in place. Instead his sapphire eyes were burning with emotion, and for the first time since they had started speaking she felt like he was giving her his undivided attention.
"It's me, isn't it. I'm the one you're in love with."
Mimi hung her head and slowly turned away from him. A sob escaped her throat, before she had a chance to hold it back, and she wrapped her arms around herself to stop her body from trembling. "Yes, it's you. I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."
Matt was silent behind her. She held her breath, and after a painful moment of quiet tension she felt him place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Neither did I, Mimi, but it did, and I intend to make the most of it."
"What?"
Mimi spun around to face him, but before she could say anything he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The sudden contact sent a jolt of electricity racing down her spine, and somehow her hands became tangled in his golden hair. She did not remember pulling his head down closer to her mouth, but he did not utter a word of protest so she made the most of her sudden luck. Surprisingly he did not even attempt to complain about the state of his carefully styled tresses. She kissed his soft, warm mouth with her whole heart and soul and felt him kiss her back with equal enthusiasm. She had never thought he would respond to her so willingly, and the intensity of his emotions left her feeling light-headed.
Is this really happening to me?
The sweet taste of his mouth made her forget everything else around her, and she lost herself in the feel of his heart beating against her chest. She was quite content to remain in his arms for at least several more hours, but unfortunately they had to come up for air. Matt gave her one last tender kiss and reluctantly pulled away from her. They stared at each other as if neither one of them could believe what had just happened, and she pressed her fingers against her lips in an effort to convince herself that she was indeed awake and not having the best dream of her life.
"Well, that wasn't exactly the way I planned to tell you, but I guess I can't complain. It certainly got the effect I was hoping for," Matt said dryly, looking amused.
Mimi stared at him in stunned silence and swallowed a lump in her throat. "You...you really love me?"
Matt raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly. "Of course I do. I've loved you ever since you moved to New York and showed me what a truly amazing person you are, only I didn't know that was what my heart was trying to tell me at the time. After all, I loved Sora, too, and I guess I couldn't decide who I wanted to be with, but in the end the choice was clear. You're the one I want to share my happiness with, and if you think about it long enough I'm sure you'll agree. I'm better off with you than I would be with Jun! Really, Mimi, how could I not love you? You're everything I could have ever wanted in a girlfriend and more. Besides, you know what I'm like. I never give away anything unless I know I can trust whoever it is I'm talking to. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"Matt-"
"How long have you been in love with me?"
Mimi felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks, and she quickly turned her face away from him. "The same as you. I've loved you ever since the days I lived in New York. Do you know how much I used to look forward to hearing your voice? Do you know how much it hurt me to hear you talk about how much you loved Sora?"
Matt gently took her hand in his strong grip and kissed her fingers. "Mimi, why didn't you tell me how you felt? The only reason I never said anything was because of my feelings for Sora, but you..."
"I didn't know. I didn't know until...until..."
"The day you ran out on me after I held you in my arms," Matt said quietly. "I remember you hugged me, and then all of a sudden you started acting really strange."
Mimi nodded and managed to smile at him through her tears. "I knew then, and I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. I mean, what could I do? I thought you were madly in love with Sora, and it was killing me inside. Besides, Sora's my best friend. There was no way I was going to hurt her by going after her boyfriend. I told Tai because I knew he would understand. After all, he was going through the exact same thing I was. I almost had a heart attack when Sora told me you were in love with another girl. It...hurt so much. I felt like my last chance to be with you was slipping away, and there was nothing I could do about it. Do you honestly know how much it hurt to think I'd have to endure watching you hug, kiss, and...and love someone who wasn't me?"
"Yes," Matt whispered, his warm breath brushing across her cheek, "because I thought the same thing about you. I was afraid you'd end up dating another idiot like Natsume."
Mimi let out a sob and buried her face against his chest. "Matt, are you insane? Why would you want to date a girl like me? I'm not your type, and you know it. There's no way we can be together. We'll probably just end up driving each other crazy, and then you'll want to break up with-"
"How do you know what my type is?" Matt said sharply, his words startling her into silence. "I dated Sora, and she's the complete opposite of you. Look where that relationship ended up. I'm serious, Mimi. Take Tai for instance. He's my best friend, and he's nothing like me. Does that mean we don't fight and have our disagreements once in a while? Of course not, but even after everything that's happened he's still my best friend, and that's what matters. Don't you see? Our friendship works because we're different, and I know the same thing will apply to my relationship with you."
"But-"
"Look, Mimi, do you want to be my girlfriend or not?"
Mimi answered him in the only way she could. Without a word she threw her arms around him and kissed him like she had never kissed anyone before. At first he did not react, but with a little encouragement he began to respond with an intensity that left her breathless. She had had quite a few boyfriends, but none of them even came close to being as sweet and wonderful as Matt. His kisses were absolutely electric, and they left her feeling weak in the knees. If there was one thing she had learned that day it was the fact that Matt Ishida was the best kisser on the planet. None of the other kisses she had received from previous boyfriends even came close.
After several minutes, Mimi reluctantly pulled away from him and gazed anxiously at his face.
"Well, I guess that answers that question," he said, clearing his throat and struggling to get his breath back.
Mimi smiled at his obvious embarrassment and kissed his smooth cheek. "Actions speak louder than words, Matt."
"No kidding."
"I love you," she whispered, holding him close and running her fingers through his silky, golden hair. "We'll make it work."
Matt's eyes fluttered closed, and he rested his head against her shoulder. "I know. I love you, too."
The look that had been in his eyes was all the proof she needed. She had never seen his sapphire gaze filled with so much emotion before, and the fact that love was the most dominant of his feelings made all the doubts she had experienced worth it. By some miracle she was that girl he was in love with, and no one could ever take that away from her.
"Hey, Matt? Do you think Tai and Sora are really...um...together?"
Matt opened his eyes, and she felt his strong arms tighten around her waist. "Yes, but why don't we find out for certain? If we can work things out then there's no reason why they can't. Sora's going to be really happy for you, you know. This is what she wanted."
"Same with Tai. Come on, let's go to the cafeteria and find out what's going on. They must have finished their conversation by now, and I can't think of any other place they'd go. Besides, I want to tell everyone the good news."
Matt winced and gave her a sullen look. "Do we have to?"
Mimi giggled at the expression on his face and lightly slapped his shoulder. "Of course we do. Yolei will want to know what's going on."
"Are you kidding me? That girl's never going to leave us alone! I can hear her already. She'll never stop talking about how right she was about us being a good couple," Matt complained.
Mimi effectively silenced him with a kiss and pulled him to his feet. They started towards the door, and she snuggled against his side with a soft sigh. "I hope Sora's as happy as I am," she murmured, tugging her reluctant boyfriend towards the cafeteria. "If she's not, all of my happiness is going to fly right out the window."
"I know exactly how you feel," Matt replied, giving her a warm squeeze. "Don't worry. She will be, and so will Tai."
"I hope so. We'd better hurry up and find them before lunch is over, and I'd prefer to face Yolei now rather than later. Don't you agree?"
Matt scowled at her, and a sudden smile slipped across his face. "You better not have been chasing another guy with Yolei!"
"Yeah right. Now quit being a baby and let's go."
"That's what I love about you, Mimi. You really are the most honest and sincere person I know!" Matt laughed.
"And you have the biggest heart of any guy I know."
Matt kissed her cheek and raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yes, Um...Matt? You'll never know how grateful I am about the fact that I was that girl you were in love with all along."
"Like she could have been anyone else!"
The two of them smiled at each other, and hand in hand they headed towards the cafeteria.