Well, I'm doing Chapter 5 right away, simply because I want it to connect and go together immediately.

Thanks so much for the kind reviews (I'm sorry if I don't mention anyone, it's most likely because you reviewed while I was in the middle of posting it.)

Populette: Haha, it would have been funny to make Matt a porn star, but that would have meant that he would have needed to move to the States and work there. So nope, Matt's not a porn star. But don't worry, you'll find out his occupation in this chapter.

Genbo: Like I've been telling everyone, I will only let you all know what Mimi is when the time is right. So, I love the guesses everyone is making, they're all pretty close. But, I ain't telling if you got the cigar or not. Oh yeah, yes, I know there is a definite overdue lemon, but I don't want to have sex just yet, I need to develop their feelings for one another first. So, I guess we'll all have to wait. Sorry.

SAMURAIDRIVE: Oh my, thank you so much for the amazing compliment. It just came out of nowhere, really. I had no clue how to start the last chapter, and I just, started writing that. Thank you so much.

So yeah, onto Chapter Number Five. There's some action in this one, I know it's early, and maybe it seems like I'm jumping into the plot right away, but I don't care for too many filler chapters. Besides, it helps link the bridge between Matt and Mimi to help make it one sexy Mimato fic. Also, I know some people are wondering when the Mimato sex is coming in, don't worry, there's a special date designed just for them. .

Chapter 5

Confessions, Pretend and Loneliness

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Matt jerked his head up at the sound, his eyes widened at the sound of screams that followed. They filled his ears, and he came to realize that they were not just any kind of screams, but those of terror and pain.

Picking up the X-acto beside him, he twirled the button until it was loose enough for him to move it in and out without a sound, and then, slowly, crept across the floor of the backstore, until he reached the curtains in the doorway. Peering through the plastic windows, all he was able to see was a group of people ducking behind the ends of the rows, trembling violently with fear. admit

His eyes trailed across the faces of those hiding, their skin was pallid, sweat dripping in quick rivulets off their brows, as they held their heads down with their hands, eyes squeezed shut in fear. Then, his sight fell upon one particular girl in a black, suede jacket, ducking down near the other end of the isles.

"Oh shit, fuck no."

Another employee, Toshi, came to stand by Matt, and looked out. "What the fuck happened?"

Suddenly, there was another high-pitched scream, abruptly cut off by sharp bang. Matt and Toshi, in unison, began to shake.

"I think we're being robbed." Suddenly, instinct took over, and Matt came to a decision: fight or flight. Turning to Toshi, who looked ready to cry, Matt shook his shoulders, staring him straight in the eye. "Toshi, I need you to use the phone back here, and call the police immediately. Then, I need you to go around back here, gather all the employees and hide them in the safest place you can think of. Got it?"

Nodding, his dark-haired friend rushed off to the phone to make the call, while Matt fiddled with the blade in his hand. It wouldn't do much against a gun, but it was worth a shot.

Mimi gripped her purse tightly, keeping her back straight against the shelves behind her, praying that the gunman hadn't seen her. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to run; oh she wanted to run so bad. But there was nowhere to run, and barely any place to hide. All she could do was pray that she wouldn't get hurt, and pray that Matt wasn't caught in the line of fire either.

Her body trembled violently, and she hiccoughed once, and then twice, before rubbing her hands all over her face, trying to force back the hiccoughs. All she could hear in her mind were the screams and gunshots, echoing constantly in the back of her mind, never ceasing, always repeating.

The glass bottle of Kikkoman had shattered on the ground, and the Soya sauce was currently making its way towards the edge of her feet, almost like a pool of mahogany blood on the ground.

Shuddering at the thought, she began to fervently search through her purse for something, anything, that might help her in the current situation, but it was in vain. Her cell phone's battery had just recently died; she had forgotten to charge it, and she didn't carry weapons on her; it was most definitely illegal seeing as she didn't have a permit.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she willed herself to turn her head just slightly, just enough to look around the corner and see what was going on.

Slowly, taking her time, doing the act as silently as she could, she shifted, turned her head, and tried hard not to gasp aloud, as well as vomit.

Blood splattered all over the cash, and a poor, elderly woman lay sprawled on the ground, her brains and blood mixing and dripping across the floor, her face torn to bits and pieces. The cashier was sporting a wound to the upper, left portion of her chest, and her white work uniform and blue apron were becoming stained red from the liquid as it poured from her body.

A tall, muscular-looking man, with short, black hair cropped nearly to his skull, stood by the injured woman, his gun raised, gesturing angrily, waving it around in frustration and anger as he shouted orders for the cashier to give him all her money.

From what Mimi could understand, she cash's were specially designed so that they would only open if someone scanned something, used a code, and then a key before the money could come out. Unfortunately, the money that would come would only be the exact change for a person's purchase. Any money that was put in there was sent to a safe in the basement, to which only the manager had the key.

Mimi knew that this was the latest theft proof technology spreading across Japan, and slowly leaking into the States. She found it to be absolutely amazing in concept, and that it was one of the smartest ideas to have ever been created. However, it did not necessarily help the cashier, who was currently being threatened for not having the money on hand.

Letting out a loud roar of rage, the large man suddenly turned to look down the isles. Mimi swung her head back around, panting just from fear of being spotted by him. Then, she heard him making his way down the isles, cursing, and muttering how if he couldn't get money from the cashier, he would get it from the shoppers.

She knew that he was starting from the opposite end first, and she slipped her purse around the corner first, hoping that she could make a run for it. She heard the people scream and begin to scramble, trying to get away from the armed monster coming at them, and she heard the gunshots ring off the walls as he shot down those who tried to run. Eventually, the people just quieted down, and began searching fervently through their purses, wallets and pockets for anything, any amount of money whatsoever, to satisfy the raging beast.

Mimi shifted slightly in her spot, lifting her body off the ground just enough, and kept her eyes on the other end. That's when she caught sight of the plastic doors, blocking the entrance to another section of the store. Her eyes looked at the doors, and she wished that she had been smart enough to go for them when the man had been busy.

Shifting her gaze, she looked at the small, plastic window, and gasped quietly. There, standing in the window, was a face that was focused, hard as stone, and that had blue eyes and blond hair.

"Yamato." Her voice was low, a mere whisper against her lips, and she struggled to signal to him to leave, to go away, without dragging the attention to herself.

She saw his face harden even more, a sign that meant that he had finally decided upon something grave and terrible. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized that he was going to try and save the day. When was the last time he had saved the day? Seven years ago, helping the others in the Digital World. But, last time he had help, and this time, he didn't have any.

An idea dawned upon Mimi, and she reached for her purse anew, picking it up, and, without even considering the consequences, threw it at the assailant.

Her aim was true, and her throwing arm strong, and the purse hit the man hard across the face, creating a loud smacking sound. As the purse fell to the ground, Mimi stood up fully, shouting obscenities at the man, who's face had just turned beet red from embarrassment and fury. His gaze fell upon her, and she fought back another hiccough, and simply continued to shout at him.

She wanted to glance at Matt, but couldn't for fear of signaling to the man that someone was going to come from behind. Instead of going for her, Mimi felt a slight disappointment when he continued to collect money, heading down the isle, although, using more force than necessary.

Mimi then came to realize that it was a good thing for the man to move further down the isle; as he moved, he made his way closer towards Matt. By the time he had reached the end of the isle, Mimi had managed to collect a few bottles of Soya sauce, a bottle of teriyaki sauce, as well as a few cans of tuna and salmon.

"Hey! You big bully! Over here! Yeah, look at me you big jerk!"

Her voice seemed to separate itself from her, almost as though she were listening to someone else talking, and felt as though she was in some nightmarish dream. Her heart was racing, lungs screaming for her to hyperventilate instead of breathe calmly, her palms coated in a fine layer of sweat, and her legs felt as though they were going to give out any minute. But, instead of giving in to her body, she aimed, and whipped the teriyaki bottle at the man's head.

"You big brute! Leave those people alone!"

It hit his head with a loud smashing sound, and the bottle cracked down the side. The man's head jerked violently to one side, before he turned his gaze upon her once more. A nasty cut had appeared above his left eyebrow, and blood trickled down his face, which was contorted with fury and malice.

Mimi froze on the spot, and accidentally dropped another bottle of Kikkoman, before regaining her strength. 'Okay. You're not stupid. You're not weak. You're strong! This is just …another one of those gym dummies. Yes, just throw. Just remember to run. Run like Hell. Oh fuck.'

Taking in a deep breath, she willed herself to stay strong, when all she wanted to do was cower in a corner and cry. But she knew that she wasn't weak, and knew that if she gave up, she would end up on a gurney, and she didn't want to end up on a gurney. Using her last bottle of Kikkoman sauce to prove her point, she tossed it at him, this time trying to aim for his throat.

The bottle shattered in mid-air, and she felt the bullet just brushed by her, before she realized what had happened. The bastard had shot the fucking bottle. Oh shit, he shot the bottle.

Her stomach fell down to her toes, while the contents seemed to rise up to her throat. She choked back the bile and vomit, forcing it to join her stomach in her feet, while her heart violently, painfully, battered against her chest, as though trying to find a way to escape from its confinement.

'I'm going to die.'

She expected her life to flash before her eyes, or to hear some voice in her head telling her that she should not have wasted her life on such trivial, childish things. Instead, the voice in her mind, the little whisper that screamed for her to run, murmured how she wished she had called her parents. Why didn't she call them that morning, and tell them that she loved them? How come she didn't spend the day with her friends, telling them how much they meant to her? Why is it that now, at the time of her death, she couldn't even bring herself to admit to the man she loved, that she actually loved him?

Matt watched in awe as he saw Mimi toss the contents at the robber, and could only stand, rooted to the spot, praying that she would not get hurt. However, when the man shattered the third object with a bullet, which pierced the fruit stand behind her, Matt felt rage and the overwhelming need to protect what belonged to him.

He didn't take the time to ponder over the concept of Mimi belonging to him, and allowed the anger to nearly consume him. He didn't want her to get hurt, not even break a nail, or get a paper cut. He wanted her safe and sound, and in his arms, where he could protect her from the violence of the world.

Moving forward, he pushed through the curtain, his mind set on performing one task, and only one task. Kill. He gripped the X-acto tightly in his right hand, and barely felt the trembling that coursed through his body. His heart rate sped up, as well as his breathing, while sweat made its way down his pale face.

Then, just as Matt was about to make his move, the man fire again, and, as Matt watched with horror, Mimi fell.

The rage consumed him, and he felt like a completely different entity. All he was focused on was revenge; making the man pay for hurting the woman he cared about, even though she didn't know about his feelings. He felt the blade slide in his hands, but didn't seem to register his exact movements. He did not see red, but saw a world devoid of all colours, the area around him black and white except for his target. He didn't feel pain when the man hit him, and only stabbed back with increased force.

How dare he hurt her? What gave him the right to take her life into his hands, and end it so quickly? She did nothing to him! She did nothing wrong but try to help the innocents around her! How dare he even harm a single hair on her body?

'Bastard. You stupid, piece of shit, bastard. You fucking monster! I'm going to fucking make you pay. Yeah, you like that, you piece of shit? You like being fucking cut open? Fuck you.'

His thoughts and body became nearly out of control, and only when he felt the body of the beastly creature give and slump, that he pulled away. His heart rate felt abnormally fast, and his lungs screamed for air as he struggled to regain his senses and return to his normal state of mind and body.

"Oh my Kami."

The bloodied X-acto dropped from his hands as he saw the robber's body, riddled with stab wounds, most of which were on the arms and legs. Taking a step back, he felt something warm trickle down his arm, and when looked down, he saw that his body was smeared with blood, and that his hands were coated in the crimson fluid.

Before he even had time to register the fact that he had just attacked a man, arms were wrapped around him from all angles, and people hugged him tightly, crying with joy. He was their saviour, their samurai, who came to rescue them from the clutches of evil. They owed him their lives, and intended to repay him for his great, courageous deed.

Pushing the people aside, Matt began to sprint in the direction of Mimi, praying that she was breathing.

Mimi groaned slightly, turning onto her back, before sitting up. What just happened? She rubbed her head, when the top of her skull had made contact with the shelf. Blinking once, and then a second time, she took in her surroundings, and jerked violently, looking around fervently.

Where was he? He had to be somewhere nearby. Or was she dead? Was she just a ghost? She didn't know anymore; she was terribly confused. What was going on? Why was it so quiet now? The tension in the air had lifted, and the smell of fear had been removed considerably. Just what had happened?

Struggling to stand, she slipped slightly, and cursed at herself, before fighting the urge to laugh. She had slipped in her damn Kikkoman sauce. The fucking sauce had saved her life! That's when the memories came flooding back to her, images of the beast attacking the innocent, her actions and attempts to save those, and the sound of the gunshot just as she slipped and fell.

Looking over her body, she discovered that her suede jacket and new, low-rider jeans were covered in the dark liquid. There were a couple of cuts here and there, where a couple shards of glass managed to cut at her arm, and her shin, but other than that, and the headache she now possessed, she felt fine.

"Oh my Kami, I'm alive. I can't believe I'm alive."

Tears of joy sprang to her eyes, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing, just so happy that she had lived, and that wouldn't die with regrets and fear riddling her senses.

Just then, a pair of hands turned her around, and she felt herself pressed against a muscular chest, which was covered in a bloodstained t-shirt and apron. The arms kept her pressed tightly against the body, and the heat radiating from the form relaxed her, causing her to close her eyes, almost nuzzling against the chest. She felt so calm and safe in those arms; she never wanted the person to let go.

Their head touched the top of hers, and she smiled against the man's chest. It was such a tender, loving action; it made her heart leap with joy.

"Mimi," the man breathed against her neck, and she shifted back, looking up at his face. "I was so scared that you had died."

She smiled back, before hugging him even tighter. "Now, Matt, I promise I won't go dying on you any time soon."

He buried his face against her head, and she barely heard him through the sobs that escaped his lips. Dear Kami, he loved this woman. "You better keep that promise."

That night, they dined together, bringing up images and memories of their childhood, laughing and smiling together. Then, after the sweet, sentimental supper, they both sat down to watch a movie. His arm was not draped around her shoulders, however, that is where it ached to be. Her head was not resting upon his shoulder, despite the fact that she desperately wanted to use it as pillow.

That day, they both came to a realization; they just might not be able to live without one another. Neither was sure if the reason behind these emotions was simple brotherly-sisterly love, or the fact that their love ran even deeper, going into ideas of romance, passion and bliss.

What they were certain about was that they loved one another. However, they were not necessarily positive that the other felt it in return; all they knew was that they cared about the other, and would do anything to ensure their safety, even risk their own life.

She went to bed after a mug of tea, giving him a friendly peck on the cheek. She smiled and said goodnight from her doorway, contentment and care glimmering in her tender eyes.

He followed suit, knocking on her door just to ruffle her hair and hug her once before they finally parted for the night. He smiled down at her, love and kindness in his aqua gaze.

She lay in her bed, willing herself to sleep, to let herself fall into the dream-filled state that succumbed to her fantasies and made her wake up wanting more.

He rolled to his side, watching the wall for an eternity, aching to be near her, and yet, trying hard to let his dreams win the battle and dominate his very senses.

They fell asleep at the same time, both yearning for be with the other, aching to be in the other's arms, and they both dreamed about the other, beautiful, tender dreams of passion and love.

But they both knew that when they woke, it was going to be another game of pretend, and that they would have to return to their normal friend-friend relationship once more. Even though they didn't want to.

So, how was it? I know I made it long, actually, longer than I wanted to. But I was trying really hard to make the reader understand just how Mimi and Matt were feeling. I found it a little difficult, and yet easy at the same time (unfortunately, I was a witness of a school shooting a few months ago). The beginning was difficult for me, just because of my particular situation, but I think I succeeded in letting the reader know how they were feeling.

The end is a little different from my normal format, but I didn't want to write too much more. I thought it sounded cute.

Anyways, when reading this, please don't forget to review! I appreciate every single one of them. You guys are so kind!!!!

Btw, what do you think of Matt as a grocery store clerk? Just imagine him in the little blue apron. Hah, hah. I thought it was a great job description for him, the aspiring astronaut.

Anyways, don't forget to review.

Thanks,

Ciao!