Thank you all for such lovely reviews. This morning, I woke up and saw that I still only had 18, but when I got home from work, and saw that I had gone up to 23, I felt so ecstatic.
Anyways, I am switching my comments about reviews to the end of the chapter now, seeing as it's starting to take up more space. However, I will make one comment about something Tareei and SAMURAIDRIVE pointed out.
I understand it seems like I'm making this go by so quickly, I even kept telling myself "Why don't you make it last longer, give them more time?" But in the end, I end up making them lust after one another. Just remember, they hadn't seen each other in nearly ten years, and the last images they had of one another was of scrawny, pre-teens, who were naïve, and had not even come close to reaching puberty. Now, after a long time, they're able to see each other, and how they've developed – physically and mentally.
I wanted to start with simple body lust, seeing as Mimi has a lean body, and Matt's pretty well built for a guy his age. So, I just wanted them to see the exterior, but still remember that, even though they lust after each other, they're friends and it wouldn't be right.
The last chapter was used to formulate some sort of bond, to slowly start to create realizations that maybe; just maybe, they do care about each other, despite the long period of time in which they had not seen one another. Although, maybe the descriptions I used made it seem like they love each other, the love is only in its early stages, where they are questioning their feelings and so forth. So, I'm trying to develop it as well as I can, within the time limit I set for myself.
So yeah, there's my excuse for making everything go fast forward – usually I'm not like that. But also, remember, they have a time limit, too. They only have a month, and I wanted them to have a very special Christmas.
Anyways, I'm sorry if it seems like I've rushed the sexual stuff, but I promise to make up for it. I hope I do.
This concludes the Author's Notes Corner, now we will return to our story, with Chapter 6, which is going to be a semi-filler chapter for the sake of it.
Chapter 6
Mistletoe
The light filtered through the window, bathing upon her sleeping form as she rolled over in the bed, turning her back to the light, attempting to sleep for even a couple more seconds. Her feet were tangled in the sheets, and the comforter slipped off her shoulders, falling halfway down her back, exposing her bare arms and the black, baggy, band t-shirt that covered her upper body.
A low grumble escape her lips as she lay on her back, rubbing her eyes in mild frustration, quietly cursing the damn sun for rising and creating that demonic thing known as light.
After a short period of time, she had slipped on a pair of shorts to go under the t-shirt, before groggily making her way into the kitchen in search for orange juice, or, just maybe, something with the slightest bit of caffeine in it. Even tea would be good right now.
Instead, she found herself alone, the apartment empty, and a hurriedly scribbled note on the counter beside the stove. She read it once, and then a second time, before fully comprehending what it meant.
Frowning, she picked it up, going over to sit down on the couch and analyze the piece of writing once more. "What the hell do they want with him?"
Then it hit her, and memories from the previous day came back to her mind, flooding her senses. However, the memories that returned were not those of fear, but those of relief and exhaustion, as she answered the questions posed to her, had her small cuts tended to, and left with Matt.
Sitting back, she examined those memories carefully, coming to the conclusion that Matt had not been questioned at the scene of the robbery. Furrowing her brows, she looked down at the paper and reread it. The note stated that Matt was going to down to the police station for questioning and so forth, and then had to go do some errands.
Leaning back against the couch, she slumped, already bored out of her mind. "Oh well, I guess that leaves poor me, all alone, with nothing to do."
Her eyes drifted over the apartment, looking at the drab, bare walls, the slightly chic furniture consisting of a coffee table, TV stand with shelves, the couch, and a small end table with a lamp on it. His living room looked rather … anti-Christmas.
As she looked around the apartment, she then remembered that Matt had never been truly fond of Christmas, ever since his separation with his parents. That's when she got another brilliant idea.
Standing up, she marched off to bathe, eat, dress, and take over the world.
"Sora, thank you so much for coming with me. I had absolutely no idea where I could have found all this stuff!"
The auburn-haired girl turned to her best friend, linking her arm with the other girl's, the two of them marching down the center of the large mall. "Ah, it was no problem. Besides, I have the day off, and I was bored to death."
Mimi grinned, and stopped Sora in their tracks. "Oh, my Kami, we're definitely going in here!" she cried, spotting a store dedicated to, well, lingerie.
Sora yanked Mimi back as the girl lunged forward, and frowned at the younger girl's puppy-dog expression. "Mimi, you know I've never been a big fan of this stuff." Her voice held a distinct note of warning.
Pouting, Mimi gestured to the display the front, which was dedicated to Christmas, consisting of a mannequin wearing a lovely Santa 'suit', while the other was dressed up as his 'nice' little helper. "But, Sora, I bet Tai would love to come home and see you in this. Please? Just one look? If you don't like anything, you don't have to buy it."
Sora sighed deeply, rubbing her temples out of mere habit, before looking Mimi straight in the eye. "Fine, all right. Let's get this over with."
Upon first entering the store, the first thing one noticed was how crowded it was, and the second was the fact that the entire store was white, with hundreds of the articles in the brightest, most vibrant hue of the red Mimi and Sora had ever seen.
As they browsed, Mimi oohed and aahed over the g-strings, corsets, teddies, and the variety of naughty, revealing lingerie on display, and for sale. All the while, Sora blushed vividly each time she touched a pair of underwear, and the scarlet on her cheeks deepened even more whenever she saw something she liked.
Eventually, Mimi managed to get Sora out of her shell, simply by showing her one of the cutest outfits the older girl had ever seen.
"See Sora, and it's not even that revealing. But it's perfect for Christmas, and you will even be able to wear it to the part on Tuesday. Isn't it wonderful? And no one will even be able to tell that you bought it here; they'll probably think that you got it from some costume shop or something." Mimi winked. "And Tai will probably go crazy for the matching lacy underwear, and the sexy, lacy, push-up bra that goes with it." Her eyes went wide, mimicking the same puppy dog expression she had performed earlier. "Please, Sora, just try it on. For me?"
Cursing silently at herself for giving in so easily, Sora searched the rack for her size, and disappeared into the changing rooms. Mimi browsed through a variety of items, collecting a few in her arms, before Sora came out of the changing room, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"So, what do you think?"
Mimi giggled, rushed over and hugged Sora tightly. "I think it's cute."
Sora played with the hem of the outfit, blushing a little darker. "Me too." Then she glanced up, smiling. "I'm going to get it."
"Great! Look at what I'm getting for the party." Mimi displayed her chosen articles to her friend, and Sora's blushed darkened, making her appear as though she had recently become burnt.
"Oh, well, that's … very nice."
"I think so too. I can't wait to wear it."
"For anyone in particular?"
Mimi smiled. "Oh, not really. Just for me." She then winked, and waited for Sora to return from the changing rooms.
After a lengthy period of intense shopping, Mimi arrived back at the apartment, surprised, and quite content, to discover that it was still unoccupied. Gathering her purchases, she stashed them away in her bedroom, and then set to a particular difficult task. Cleaning.
Gathering her hair up, she tied it back into a long ponytail, and changed into a simple small, pale green t-shirt, and a pair of old, faded jeans. Then, she set to the process of searching through Matt's house, trying to find that vacuum cleaner she doubted he ever used, and, in the process, discovered a feather duster – most likely left there by the previous occupant – and the hidden stash of pornography magazines underneath his bed.
Still giggling twenty minutes later at the idea of Matt possessing the issue for every month, from the past two years, Mimi set to cleaning the kitchen first, washing all of the dirty dishes, organizing the cupboards, and cleaning out the ancient food that had been left in the fridge since the Stone Age.
"Oh dear Kami, I think I'm going to die."
Mimi sat as far from the fridge as possible, a medical mask covering her mouth, attempting not to cower in fright.
"How long has that thing been in there?"
The thing in question truly was a 'thing'; seeing as it possessed no similarities to anything edible she had ever seen or heard of in her entire lifetime. It was just a oddly shaped, dark blob covered in some strange gelatinous substance, with random spots of fluffy mould.
"I hate you, Matt. I really, really, hate you."
Yanking the rubber gloves nearly all the way to her shoulders, she slowly inched towards the thing, jerking back violently, swearing that she just saw it shift. Trying to push the idea out of her mind that it might be a real replicate of the blob from the Cowboy Bebop episode she had just seen, she inched towards it once more. (A/N: Yes, this scene was inspired slightly by the Cowboy Bebop episode: Toys in the Attic – which was hilarious!)
"If this thing jumps and bites me, I'm going to kill him." She poked the thing with the wooden spoon she held as a weapon. "If I'm not dead before he gets back."
Suddenly, she moved forward with a lightning quick pace, shoved the abnormal object into a plastic baggy, then another, and another, and finally stuffing it to the very bottom of the garbage bag she had nearby.
"Bitch, you got owned!" she shouted, pointing at the bag in triumph.
She turned back the fridge, and her smile of joy faded as she saw the rest of the mess still waiting to be removed and placed into a container designated for Biohazardous objects. Slumping against the counter, she groaned. "Oh man."
The rest of the day went on similarly, with Mimi finding the oddest of things in the strangest of locations, such as a geography book in the freezer, and a collection of ancient Ayumi Hamasaki CDs in the hallway closet, stuffed underneath a pile of pillows and blankets for the spare bedroom.
Grabbing a hold of one of the CDs, 2006's Secret, popped it into the CD player and listened as the first song, Not Yet, began to play. As the music sped up into a more techno/hip-hop style, Mimi's hips began to move with the beat, head nodding slightly as she danced around, dusting and singing along.
On occasion, she would simply stop, raise her arms, and move her entire body to the beat and sing, until the short song ended, switching into the next, until that Day. The beat was quick, with a touch of a rock rhythm at first, and Mimi found herself moving once more with the beat, dusting and vacuuming.
For the entire duration of the CD, she cleaned with it nearly blasting, singing along, dancing, and laughing whenever she messed up the lyrics. Soon enough, though, the CD was over, and she put in another one, this time it was I am. Once more dancing, she finished the cleaning process, and began slightly redecorating the drab living room, pushing the couch a little further away from the front window (house is situated on a corner), pushing it a little further towards the dining room/kitchen. The space was large enough to fit a small Christmas tree in it, with added room for presents.
Smiling broadly, Mimi called Sora, and then two met up, before hurrying down to the van Sora loaned from her mom for the day. They tugged their treasure out of the trunk, and hauled it up the several flights of stairs, reaching the corner apartment, dragging it in, and finally setting it up.
Marveling at their accomplishment, the two girls panted and gazed at their completed task, which was done without the aid of the opposite sex.
"Good thing you didn't get a big one, or we would've been dragging that thing all day," Sora stated, searching through the cupboards for a glass, and filling it with water, only to down it a second later.
"Agreed." Mimi sagged on the couch, resting for only a moment, before standing and looking around the apartment. "Well, I have some more work to do. Thanks for helping me out."
Sora winked at Mimi, rinsing her glass and placing it aside. "No problem. Call me again if you need anything, okay?
"I will. You go finish wrapping those presents and preparing stuff for the party, k?"
"Yeah. I'll see you later!"
"Bye."
Sora shut the door behind her, and smiled to herself. Mimi was such a wonderful person, and she only hoped that Matt was not going to throw that kindness back in her face.
Walking up the steps to her apartment, she sighed softly. Matt had never been a big fan of Christmas, and Mimi was trying so hard to bring him a real happy, peaceful, Western style Christmas. If he pushed aside all the work she did, and simply refused to be thankful, Sora would have to deal with the guy herself.
Mimi was just about done the decorating, and adding the final touch when the doorknob shifted as it was being unlocked. Mimi, oblivious to the sound due to the music blaring from the speakers, continued to adjust the object hanging from the ceiling, teetering slightly on the ladder she stood on.
The door opened, and, as Matt stepped in, he was bombarded by scents and sounds, mainly the loud, beautiful voice of Ayumi Hamasaki, and the thick, gentle scent of pine. Wincing slightly at the volume level, he stepped out of his shoes, tossed them aside, and made his way into the apartment, dragging a few bags along with him.
Glancing into the living room, he felt as though he wanted to die.
"She killed it."
The coffee table was laden with candles coloured like candy canes, and shaped like Christmas trees and bells. None were lit, but the scent of cranberry spice, pine, and gingerbread consumed his poor, defenseless olfactory system. He saw that his kitchen counter was covered in an array of Christmas cookies, just a faint golden brown, in the shape of angels, snowmen, and the infamous, Americanized Santa Claus that was so unknown throughout Japan. On the end table, a small bouquet of poinsettia and holly stood beside his lamp, and, as he turned towards the window, which was lined with blinking Christmas lights, Matt's heart stopped.
Standing somewhat tall, but lush and full, was a gorgeous fir tree, undecorated and beautiful. Matt moved forward a little bit, wondering if the tree was real, touching the needles, catching the scent of pine once more. The mat underneath the tree, blocking the ground from its constantly falling needles, was red with a white, lacy trim on the circumference of it.
Matt's gaze moved over the tree, and then caught sight of two red and white, fluffy stockings, attached to the window's edge by two large candlesticks the colour of candy canes.
Turning around, Matt exited the living room, searching for Mimi, who he found, standing on a ladder, with her back to him, attempting to attach some sort of plant to the light in the middle of the hallway.
"Mimi?"
The poor girl jerked at the sound of the voice, attempted to turn around, and only managed to slip and become airborne. However, luckily for her, there was a living, breathing, and defenseless creature standing beside her, who was used as a pillow.
They landed awkwardly, with her stomach against his chest, breasts in his face, and her own face just inches from the ground, being held by her own breasts, which were currently causing Matt great breathing difficulties, as well as other difficulties in other areas.
"Oh, that was a close one." She sat up, sitting on Matt's chest, causing him a touch more breathing problems, since she was currently putting all her weight on his lungs.
"Mimi …" he choked out. "Move…"
She yelped, leaping to her feet, jerking back and hitting the ladder, knocking it over, falling down with it as well. This time landing on her butt, between the ladder's legs, she scowled when she discovered that it was only Matt.
"Matt! You jerk! How dare you scare me! I could have been holding a hammer and hit you! Warn me next time before you scare me." She crossed her arms across her chest and scowled in his direction. "You big meanie."
Matt sat up, finally able to take in a single breath, and frowned in return. "I'm not a meanie. I'm the victim. I just had you land on me and practically crush me to death! What the hell were you doing anyways? Where did you get the damn ladder?"
"Well, even though you don't deserve to know, I found it in the entranceway closet, hiding behind a bunch of useless junk." She stood up, brushing herself off and lifting the ladder to a stand position. "And, if you really want to know what I was doing, I was attaching that" she pointed to the plant hanging from the light, "to the light to add some Christmas cheer."
"What the hell is that?" Matt demanded, standing and also brushing himself off. It was good thing that he left the bags sitting in the living room, where they were currently safe and sound from Mimi.
"That, Ishida Yamato, is mistletoe!" She folded the ladder and leaned it against the wall. "So there."
Matt arched a brow at the familiar name, but couldn't seem to recollect memories where he had heard a detailed description about the object's use. "And it does…?"
Placing her hands on her cocked hips, she looked at him in disbelief. "Are you serious? You have no clue what mistletoe is used for?"
Matt shrugged. "I've never really wanted to know what it does." He then smiled, and leaned against the wall. "So educate me."
Returning the smile, Mimi adjusted her ponytail, and then gestured to the mistletoe that was innocently dangling from the ceiling. "Mistletoe is used for many things, some medicinal, and others are caused by myths and religions. The main reason we use mistletoe during the holidays is based on a Nordic custom. This custom was the idea that if two people met and stood together until a sprig of mistletoe, then they should exchange a kiss in some fashion or form." She, too, leaned against the wall. "So, at Christmas, mistletoe is hung so that people can kiss under it. It's simple."
Matt's brows furrowed at the serious, intellectual explanation for the use of mistletoe, and then stood straight, moving forward just an inch. His eyes quickly moved to the ceiling, before focusing once more on Mimi. "So, they say that if any two people meet under mistletoe, they have to kiss"
The brunette nodded in response; oblivious to the hungry look that just filled Matt's eyes. "Yes, it's tradition, and you're supposed to follow tradition." She then pointed to the doorway, the entryway to the kitchen, and the entrance to the living room. "I also hung mistletoe there, there, and there. So that way, eventually, two people will have to meet under it, and they will just have to kiss." She then giggled. "I love mistletoe. It's so romantic."
Matt stepped closer, this time within touching distance of the young girl, staring down at her. "So, say we're standing under it right now, does that mean we have to kiss?"
Nodding once more, she smiled. "Yeah. I told you, it's tradition."
Suddenly, her eyes opened as he pressed his hands against the wall, putting one on either side of her, boxing her in. He grinned, gazing down at her; the hungry look giving him the appearance of a predator.
"Uh, Yamato…?" She looked up at him; fear in her eyes as the saw the look on his face. "What … are you doing?"
"I don't really know …"
He spoke the truth; he wasn't necessarily certain what caused him to move forward and do this. All he knew was that the image of kissing the naïve girl under mistletoe, of plundering her mouth and taking her in that very spot, consumed his mind, causing his blood to boil and heart to race. He caught a whiff of her scent; a mixture of her natural cinnamon and flowers mingling with the scent of freshly baked cookies and pine. It took all his willpower not to kiss her right there and then, and he simply watched her.
She looked absolutely adorable, and ever so sexy, clad in those tight jeans, with the shirt clinging to her full breasts, making it appear as though they ached to be freed. He wanted to tug her hair out of the confining ponytail and run his fingers through it, just to feel the soft strands against his bare flesh. He imagined feeling those locks against his chest as she kissed her way down to fix his current 'problem' and fought back a guttural groan that nearly escaped his lips. He wasn't sure why now, after not seeing each other for so long, he was feeling such a strong amount of lust for her. He wasn't sure if he had ever felt that way before, and did not feel compelled to think about that at the moment.
Mimi's heart raced against her chest, and her eyes darted around, searching for any sign of life that may come to her aid. Fear choked at her; she didn't know what to do; Matt looked like he wanted to devour her. Did he have some sort of mistletoe fetish? Or maybe he reacted to mistletoe like how cats reacted to catnip. Glancing up at him, she realized that it was not the mistletoe. Was it her? Or did he see some really hot girl today, and he was just simply hot and bothered? She laughed at herself in her mind. Certainly it was the second; why would he react in such a way at the sight of her?
She jolted slightly at the sudden feel of his breath against her cheek. "Y-Y-Yamato … what are you … doing?"
She felt his lips curl into a smile against her flesh. "Why, I think I'm going to kiss you, Mimi Tachikawa."
Her heartbeat increased so much it became painful to breathe, and she found herself fighting back the urge to clutch at her chest. She wanted desperately to be able to smack him, or shove him out of the way and run, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Why wasn't she able to just say no? Why wouldn't her legs do what her sensible brain was screaming at them to do? Why was she just standing still?
"W-Why?"
He pulled back slightly, smiling down at her, before moving closer once more. "It's tradition."
Haha, doesn't that just suck? I love cliffhangers because, well, they just piss people off, but bring them back for more. Haha. I'm so mean.
Anyways, I am far too lazy right now to go over all the reviews (I want to get started on the next chapter tonight, and do as much as I can before I have to go to bed; I start school tomorrow, ugh.)
So, how did you guys like it? I hope that it was good.
Thank you all for the lovely, beautiful reviews, you're all so kind.
Ciao.