Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

When they say you're
not that strong
Well you're not that weak
It's not your fault
When you climb up to your hill
Up to your place
I hope you're well
There's nothing left to prove
Nothing I won't do
Nothing like the pain
I feel for you
Nothing left to hide
Nothing left to fear
I am always here
-"Not Enough," Our Lady Peace

Not Enough
Chapter Thirteen

Yamato came back on Friday, two days before the arrival of the new co-worker Taichi was supposed to show around. The musician had surprised them all by bringing back souvenirs and as his four roommates were shocked to begin with they nearly dropped everything they were holding when a frustrated Sora stalked through the door.

"Yamato! What the hell were you thinking! The boss wants to see us and now we're gonna be late!"

"Relax Sora! We'll leave in a few minutes! Just give me some time to rest."

"…I'm going to be fired aren't I?" she asked more to herself than anyone else in the loft and sank into the couch, staring off into space. Her expression was so grim that Takeru took pity on her and enveloped her in a warm bear hug.

She leaned her head on his shoulder with a tentative smile and a minute later the two were talking like old friends. Taichi smirked; Takeru's amiability was often so endearing to people he usually made several friends wherever he went. He noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Yamato's face had softened and the blonde was staring at his brother and Sora wistfully.

"Hey guys! Sora says she'll have a party soon! Since the Wolves went platinum!"

"What!" came from Taichi, Daisuke, and Jyou.

"Why didn't you tell me?" demanded Yamato with his arms crossed over his chest. "It's because of my band you're having it!"

"I didn't think your ego needed any more coddling! It's already big enough to have its own website!"

Somehow during the banter Sora and Yamato ended up only two or three inches away from each other. The young woman was frowning in consternation and he was smirking at her in amusement.

This unfortunately did not go over well with her. She appeared about ready to explode and hastily he brushed his lips against hers, swiftly cutting off the flow of verbal abuse. Stunned for a minute, she kissed back gently and was just getting into it when he pulled away.

"C'mon! We're going to be late!"

He fled the apartment, laughing insanely, causing a blinking and flushed Sora to scream in indignation. "Yamato!"

She pounded after him and the four could hear the sound of feet running, a smack, and whimpering coming from a masculine voice. Taichi rolled his eyes to the ceiling but Takeru bit his lower lip worriedly.

"If he likes her so much he shouldn't be playing with her. He should be more open to her."

"Takeru, this is your brother. Your brother that you have to threaten to make him open up to you and still not be able to understand him. And you're saying he'll be close to a woman he hardly knows?"

"But Sora doesn't know any of this. What if she starts thinking he doesn't like her after all?"

Taichi just shrugged, unable to vocalize what they were all thinking. If Sora felt that Yamato wasn't really attracted to her, that she was just like every other woman to him, than she'd leave.

None of them could imagine what state Yamato would be in if she did.

Taichi despised Mondays even more than flying. Sunday night was the most depressing time of the entire week in his opinion as it was the last bit of freedom people had before everything started up again. Mondays were slow and tedious with no other purpose than to begin another dull week of work.

He sat behind his desk, listlessly tapping a black pen on the polished surface. The top two buttons of his dress shirt had been undone and his jacket hung over the back of his chair instead of on the hook jutting out of the wall.

Takeru was splayed over the chair across the desk, bored out of his mind and entertaining himself by counting the number of cracks in the ceiling's plaster. He wore a black jacket, a white polo shirt, light blue Abercrombie jeans, and white and black Nike sneakers.

His friend had visited him at work on his day off to help him show the new woman around the city. "Why not? I've got nothing better to do," he had explained. So now the two were stuck in a lackluster silence waiting for her still an hour after she should have arrived.

"Where is she?"

As though on cue, the door creaked open and as he and Takeru took in the appearance of the woman Taichi thought he would've fallen over if there hadn't been a chair supporting him. She was beautiful in a doll-like way with golden locks curling past her shoulders, laughing sapphire eyes, and pale skin. She wore a crimson blouse, a long black skirt, and black Stilettos. Her makeup was so artfully done that at first glance he wouldn't have thought she wore any.

His chocolate eyes slid from her form to meet his friends and they hardened in the knowledge that there was more than one interested party present.

The woman oblivious to all this beamed at them. "Bonjour! Je m'appelle Catherine Laurent. Comment allez-vous?"

"I love the French," murmured Takeru.

Catherine laughed.

An hour later the trio had found themselves in a restaurant close to the publishing industry where Taichi and now Catherine were employed. They were all talking and laughing with each other; the young woman was so agreeable that conversation had been all too easy.

She giggled when Takeru made some comment. "Oh Taichi and Takeru! You two are much too good to me." Her voice only held a thin sliver of the French accent she had been born with; years of living in America had taken it away.

Her leg brushed up against Taichi's under the table and neither seemed too apologetic about it. He was about to say something when Takeru exclaimed, "Hey look! There're Sora and Tachikawa-san!"

The two women were drawn over by the yell and Taichi mentally groaned at Takeru's hyper activity. Sora was dressed casually in a red shirt and black jeans and looked completely comfortable with herself. Even Taichi had to admit Mimi looked gorgeous in a white trench coat, soft pink blouse, black silk pants, and black heeled boots. She fidgeted with the strap of a purse that matched the coat and in doing so hadn't noticed Catherine.

When she did finally look up it appeared that her expression had been trained to be her trademark smirk when her cinnamon orbs fixated on the French woman. The two faced off, both paling exceedingly, before the brunette turned on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant without sparing a glance back.

Sora apologized and ran after her friend as Taichi stared at the spot Mimi had occupied a mere few seconds ago.

There was something going on.

And he was determined to find out what it was.

Author's Notes: That's all for now. And don't worry this is still Michi. Please read and review.