A/n: Happy Day 2 of Mimato Week! The prompt for today is Childhood, so I thought it was the perfect chance for me to post this story I've been working on for quiet a while now. It won't be too long maybe 6-ish chapters, and will focus on little moments created between the canon timeline.

This first chapter is set right before Episode 1 of 01. Happy Reading!

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i.

"It's just for a day."

His father looked at him with a slight hint of hope in his usually dark eyes, and Yamato once again swallowed his words. Lately it always felt like whenever he wanted to speak his mind to his father, the hollow features of his face would make Yamato hold onto his words, he'd reassure himself that he would find the time later to be truthful, when Hiroaki didn't look so exhausted, but that next time rarely seemed to arrive. He couldn't be sure why his father always looked so tired, was it the never ending amount of work he was buried in or the loneliness that stood suspended all around their apartment? Either way, Yamato just couldn't bear to look at that face for too long so he'd end up looking away and in the process, throwing away the things he had most wanted to say.

"I see." He replied curtly, eyes now cast sideways.

"And Takeru will be there!" Hiroaki said with just enough enthusiasm that he could muster.

"Yes, of course. It is his idea after all." Yamato responded dryly, it seemed that when his eyes were not focused on his father, he could be more upfront about what was going on his head.

"Yes, that it is…"

And silence took over their apartment once again, as was the norm, as both father and son sat staring into the distance, thinking of all the things that were always left unsaid between them.

Yamato didn't know what Hiroaki could have been thinking about in that moment, but what the eleven year old did know that he himself was upset, even if he didn't know how he was supposed to express those feelings out loud to his father or most people around him, yet.

He didn't think it fair that his parents could take a simple suggestion from Takeru so seriously. He wasn't mad at his brother of course, his brother was still very much a baby and babbled on about anything and everything like kids his age were supposed to do. No, his parents were clearly the ones at fault here, for giving so much importance to Takeru's random nonsense.

Their school had organised an outdoor camp for the first day of summer vacation, it was a voluntary activity so Yamato had not paid much heed to it. Takeru, however, had told their mother that he wanted to attend the camp because all his friends were going. Which in itself wasn't particularly wrong, it was all the things he talked about after this request that put their mother on edge. The younger kids in their school had been spreading all kinds of stories about the dangerous things that the school will make them do during the camp, like rock climbing or river rafting, both things physically impossible to do at the venue that had been picked for the event. Yet their mother had listened to Takeru's exaggerated version and decided that Yamato absolutely needed to go keep an eye on his younger brother.

Which under normal circumstances Yamato wouldn't have minded, but he had specifically asked his father to sign him up for the guitar lessons starting on August 1st, but now because of the camp, the music tutor had informed them that the only other beginners batch won't start until 15th. In Yamato's mind that was two weeks of precious progress wasted, in his mother's it was a day well spent taking care of his brother.

"Listen Yamato," his father finally spoke up, face looking pained as if it was difficult for him to get the words out without feeling guilty, "I know you always end up with the short end of the stick."

Yamato scoffed and Hiroaki flinched, but the eleven year old couldn't help himself, because the phrase 'short end of the stick' seemed like a major understatement to him. He was very careful about showing his disdain over the current situation of his family, it was mostly Takeru who cried and complained about the split, and although internally Yamato mirrored his feelings, he was very good at burying them deep inside. He didn't think it would be okay for him to complain, because unlike Takeru, the lawyers had actually asked him which parent would he like to live with, and he had voluntarily asked to be with his father.

Even though he had known that living with his mother would be easier, that it would keep him closer to Takeru, that he would possibly be happier there, when the lawyers had sat across from him and stared down at him with hardened faces, all Yamato could think about was his father, sitting alone in a dark and dingy one room apartment, dishes piled up in the sink, expired milk in the fridge, an overflowing ashtray and the smell of alcohol surrounding him. That image had sent a shiver down his spine and he couldn't bear to leave his father to fend for himself like that, he couldn't have let his father come back to an empty home where there was no one to call out 'welcome back'. So despite all the pain it caused to his mother and Takeru, Yamato had promptly taken his father's name in front of the lawyers.

Which is why he always held himself back, which is why he couldn't just scream or throw a tantrum every time his father was out late, because Yamato had known exactly what he was getting into.

"But I promise, this will be the last time." Hiroaki said, breaking Yamato's train of thought with the resolute tone in his voice. When their eyes met, the blond was taken aback by the sudden outburst of determination in his father's usually stony eyes, "Next time I will take a stand for things you want to do too."

Was this next time promised by his father, similar to the one he had always promised himself inside his head? Yamato knew there was only one way to tell, which was to wait.

So he nodded agreeably at his father, who allowed himself to relax slightly at his reaction.

"I think this will also be a great opportunity for you to talk to your brother without either me or your mother breathing down your backs." His father chuckled, and Yamato too passed him a small smile, "You have your harmonica of course, and well this won't compare to a guitar but-"

His father reached behind his back and to Yamato's surprise, pulled out a small box with a blue ribbon tied around it, and handed it to him, gesturing for the blond to go on ahead and open it. Everything said and done, Yamato was still a child at heart, so he couldn't hold back his excitement as he quickly untied the ribbon around the box and opened the lid, his jaw dropping wide open when his eyes landed on the item resting inside.

It was the latest model of the Discman, which had only been released a few weeks earlier.

He looked up at his father, beaming at him with every ounce of happiness that he felt in the moment, he had been wanting a Walkman or Discman for himself for so long, it was tiresome for him to wait till he reached home from school and could turn on the radio or the television to listen to his favourite songs. Not that Yamato had ever stated this out loud, but somehow his father had still understood him, and that itself was enough to lift some of the heaviness inside his heart.

"You didn't have to get me such an expensive bribe, I would've agreed to go with or without this." Yamato muttered under his breath shyly, feeling his ears turn red as he couldn't manage to earnestly thank his father for the gift without feeling embarrassed.

"I know you would have, you're a great big brother and Takeru is very lucky to have you." Hiroaki smiled, "Consider it an early birthday present then, okay?"

Yamato nodded silently again, unable to stop the pleasing smile from covering his face, he had half a mind to remind his father that the guitar lessons were supposed to be his birthday gift, but instead he just laughed instead, vowing to himself that not only would he take good care of Takeru at the camp but for a change, try to have some fun too.

ii.

"But all your friends are going sweetheart!"

Mimi stared at her parents completely aghast at the statement. Whenever she used to whine and ask for something because all her friends had it, she was always turned down with a moral lecture but now that this excuse was convenient for her parents, they didn't hesitate to use it without shame. Although it was true that all her friends were indeed going to this day long camp being organised in a national park a little outside of the city area, Mimi had thought these kind of activities did not suit her and hadn't bothered signing up. When her parents found out that they could have 1st August, the day of their wedding anniversary, to themselves and go on a day trip they had been planning for some time now, her mother called her school and begged them to put Mimi in the camp sign up list even though the registration date had passed.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to do things just because my friends are doing it." She challenged them, folding her arms across her chest and smirking satisfactorily at their guilty reactions.

"Yes, that is true-" Her father began but was cut short when her mother nudged him in the chest very hard.

"That is true in most cases, honey, but this time it is totally okay for you to go with your friends." Satoe's wide smile looked forced and Mimi wasn't the type to buy into it so easily.

"I would rather go with the two of you." She said, turning up her nose at the sight of her parents both groaning at her statement.

"And you will, just after you come back from the camp." Her mother nodded enthusiastically, pinching her father's arm so he too joined in.

Mimi twirled a loose strand of her cinnamon coloured hair around her finger as she considered the options that were laid out in front of her. She didn't want to be that spoilt kid who ruins their parents' anniversaries by stealing all the attention towards themselves, so she knew that eventually she would have to agree to this camp business. And of course her mother had begged their school to put her on the list, so if she backed out at the last minute both her and her parents would have to face equal amounts of embarrassment. So while she didn't have any doubts about agreeing to her parents' request, she was a little bit confused about how far she could take this game. She tried to think of all the things that she had asked of her parents recently, and what would be the easiest item to extract out of her parents keeping the situation in mind. Finally, her mind settled on a certain object that her mother had refused to buy for her last week, and she smiled to herself, it was time to let the real negotiation begin.

"I would have been more inclined to go," Mimi began in her usually haughty tone, "if I had the perfect outfit for an event like this."

"We can get you one all right!" Keisuke exclaimed, easily taking her bait he jumped up from his seat, until he was dragged back down by her mother, who Mimi could tell, had figured out just where this conversation was heading.

"And what kind of outfit do you have in mind?" Her mother asked, raising her eyebrows as she maintained her cool, quite unlike her husband.

"You know, nothing fancy of course. Something suitable for outdoors," Mimi replied, her lips spreading into a sly smile as she continued, "like the pink dress we bought last week! And of course I have the perfect boots to match with it, oh and if I add a belt to the look, it would just come together so perfectly."

Her parents watched her go on dreamily about her wardrobe warily, and she didn't blame them, because she had listed all things that she already owned, so the question that what exactly was their clever daughter asking for plagued their mind as they listened to her.

"Oh and the beige satchel bag we purchased recently would add just the right punch, and would match my boots too. Ah but," Mimi paused and faced her parents with big, bright eyes, "I would need something to protect me from the sun, don't you think?"

While Keisuke simply agreed to her statement, Satoe pressed her fingers against her temple and released a tired sigh, "Oh, Mimi you really are something. You want the cowboy hat we saw in the mall last week?"

"Why, yes mother, I think that would help me in keeping away the sun just fine."

Her demand was followed by a long discussion, where her mother tried to make Mimi understand that it was a waste to buy that hat, since she really wouldn't be able to wear it with anything else, but Mimi persevered. She made it very clear that it was the cowboy hat she had set her eyes on last week or her tagging along with her parents on their anniversary, and eventually her parents gave up. Once her father had paid for the hat, Mimi put it on immediately, checking her reflection on any surface that allowed her to and delighting internally at how much this hat suited her. She just knew her mother was wrong about the hat not being of much use to her, all she didn't know was just how wrong her mother's prediction had been.

iii.

It didn't come as a surprise to him when Takeru ditched his side the minute his friends showed up and Yamato was left standing near the bus, waiting for their teacher to give the sign that it was time to climb on and depart. He studied the scene in front of him, most of the kids had split into groups of threes and fours across the front yard of their school and were chattering away loudly, making Yamato grateful for the gift his father had given him. With the headphones safely tucked around his head, and his current favourite band blasting in his ears, he leaned against the bus' frame and tried to ascertain any familiar faces.

Yagami from his class was here, which was a given, these type of outdoor events were his speciality after all. He wasn't exactly Yamato's friend but he also never left Yamato alone whenever given the opportunity, so at least the blond could reassure himself that he wouldn't face any trouble getting picked as a partner or on a team for any group activities. Yagami was talking to two other kids, whose name Yamato couldn't recall in the moment, a girl from their class who had come well prepared to the point that she was wearing a safety hat, and a small boy who looked to be about Takeru's height and was furiously typing away on a laptop.

Takeru was of course running around with his friends, who all looked like they had a never-ending supply of energy within them. He didn't mind letting Takeru do his thing, he was here to look after him and not play with him, but still Yamato hoped that when it was finally time to get on the bus his brother would at least come and sit next to him so he wouldn't have to share an uncomfortable ride with anyone else. There were a lot of other kids from both classes above and below his, which only made him shudder because that meant the bus their school had arranged would be packed.

Finally two teachers began to round up the kids around the courtyard, and started doling out instructions for the day, even if he had no intention of participating with the same amount of gung-ho as some of the other kids, Yamato still paused his music and took off the headphones and lent an ear to his teacher's words as he lined up to get on the bus. And much to his liking, Takeru was at his side within a minute, holding onto his hand with a grin as they made to climb on. Being one of the first ones to get on, the two brothers found themselves a nice empty three seater, with Yamato taking the window side and Takeru snuggling next to him. Even as more kids got on, the space next to his brother remained empty and Yamato breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he'd assumed relief too soon, just as the voice of their teachers getting on the bus reached his ears, a group of girls hovered around in the aisle next to their seat, until eventually the tallest one turned around and faced him and Takeru.

He found it odd, that the girl had chosen to wear a pink cowboy hat, and odder still that she hadn't bothered to take it off inside the bus.

"Is this seat taken?"

She asked in a polite tone, and Yamato tried to remember if he had seen her before. She was definitely as tall as him, but he was sure that she wasn't in his class. While he attempted to place her, Takeru went ahead and answered her on behalf of both of them, and the next minute she was already sitting down and turning around to talk to her friends who sat in the seat adjacent to theirs. He passed a stern look in his brother's direction, there was no way that this group of girls would let them have a peaceful ride till the camp venue, but Takeru only smiled back apologetically.

When Yamato pulled out his Discman again, his brother looked at him with his big, starry eyes and with a defeated sigh, he allowed Takeru to put on the headphones instead. A decision he heavily regretted, because by the time their bus ride was over, Yamato knew more about Mimi chan than he probably knew about his own brother. From her favourite colour to her favourite soda flavour, the girl and her friends had discussed everything, and Yamato, who was a sharp listener had unintentionally caught onto all her words. All he could do during the ride was pray that she wouldn't end up in his group for the day or generally be in close quarters to him, because he knew that he wouldn't be able to handle making small talk with the likes of her for more than a minute.

Of course, in retrospect, Yamato's prayers hadn't come true, but the real lesson that meeting Mimi had taught him was that one should never judge a book by its cover.

- x-

A/n: This wasn't exactly shippy, but the romance progress will be a bit gradual in this one, but still I think it will be worth waiting for that final Post Kizuna piece.

Let me know what you thought of this, and thank you for reading!