A/n: Thank you for waiting everyone, I know the cliffhanger in the prev. chapter was pretty nail biting so I worked my ass off to finish this part within this month PHEW!

I wanted to try and keep Yamato and Mimi's POVs equal throughout the story but maybe the fic might end up being Mimi POV heavy by the end. And I know that from the tidbits we've got in Kizuna + 02 The Beginning, the TakaIshi parents spare no expense in buying expensive cars or bikes for their sons, but for the sake of this fic we'll have Mimi still be richer than Yamato, I mean she is running her own business while he's still studying so XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I hope to have the next update ready by June-July. Taichi will probably be in that chapter.

PS: BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERI!

- x -

3.

"Mimi?"

Yamato looked startled to see her, as was expected, but Mimi was beside herself with joy to see him looming over her at the entrance, jaw hanging ajar from surprise. She'd heard that he was now required to wear reading glasses but this was her first time seeing him in them. The slightly flashy red frames only added to the appeal of his well chiseled face, she thought, keeping her belief that he was the most handsome man she'd ever met intact. He probably didn't agree with her thoughts however, because as soon as he saw her, his hands shot up to pull the glasses off his face, he folded them hastily and shoved the pair into his shirt's pocket.

"Sorry, for showing up like this," Mimi said, lifting the package above her chest she tilted her head and smiled apologetically, "I was in the neighbourhood and thought I should drop this off."

"Oh."

Yamato was still very dumbfounded as he took the package from her hand and stared at it for a minute as if he was trying to remember whether he'd been the one to place this order, which she didn't think was a good sign.

"Uh, may I come in?" Mimi poised her question anxiously after a few minutes passed with the two of them standing at the entrance silently.

"Oh. Right, of course." Yamato shook his head, possibly in an attempt to rid himself of the confusion and stepped aside, allowing her to enter his apartment.

She started to take off her shoes and he offered her a spare pair of house slippers after locking the door behind them, beckoning for her to follow him. The apartment was just as she remembered, only this time the dining table was covered with a laptop sitting in the middle of scattered papers and some very thick books.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb-"

"That's okay, I was just about to take a break."

Yamato reassured her as he placed the package on the kitchen counter and then went ahead to organise the study material on the table, clearing some space for her to put down her handbag and take a seat. She took off her coat, hanging it on the chair she sat on and waited patiently for Yamato to sit down as well. When he shut his laptop and set it aside with the books, Mimi expected him to join her at the table but instead, he went to the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboards, calling out to her as he moved around.

"So, this is quite a surprise."

"Sorry, I know I should've called," Mimi said, placing her hands on top of each other at the table. Not having to look at him directly did make it easier for the words to find their way out of her lips.

"That's alright, as long as you're okay with me being out of any snacks or tea to offer." He stopped moving around to stand in the centre of the kitchen with his hands folded across his chest, throwing doubtful looks towards the cupboards as if he didn't trust their contents, "I suppose it's been a while since I had guests come over."

"I should've picked something up on the way, it totally slipped my mind," Mimi admitted with a sigh. She was so preoccupied with the task of making it to his house and not giving up in the middle by turning around, that the thought of buying snacks as a courtesy never crossed her mind. However, she did feel a second rush of relief course through her at his words, strengthening her belief that he did in fact live alone and she wouldn't be running into any unknown girlfriend she wasn't prepared to meet.

"I'm sure you had your hands full," Yamato said, his gaze dropping to the package kept on the counter. With a shake of his head, he surveyed his kitchen again and then raised an expectant eyebrow in her direction, "I can offer you some wine if you're up for that."

"Of course, I'm good with anything." Mimi nodded eagerly, some alcohol in her system would definitely help in getting her through this visit.

Though when she watched Yamato pour the red wine into two sparkling clean glasses, she couldn't recall if they'd ever shared a drink together, just the two of them.

The last time she remembered drinking around him was at Takeru's birthday a year ago, but if her memory served correctly, Yamato was the designated driver that night and he completely held off alcohol. Her usual drinking partner was Sora, sometimes they were accompanied by Koushiro, who still hadn't learned to hold his liquor well and hated going out to drink with Taichi or his other colleagues. She could out drink most of the people she knew however, so Mimi didn't need to worry about any mishaps, rather she was grateful that the alcohol would give her the kick she needed to take control of the conversation between them.

But when Yamato set down the glasses on the table and took a seat across from her, the amber glow of the setting sun pouring in from the tall French windows painted a much grander scene in her mind than necessary. The deep yellow rays of the sun danced across Yamato's silhouette, making his golden hair shine brighter and his blue eyes seem deeper. When he picked up his glass, his slender fingers looked like they were carved out of ivory against the dark richness of the red wine. For a moment, the glare of the sunset sharpened across the room and Yamato frowned, raising his other hand to shield his eyes as he turned his attention to the scene outside. Putting his glass down he got up from his seat to walk over to the windows and pulled at the curtains, unaware of the charm that the sun brought to his face, he cut off the glow with which the sunset had covered them.

Now, with just the white ceiling lights illuminating the apartment, Mimi was able to push aside the part of her brain that tended to over-romanticize any situation. Today's sunset was just as normal as any other, she reminded herself, and there was nothing special about sharing a drink with Yamato at this moment.

She was glad when Yamato raised his glass, quickly picking her own to tap it against his in cheers before taking a big gulp out of it. Yamato's eyes never left her as he took a careful sip of his own, the corner of his lips trembling as he held back a smirk at the sight of her enthusiasm to drink. Mimi didn't care about his reaction, she was just happy that the wine he'd picked perfectly matched her tastes, its refined texture smoothly gliding over her tongue and making her head feel light with only a few ambitious swigs. The nervous knot in her stomach loosened and she could lean back in her chair with her body feeling much more relaxed than when she'd arrived. Setting her glass down on the table, she noticed that in comparison, Yamato had barely begun to drink, which might have bothered her if she wasn't feeling so content with herself.

"You know, the real surprise is you buying something from my website," Mimi said, resting her chin in her palm, now brimming with the confidence to meet Yamato's gaze.

"Well, had I known that I was eligible for such a special delivery, I would've placed an order much sooner." He didn't hold back his smirk this time, as he reached forward for his glass and took another small sip.

Do not let him get to you, do not let him get to you.

Mimi repeated the words in her head like a mantra, keeping her confident demeanour intact through pursed lips. It was pretty normal for them to fall into a pattern of taunting each other, challenging each other for fun to see how far the other could go. This was perhaps one of the reasons Mimi was worried about meeting him like this, with no buffer between them she dreaded if she'd even get the chance to share her appreciation before their conversation ended in an argument.

"It's not a big deal, I do it for Hikari chan all the time." She responded, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear just so her hand wouldn't be tempted to reach for the wine glass and finish whatever remained of the drink.

"I see."

It was always hard to read Yamato's expression so she didn't know, whether knowing that she hadn't really gone out of the way for him was something that would bother him. He was quiet for a minute, as if gathering the right words in his mind, and then with a sigh he gave her an explanation, "Takeru was going on about how I give the worst presents when I was looking for something to buy for my mother, her birthday is next week. Then you texted me that day which gave me the idea of looking up your website."

For his mother.

The gift was for his mother.

"Takeru's always praising the collection on your website-"

The rest of his explanation was drowned under the final wave of relief that washed over her. The guilt of trying to take away his time and attention unwarranted had settled in her veins from the minute she stepped out of the elevator on his floor, and now finally she felt the heaviness evaporate from her body. Of course, there was no guarantee that he didn't still have a girlfriend, but it was oddly relieving to know that he wasn't shopping for girls she didn't know anything about from her store. Or that her unplanned presence in his apartment, which had now happened twice, wouldn't be something he needed to justify to someone else.

With her mind at peace, she allowed her attention to return to her surroundings, noticing that Yamato was looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sure your mother will love the gift." Mimi improvised, biting her tongue to keep herself from slipping away out of excitement again, she added "It's the most popular item on the website right now. You're lucky it wasn't sold out."

"Or I'm lucky I know who to call if it ever is."

Mimi smiled at his subtle compliment, rewarding herself for breaking through her anxious spell and getting comfortable with the situation by finishing her glass of wine.

"Another?" Yamato asked, though he didn't wait for her to answer as he carried the bottle from the kitchen and placed it between them on the table, gesturing for Mimi to help herself, which she gladly did.

"I wanted to thank you too, for helping out when-"

"I told you not to worry about that. You would've done the same for me." Yamato was quick to cut her off and wave a dismissive hand.

"Yes, but you wouldn't have run out on me like that." Mimi bowed her head apologetically as his soft laugh reached her ears.

"Maybe. But you were overwhelmed, it was a tough night."

"It was. That's why, thank you, for taking care of me," she spoke quickly, not giving him the opportunity to brush her off this time, "I'm very grateful that you were there that night. I don't know what would've happened if I'd just been alone."

Yamato averted his gaze, though his face was blank it felt as if he was confused about accepting her gratitude. He quietly took a sip of his wine, finally finishing his first glass and then went on to pour himself another, in an awfully slow manner, at least from Mimi's point of view. He held the glass to his lips, shutting his eyes for a moment, before he decided against drinking and placed it back on the table, looking up to meet Mimi's gaze with a solemn expression on his face.

"I don't think that I deserve your heartfelt thanks, I only did the right thing, like anyone else would've done too. It was just a coincidence that I happened to find you that night."

Mimi wanted to argue, but she decided against it.

His voice sounded hollow as if there was no conviction behind the words he'd spoken. It was his eyes that gave him away, no wonder he tried to hide them from her so much. Wavering with contented relief, his blue eyes looked like an ocean covered in ripples. It hit her then, just how long it had been since she'd sat down to have an honest talk with Yamato, or even most of her other friends. She didn't know anything about his recent struggles or how he'd managed to move on from Gabumon's departure. Mimi didn't have enough information to make a guess about what was bothering him so much that he refused to accept how helpful he'd been towards her, so she understood that the topic was best left untouched for now. She was sure a time would come when she'd make him accept her feelings, but for today she was happy enough to just convey them.

"Coincidences happen for a reason too," she said, twirling the glass of wine in her hand steadily, before taking a sip.

"Like how you coincidentally happened to be in my neighbourhood today?" Yamato asked her in a teasing tone, he looked relieved now that she hadn't decided to push him into opening up.

"Hey, I live around here too, you know!" Mimi quickly defended herself with a pout.

"You do?" He asked, looking genuinely surprised by her statement.

"Yes, my new apartment is not too far from here," she said. She'd only moved out of her parent's house earlier this year, so not all of her friends were aware that she was now living by herself.

"Well, since you don't have to travel far, I suppose it's okay for you to stay for dinner?"

Yamato got up from the table and went to inspect his fridge, which Mimi was grateful for because he couldn't notice the blush that formed on her cheeks at his casual invitation. It didn't seem like he was expecting a response as he stuck his head inside the open fridge and disappeared from her view for a minute. Mimi took this chance to quickly gulp down her remaining wine, praying that it would give her the confidence she needed to keep the conversation going between her and Yamato over dinner.

"Though, it looks like all I can offer is pasta leftover from lunch," Yamato said, straightening up as he pulled out a plastic container from the fridge and kept it on the kitchen counter, shutting the door before he faced Mimi with an apologetic smile.

"But did you make the pasta?"

"Of course! I would never serve takeaway to a guest," he said, looking slightly offended that she would even consider a possibility like that.

"Then I would love to stay for dinner!"

Mimi couldn't stop herself from giggling at how he was so concerned about being a good host. She got up to help him with setting up the table, noticing that between the two of them, they'd managed to get through almost one full bottle of wine and now that Mimi's energy was completely dependent on the beverage, she had a feeling they'd probably end up finishing the second bottle that Yamato placed next to the half empty one.

As they ate, they talked about other things and life in general.

Mimi jokingly reminded him that he'd never bothered to answer her text from all those months ago and embarrassed by his mistake, Yamato ended up giving her a lengthy explanation of what he'd been up to since then, his food going cold as he nervously rambled on and Mimi stifled her laughter.

His life these days was completely taken over by his studies, with only just enough time to spare for his family. She wondered if that's how he managed to keep himself distracted after Gabumon left, and whether he truly enjoyed working so hard for his research or if he was still trying hard to fill the emptiness inside by keeping himself busy. She didn't dare ask him the question however, the tension she'd felt by being around him or even at the mention of his name since that night was finally dissolving and she was starting to enjoy his company, possibly more than she'd ever before, so it made no sense for her to lead the conversation towards bitter topics.

Instead, she too shared with him details about her life, which mostly centred around work, and what she knew about their other friends as he didn't bother to keep in touch with everyone as often as she did. She showed him her most recent conversation with Jou, where their senior had been freaking out about meeting the family of his long-term girlfriend, and they laughed together at all the silly things he'd messaged her while panicking. Yamato was curious about her business too, and his questions made Mimi excited enough to pull out her laptop and show him all the new ideas she was working on, noting down his opinion in her diary like this was just another meeting, which he found hilarious.

Time always passed quicker for Mimi when she was in a good mood and just as she'd predicted, with the clock's hand edging closer to midnight, the second bottle of wine ran dry as well. She knew it was time to head back home, but when she got up to announce her leave, the room spun around her as her feet struggled to stay steadily attached to the ground. Yamato insisted then, that he would walk her home. Even if he'd started out slow, he did drink just as much as her so she tried to protest, not wanting to tire him out unnecessarily and cause an even bigger distraction from his studying. But he refused to take no for an answer, finally adding that he was curious to see just how close she lived or if she'd made up the whole coincidence for her benefit, which made Mimi stop arguing against him since now it was a matter of proving herself correct.

When Mimi slipped her coat back on, she was grateful for the gloves she'd stuffed in her pocket as she expected the weather outside to be cold. She even pulled out a scarf from her bag, wrapping it around her neck, trapping her wavy hair against her cheeks and ears hoping that the trick would keep her face warm. Yamato however, was already waiting for her at the door after throwing on a flimsy jacket over his shirt. She thought about warning him, but when she stepped into the corridor, the cold wind brushed past her face and she forgot all about what she was going to say, her teeth chattering until they entered the lift.

After they exited Yamato's building, Mimi thought a few times about calling a cab just so she could be warm, but every time she looked at Yamato walking without a hint of discomfort on his face despite the cold December wind running past them every now and then, she shook her head and persevered. They walked mostly in silence, with Mimi guiding them in the right direction occasionally. When they reached the nearest train station from Yamato's apartment, he expected to make an entry but Mimi tugged at his arm, pointing towards the street beyond the station so he followed her with curious eyes.

"When did you move around here?" He asked, now that it was obvious that she hadn't made up the part about her living close by, he seemed more interested to find out the background.

"Some time in June. I wanted a place not too far from my office," Mimi said, pausing to consider if she should go ahead and share the sad truth behind her move. She snuck a glance at Yamato from the corner of her eye to find him patiently waiting for her to keep going. He would probably be surprised to hear it but she didn't expect him to react poorly, so Mimi went ahead and explained herself further, "The day I signed the new lease was the day Palmon's timer appeared."

"Oh." Yamato stopped walking, and as she had expected, was surprised at her words.

"I tried to undo the whole thing too," Mimi said, stopping a few steps ahead of him. Chuckling softly as the memories of her move came rushing back into her mind, "I begged my father to help me in convincing the real estate agent to take the apartment back." She shook her head in an attempt to rid all the images flashing across her mind, after being able to talk so freely with Yamato for an entire night, she didn't want it to end on a bad note. She could see the concern wavering in his blue eyes as he waited for her to finish speaking, so she tried her best to put up a brave smile as she spoke up again, "But obviously it didn't work out. Funnily enough, it was Palmon who convinced me to make the move, she said the decision was already made in my heart, she could feel it."

"She was always good at catching onto your needs." He quickly responded, taking a few steps forward towards her so they could resume their walk.

Mimi nodded at him, not knowing whether she could add anything more to this conversation without getting too emotional, she decided to stay quiet as they trudged on. Her apartment was not too far now, and another concern entered her mind. How would Yamato react to where she lived? Her past experience had told her that none of her other friends were used to living in such luxury mansion apartments, Sora had stood outside her building with her mouth hanging open for two full minutes and Koushiro had assumed that she was playing a prank on him. It was difficult to explain to everyone that her father had been very strict about letting her out of their house, and the only way to convince him to let Mimi live on her own was to agree to the place he picked out. Which just happened to be an expensive condo in a somewhat posh neighbourhood.

"Is it difficult? Living alone, after…?" Yamato's voice trailed off at the end of his question, but it helped in breaking Mimi's train of thought.

"At first it was," she admitted, tossing another smile his way, she added to reassure him, "But now I'm getting used to it."

"Good to know."

Mimi wanted to continue their conversation since it might help keep Yamato distracted when they arrived at her building, but the effects of the alcohol were starting to wear off and the exhaustion of the long day was catching up to her, making it difficult to find the right words to keep going. They neared the turn that would put her apartment building into view and she drew in a sharp breath, preparing herself for Yamato's reaction, though hoping deep down that he would be completely normal about it, unlike the others.

However, this was the one thing he had in common with the rest of their friends, as soon as they turned and the street leading up to the entrance of her apartment came into view, Yamato stopped for the second time that night, his face full of surprise.

"Oh wow, that's where you live?" He asked, eyes wide as they searched the street for any other apartment complex that was not as lavish as the one they were standing close to. But of course, the rest of the street was lined with shops and showrooms, with the opposite side boasting a large, lush and green garden which made for the perfect view from the apartment. Yamato shook his head in disbelief, sending a playful smirk her way, he added in a humorous tone, "No wonder you couldn't wait to get away from my tiny place, princess."

Mimi rolled her eyes at his poor joke, she punched his shoulder lightly and kept on walking, hoping that he would follow, seconds later he was at her side, the infuriating smirk still intact, "I was starting to wonder how we didn't run into each other since you lived so close, but this-" He gestured to the shops that they passed, all belonging to high-end brands, "kind of explains it."

"You're wrong about one thing though," Mimi fixed him with a confident stare as they reached the entrance to her apartment building. Flipping her hair back with one swift tilt of her head, she added "I'm not a princess anymore, I'm a CEO."

"Well said." Yamato laughed, the cheer spread across his face and reached his eyes, making them shine like the ocean under moonlight.

It had been a while since she'd last seen the ocean, she thought, perhaps that is why she couldn't recall a time when its depth had looked so inviting, as if it was meant for her to stay lost in it forever-

Mimi took a step back without thinking, her feet wobbling over the realization that she was not, in fact, in the middle of the ocean but standing on cold, hard concrete. The automatic doors of the building entrance dinged open, blasting her back with a gust of warmth that helped pull her senses together so she could once again focus on what was happening right now. She noticed that Yamato was staring at her curiously, possibly wondering if she'd managed to somehow pass out in front of him for a second time. She cleared her throat to let him know that she was awake, and fully in control of herself, making a mental note to never drink wine around people she found attractive.

"Thank you," Mimi spoke up in the hopes of fighting off her embarrassment and keeping her overactive imagination from taking over again, "For walking me home, and of course, for your help that night."

"Mimi, please-"

"It's okay. I understand how you feel, but still, I think it's important for me to tell you how I feel too," she said, countering the dismissive frown that had settled on Yamato's face. "I deserve that much, don't I?"

Yamato pursed his lips together, the wrinkles on his forehead decreasing slightly when he met her determined eyes, before sighing in defeat, "Yes, you do. Sorry for being so bad at accepting your gratitude."

"Don't worry! You know what they say, third time's the charm." Mimi winked at him, grinning at the thought of being able to get back at him for all the teasing before.

But Yamato continued to remain unpredictable, the solemn look on his face twisted into a smirk with a mischievous glint in his eyes in a matter of seconds as he lowered his head slightly to reach her height and look her directly in the eyes, "Confident about running into me coincidentally for a third time, Mimi chan?"

It was hard not to blush when his gaze pierced her so thoroughly, and all Mimi could do was pray that the cold weather had already coloured her cheeks enough to hide the burning sensation she felt spread all across her face. His accusation wasn't entirely incorrect, considering that she had planned her visit to his place today, but it would take a lot more than him putting his face inches away from hers to get her to admit that out loud.

"It's a small world after all." Despite the confidence she built up in her mind, her voice still came out as a whisper.

"Touché." Yamato pulled back, running a hand through his hair as he directed his gaze towards the sky for a brief moment. When he looked at her again, he'd managed to mask his real feelings behind a standard, polite smile, "Well, I won't keep you from your castle any longer. It's getting cold out here too, so go on." He gestured with one hand for her to head inside the building.

As much as Mimi was craving the heat, she found herself hesitant to take a step. Somehow, it didn't quite feel right to her that this was how their night was ending. She felt confused by her doubt, but she knew that there was more to their conversation and she was the only one who could do something to keep it going. But much to her disappointment, words seemed to fail her as she battled with the drowsiness coursing through her mind and body, telling her that it was time to give up and get some rest. It must've been visible on her face too, because Yamato quickly stepped back, waving a silent goodbye to her before he turned around and began to walk back the way they had come.

"Good night, Yamato san!" Mimi managed to shout after his retreating figure, he seemed to have heard her as he raised one hand in acknowledgement though he didn't turn around or slow down. "Get home safe…" she added in a quieter voice as she too decided to head up home.

Once inside the building, Mimi realised that maybe it was for the best to end the night where it did since all she could do till she reached her front door was let out yawn after yawn. Luckily for her, it was too late for other people to hang around the building's lobby or elevator, so she could stretch her mouth as wide as it wanted to go without fear of embarrassment. She didn't know how she managed to turn the key in the lock correctly on the first try, but once she was inside her apartment, her bag was thrown to the floor, her coat and scarf were tossed onto the couch and after she tied up hair in a messy bun, Mimi suddenly felt very awake.

She poured herself a glass of water, and then another, allowing her jumbled thoughts to break apart from one other and gave herself the chance to think clearly once again.

She should have invited Yamato up to her apartment.

The walk from his place hadn't been particularly long, but considering that he needed to cover the distance twice, the least Mimi could've done was offer him some water or a warm cup of coffee before he headed back. She thought about how he'd been quick to hide what he was really feeling before he called it a night and wondered whether he had hoped that she would extend the offer on her own, without any prompts from him. Shaking her head in defeat, Mimi flopped down on her couch right on top of her coat, not caring about the wrinkles she would have to deal with in the morning.

Just when she'd thought that things were even and back to normal between her and Yamato, a new doubt took root in her mind. He had been too nice to her all evening, if he wanted to, he could've just accepted the package at the door and asked her to come back later when he wasn't busy studying. But he set aside his plans for the day and invited her in, gave her a chance to share her feelings and happily played catch up with her all night, only for her to act completely oblivious at the end of it all and send him back without bothering to even check whether that was what he wanted. Maybe Yamato wouldn't mind, she thought or rather hoped, because of how understanding he had been about everything so far. The next time she met him, she would make sure to be more courteous and extend the kindness he had shown her back to him in double.

Next time.

Why did the thought that their next meeting would happen soon appear so naturally in her mind? Just one night of dinner and a fun conversation was not enough to change how things had always been between them, Mimi attempted to reason with herself, but there was a weird, fluttering feeling at the bottom of her stomach that kept telling her that something had already changed.

Letting out a loud groan before she slapped her cheeks with her hands to keep herself from getting muddled up with her thoughts again, Mimi left the couch and began to make her way towards her room. She decided that she would leave the overthinking and unneeded analysis of every moment she'd spent with Yamato today for the work commute tomorrow, all she needed to do right now was be one with her bed and drift off to a dreamless sleep. When she opened the door to her bedroom, however, a strange and unfamiliar blue glow greeted her.

Her first thought was that someone had snuck into her apartment and her eyes darted around to find an object she could use to fight off any attackers. In the process she came to notice that her room was definitely empty and no one was hiding in wait to jump at her, and that the blue glow had now brightened, revealing its source very clearly. On her bedside table was a small wooden photo frame with a picture of her and Palmon, and in front of it lay her digivice, which up until now had been rusted to its core, but now was the source of the unusual light surrounding her room. She took a hesitant step towards the table and for a brief moment, the blue glow became blindingly strong so Mimi squeezed her eyes shut.

She opened them a minute later, resting a hand on her chest to calm the nervous thumping of her heart. Swallowing a gulp at the sight of her room seeming normal again, she fixed her eyes on the digivice lying still on the table. The blue light that had surrounded it was now gone, but her digivice had not returned to its rusted state.

Instead, it looked as new and shiny as it had been on the day it dropped in front of her from the sky all those years ago.

The only difference was that the deep blue colour it now so proudly boasted, was one that she had never seen her digivice take on before.

- x -

A/n: Thank you for reading, reviews are always appreciated!