It was the day after the show. Matt was on Cloud Nine as he strolled through the sunny nature reserve, remembering the events of the night before. Things could hardly have gone better. After forty-eight hours of intensive rehearsal, his song had been a hit. It had made the set. The audience had demanded two encores, and the club had offered them a permanent listing.

And so now there was only one thing left to do. One person left to see. And as luck would have it, by some heavenly coincidence she was wandering towards him. Neither made any move to show they'd seen the other. Just kept moving at the same relaxed pace until they were face to face, an arm's reach away. Matt had been expecting this to be awkward, given what had happened the last time they had met. But he'd been wrong. Though neither had said a single word, it was a companionable, gentle quiet that surrounded them.

Eventually it was Mimi that spoke, gazing directly into his eyes.

"I was at the club, you know. I heard your band play."

"… Oh." He had tried to think of a witty reply, but had failed miserably. He fancied that her piercing stare could read his soul. He thought he felt himself blushing. What a ridiculous notion. He never blushed.

The corners of Mimi's lips twitched. "I thought you said you weren't going to write a song about me."

He coughed sheepishly, the pinkish tinge grazing his face now extending to the tips of his ears. "I never said that. I just said someone else already had."

A pause stretched between them. Still neither had moved. Matt hadn't reached out to touch her like he wanted to. His arms were fixed at his sides. Mimi's gaze hadn't fallen from his face. She couldn't turn her head away.

"So…" he began again, feeling oddly nervous. What did that mean? He was never nervous. "Did you like it?"

Mimi grinned properly, a smile that lit up her whole face. "Better than Highway to Hell."

And then the spell was broken. Matt pretended to start in shock. "Ye Gods! Is that the glimmer of a sense of humour?"

Mimi raised an eyebrow in mock disapproval. "Watch it, boy."

Both smiled as another silence settled. Matt gritted his teeth. This was proving much harder than he thought it would be. Worse than that, he was finding himself unable to look at her. He cast his eyes downwards as he spoke again.

"You know… Jaz - that's our drummer - said I should hang on to you…"

Mimi tried to catch his eye, but he was too quick for her. "Why?" she asked, a look of puzzlement drawing her features together.

"Because of the song. Because without you I couldn't write anything worth listening to. Because you were my inspiration…"

"Okay..." she thought that she maybe saw where this was going. "And what do you think?"

"What about your boyfriend?" Matt's voice was small, almost scared. How could this have happened? How could one girl have disarmed him so? And this girl, of all of them?

"Ex-boyfriend." Mimi's tone was detached, almost flippant. It seemed a tad forced, as if she was trying not to care. Trying to shield her hurt. "Emphasis on the 'ex'. He wanted me to take him back, but I wouldn't. He broke up with me so that he could hit on Sora. My best friend. When she wouldn't have him, he thought maybe I wasn't such a bad catch after all. I was just a trophy for him. An accessory to his ideal life. And even though he was never my Prince Charming, it still hurt. I could never date another guy like him..."

She was suddenly cut off as Matt took her face in his hands and pressed his lips down on hers. Mimi, initially too stunned to respond, took a moment to melt into the kiss. His lips were sure of what they wanted, but at the same time they were so soft; so tender. It was turning her joints to jelly. He knew exactly what he was doing. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered the fact that he was a way better kisser than Michael. With him, kissing had been a battle fought for dominance. This kiss was about give and take. And that was the way it should be.

It was a long moment before they each pulled back. Matt looked wide-eyed, shocked at himself for what he'd just done. What he'd just risked. Mimi looked just as she felt: jumbled, in complete disarray. As if someone had taken a baseball bat and smashed every one of her beliefs like the glass menagerie they were. She knew the ball was in her court now. It was her call to make. She twisted her hands together and tried to find the words.

"Matt… you saw me in a way that nobody has ever seen me. You found a way to strip me bare when not even I could. And I don't know what is going to happen in the future, because I'm still learning. I have to completely reform myself. But I think I'll be okay… if I can learn it with you."

Matt grinned so brightly that he seemed to sparkle. "You can learn anything with me."

And, looking her directly in the eyes, he took her by the waist and kissed her again.

FINISHED! Hurrah! This is the first chaptered fic I have actually finished in YEARS. Please to be reviewing if you liked it!

Emma's facts about nothing in particular

There are seven letters in the English alphabet that look the same upside down as right side up.