This is a songfic (sort-of, there's kind of a lot of text between song snippets, so I'm not sure how well preserved the integrity of the song is). It's based off of the song "Catch Me I'm Fallin'" by Toni Gonzaga (youtube…com/watch?v=b8GPr9oPLqI; replace the ellipsis with a single period). There were a few parts where the lyrics were slightly weird, so I made a few changes, they'll be in brackets.

Since I'm totally stuck on my other story for Digimon, and I already had most of this written, I thought it was about time to finish it up. Maybe I'd be able to get my creative juices for "The Princess and the Servant" going if I dabbled in something else.

I didn't really feel like adding in the second season Digidestined, so while this takes place years after the events of the second season, I'm going to pretend that the second round of Digidestined didn't exist because this story is really about the relations between a few of the original Digidestined.

I grew up with the dubbed version, so I'll use the American spellings without honorifics.

Thoughts will be in italics within quotes to help differentiate them from speech. Song lyrics will be in bold.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any affiliates.

"And that's how I ended up coming back to Japan for the rest of the summer break," Mimi concluded, smiling up at her blue-haired friend.

"That's quite a story," Joe commented with a smile. "Somehow though, it seems just like something that would happen to you. Aren't you lucky?" he teased.

Mimi stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to laugh, which subsequently made her break out into gales of laughter soon after. Their mirth slowly gave way to a comfortable, amicable silence as they sat together on the grassy hillside.

"Joe's changed a lot in the time that I've been away," she mused, observing her companion out of the corner of her eye. "He seems to be taking to medical school well, and he's gotten rid of a lot of his allergies and smaller fears." She suppressed an impish smile. "His fashion sense has improved drastically too! I almost didn't recognize him at the airport." She smiled, reminiscing, "If his hair hadn't been blue, I'm not completely sure I would have recognized him. Although, the others have done their fair share of changing too…" She smiled fondly, thinking of the other Digidestined.

"Mimi."

The brunette turned back to her friend, tearing herself away from her thoughts. "Hmm?"

Joe grinned and pointed out on the horizon. "Look at the sunset."

With a smile, Mimi turned to see the sky for herself. "Wow…" she breathed in awe.

The sky was on fire with color. Streaks of gold splashed across bold reds and bright oranges that gradually faded to light pinks and royal purples. Tinges of the last vestiges of the blue sky clung to the edge of the bright colors, softening, yet enhancing the intensity of the various hues. The first evening stars winked and twinkled, sprinkling the whole scene lightly with stardust.

For a few moments, they simply sat there drinking in the masterpiece before them. Eventually, Mimi tore her gaze away from the phenomenon to turn and thank her friend for showing her this little slice of Heaven on Earth. As she shifted to face him and opened her mouth though, the words died on her lips and she took to quietly watching him instead.

The ecstasy of his soul while it basked in the magnificence displayed across the heavens made his face positively radiant. The fading sunlight glinted off his hair and his glasses, creating a kind of halo around his head. But it was his eyes she couldn't bear to move her gaze away from—his eyes that shone in rapture, filled with a dreamy, romantic quality that tugged at her heartstrings, calling to her soul. Gone were the tired eyes of a medical student. Gone was the overly-serious visage he normally wore. In place of the serious medical student she counted among her best friends sat a young dreamer, full of life and potential, content with all in the world. She felt her eyes tear slightly at the sight of him, feeling blessed that she had the privilege of seeing him so relaxed and happy. This was a side of Joe she had never seen in the many years she had known him.

I don't know why
But when I [looked] in your eyes
I felt something that [seemed] so right

A tender smile crossed her features as her eyes caressed his face, trying to memorize every detail before the spell passed. Idly she mused, "He looks so different, so alive…I never realized how handsome he is." Hardly had she thought the words when she felt herself start, thunderstruck. "D-did I just think Joe was…handsome?" she thought shakily. She took in a sharp intake of air, astounded. Surreptitiously she took another good, hard look at him. "Wow~…" She felt as if she were seeing him for the first time ever. "He's really, really cute!" As the thoughts broke into her conscious, she scolded herself for her traitorous thoughts. "Joe is my friend!"

You've got yours I've got mine

Joe caught the irritated look that crossed her face out of the corner of his eye. Thinking that she had been waiting to say something to him, he turned his head and shot her a warm smile.

I think I'm losing my mind

Her eyes widened as butterflies wildly fluttered in her stomach. She blushed and quickly turned back to gaze at the sunset, disturbed by the effect his smile had on her. "What's happening to me? ?"

'Cause I shouldn't feel this way

"Mimi?"

Her heart raced at the sound of his voice. Had it always been so masculine and soothing? Channeling all of her willpower into schooling her voice into the semblance of its usual tone, she responded, "Umm, yes, Joe?" She cautiously looked over at him, willing herself to look and act normal despite her inner turmoil.

He shot her that devastating smile again as he tapped his watch. "We should get going. I promised my mom I'd be back before dark."

With a quick smile and nod, she turned away from him with a slight sigh of relief. She could escape before her disconcerting thoughts and feelings drove her mad. She frowned a little. Despite her relief, at the same time she felt…disappointed. She shook her head slightly. This wasn't the time to be mulling over confusing things. That could wait until after she got back to Sora's and could examine everything in a more objective light, away from the source of the distraction. Pushing herself up from the grass, she cheered, "Then let's hit that road!"

If he had noticed that she was smiling a tad over-brightly at him, he gave no indication. They walked companionably down the road, until Joe spotted something up ahead. He pointed excitedly to a small group of people readying a hot air balloon for flight. "Look at that!"

Mimi's face broke out into a radiant smile. "Come on! I want to see it take off!" she shouted as she started running toward the group. With a laugh he followed after her. Just as he was about to overtake her, Mimi stepped on her foot a bit strangely, causing her to stumble. "Ah!" she cried as she pitched forward toward the concrete sidewalk.

Catch me, I'm falling for you

"Mimi!" he yelled, quickly grabbing her wrist and pulling back to keep her from falling. The force of the yank coupled with the position of her feet spun her around so that she flopped into his arms just as he took a step back to keep them from falling over. For a split second, their eyes met, and she forgot everything else.

And I don't know what to do

For that split second, all that existed in her world was Joe. She didn't know how to explain it, but in that moment she felt that her soul had been irrevocably knit to his.

"Are you alright?" Joe asked, checking her over for injuries.

"I-I'm fine," she managed to reply.

He nodded in acknowledgement before looking down at the ankle she had stumbled on and suggesting, "Try standing."

Nodding back, she stood, and immediately toppled forward, back into his arms, with a wince.

He glanced at her face in concern before frowning down at her ankle. "I'd better look at that." He looked back up to her face. "Let's find a bench or something."

He turned his head to and fro, scanning the vicinity for a bench. When he found one, he smiled briefly before his brow creased. "There's a bench over there, but it's a fair distance away. It would be difficult for her to hobble all the way over there." He glanced down at the tiny female before pursing his lips and deciding, "It's the only way."

"Mimi, is it alright if I carry you over to that bench over there?" She turned to look over her shoulder in the direction that he was pointing. "It's a little far for you to hobble." He looked solemnly at her, waiting for her response.

She felt her knees grow slightly weaker at the request. Mutely, without looking at him, she nodded.

He carefully scooped her up into his arms and steadily walked toward the bench.

How can something so wrong
Feel so right all along

Mimi wanted to die of embarrassment. "He's so close, I can feel his heart beat…or is that mine? !" She felt her cheeks heat as she squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she hesitantly raised her eyes to his face. Her eyes softened as she watched him. He looked so strong and capable. She felt safe and cherished. A light smile touched her lips. "My reliable Joe," she thought affectionately.

Catch me, I'm falling for you

His eye caught hers, reminding her of the situation. She quickly averted her eyes.

How can time be so wrong
For love to come along

With a chuckle, he asked, "Is there something on my face?"

"Huh?" She looked up at him in surprise. "No, why?"

"You were staring at my face," he reminded her patiently, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I was," she admitted in embarrassment. "The…the sunset is reflected in your glasses," she offered up the meager excuse, praying that he would buy it.

"Really?" he asked, a little surprised. The sun wasn't really in his eyes at all.

She looked him straight in the eye and responded truthfully, "Really."

Catch me, I'm falling for you

She leaned her head on his shoulder with a dull tinge of red on her cheeks. It was true that she had been looking at his glasses, but she knew that she had been more interested in the eyes that she had just barely been able to make out behind the glasses than the sunset reflected on the glasses themselves. She felt his steps falter a bit.

"Mimi…?" he asked hesitantly, "Umm, what are you doing?"

How can love let it go
When it has no place to go

She shot up, with a guilty look in her eyes. "Does it bother you?" she asked anxiously.

He blinked in surprise at her violent reaction. "Uh, no…no, not really," he replied, looking a little embarrassed. "I was just wondering why…?"

She mustered her most charming, carefree smile and explained gaily, "It's more comfortable since I can rest my head." Her smile faded into a slightly worried look. "Are you sure you don't mind?" she prodded.

And I can't go along pretending

He smiled reassuringly and shook his head. "I was wondering if it was something like that. You can lean on me again if you'd like." He smiled and nodded up ahead. "We're almost there."

For a few more precious moments, she rested in his arms, only reluctantly leaving them when they had arrived at the bench.

After he had put her down, he bent down to conduct a quick, but thorough inspection of her ankle. "Nothing seems to be broken, and it doesn't look sprained. You probably just twisted it, so it's nothing to worry about. We'll just need to keep your weight off of it for a little longer."

"Thank you, Joe," she murmured quietly.

He smiled back. "Don't mention it. Besides," he joked, "I wouldn't be much of a doctor if I couldn't diagnose and treat twisted ankles."

She gave him a weak smile.

Immediately, he turned serious. "Does it still hurt?"

That love is in here to stay

She looked down at her feet and hesitatingly answered, "Yes…"

Joe looked at the sky for a minute before making his decision. "I'll carry you part of the way back. It'll hopefully give your ankle the time it needs to rest."

Mimi bit her lip in indecision.

Seeing her hesitation, he urged, "It'll be the fastest way to get you back to Sora's."

"Alright," she acquiesced.

After she clambered onto his back, he carried her toward their apartment complex.

Catch me I'm falling for you

Closing her eyes, she laid her head on his shoulder. She didn't know what was going on, but for now, she'd enjoy it.

- (u_u) -

"Thanks for walking me back, Joe," she smiled shyly up at him.

He smiled quietly back. "You're welcome; well, good night." He turned to leave.

If I could just walk away

"Wait!" she heard herself call.

He turned to look at her inquiringly.

"I…" she started, taking a step toward him.

"Yes?"

Their eyes met. She could practically feel the electricity. For about half an instant, she seriously considered taking another step and pressing her lips to his. Taking a step back, to hide the embarrassed, shaken look that had crossed her face, she babbled, "Ah…I, uh." Her brain eagerly latched onto the first coherent thought that formed in her head. Forcing her voice and expression to be extra perky and bubbly, she gushed, "We'd better hang out again before I leave, Joe Kido! Don't be a stranger, ok?" Before he could respond to her bizarre change of behavior, she abruptly called out, "Good night!" and hurriedly slammed the door closed.

"Whew…" She breathed a sigh of relief as she leaned against the door, clutching onto the doorknob for support. She brought her free hand up to her chest as a look of pain and loneliness crossed her features. "How can I already miss him? This is a disaster!"

Without you from day to day
I would die just thinking of you

Dazedly, she took off her shoes and walked into Sora's room. The light-auburn-haired girl looked up from her computer with a smile that quickly turned into a look of concern when she saw how pale Mimi looked. The brunette fell face-down on the bed, moaning dramatically, "My life is over!"

At Mimi's melodramatic statement, Sora raised her eyebrows before sighing and going over to comfort her friend. "Now, now, whatever happened while you were out with Joe couldn't have been that bad," she soothed, sitting on the bed and patting her shoulder.

"You weren't there," Mimi mumbled mutinously, the comforter muffling her words slightly.

With a shake of her head, Sora rolled her eyes and countered, "Ok, what could've possibly happened that was so catastrophic that it's causing you to deem that your life is over?"

Mimi turned her head so she could see her friend. "I realized that Joe is cute," she stated flatly, a miserable look on her face.

Sora gave her a look that said, "Seriously? That's all?" before dryly replying, "Ok…so he's cute…so what?"

Mimi sat up and quickly grabbed her friend's hands. "So what? ! Don't you see? ?" she asked impatiently.

"See what?" She really didn't see what the big deal was. "So Joe's grown into his looks; big deal."

"It is a big deal," Mimi insisted, dropping her hands. "It's not just that he's cute. On top of being cute he's smart, sweet, caring, extremely handsome, considerate, dependable, fun to be with, a good listener…"

As Mimi continued to list Joe's good qualities, Sora's mouth formed an O, her face becoming progressively more stunned with each new trait. "W-wait a minute!" she exclaimed when the power of speech had finally returned to her, cutting Mimi off. "Do you mean to say that you've fallen for Joe? !" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes! No! Yes! Maybe…I think I have…Oh what a mess!" Mimi cried, putting her head in her hands.

Sora ran a hand through her hair. "Wow…talk about timing…"

"I know! Why did I have to fall for him?" Mimi ranted. "For one thing, I have to go back to America in a couple of weeks."

Sora nodded sympathetically.

"But more importantly," she continued with a sad look on her face, "He'd never like me back."

I think that we'll never be
More than friends, you and me

Sora's eyes widened as her eyebrows shot up. "Whaaaat? !" She was speechless.

The other girl wrapped her arms around her legs, leaning her chin against her knees. "Joe wouldn't be interested in someone like me," she repeated glumly. "I'm always taking advantage of his kindness, and I'm not smart like him. We don't really have all that much in common other than the Digiworld. I mean, we always find stuff to talk about, but Joe would probably want a girl that's less frivolous and petty than me," she explained with a wistful look in her eyes and a longing tone in her voice. "He deserves someone amazing, someone of real substance and character, and pretty to boot."

But why do I feel this way

Sora's eyes widened. "Does she really not know…?"

She got off the bed to kneel in front of her friend so that they were face-to-face. Putting her hands on the slim girl's shoulders, she said seriously, "Mimi."

Mimi lifted her chin from her knees and looked at her friend.

Sora bit her lip, praying that she was doing the right thing. After all, she only had suspicions, no proof. "You may not know this, but I'm pretty sure Joe used to have a crush on you. I'm almost positive that he did back when we were in the Digiworld, although how much longer after that, I couldn't tell you."

Mimi's eyes lit up in hope before her face crumpled again, her head dropping back onto her knees. "Used to being the key words," she muttered, crestfallen.

Making an impatient sound, Sora tried to rally Mimi's spirits again by pointing out, "But at least you know that it's not impossible for him to like you back, right?"

Catch me, I'm falling for you

The brown-haired girl cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "That's true." Her face broke into a dreamy smile as she allowed herself to momentarily fantasize what it would be like for him to love her back. All too soon though, she made herself come back to Earth. Over the years, she had learned the dangers of getting caught up in fantasies and had become a much more level-headed girl than she had been in her youth. She looked back at Sora in resignation. "I doubt he likes me anymore. Nine years is an unrealistically long time to carry a torch." She wanted to cry. The bitter irony of finding their positions reversed made things even worse. She was nine years too late in discovering her feelings for him. She flopped back on the bed in misery and curled up into a ball, hugging one of Sora's stuffed animals tightly.

"Snap out of it, Mimi." Sora hated seeing her normally bubbly friend so down on herself. "Being depressed like this isn't like you." She pulled the despondent figure up from the bed. "You've never had any problems making your voice heard on important issues before, including things like relationships." Encouragingly she added, "What makes this time so different?" Unfortunately her good intentions didn't quite pan out the way she had planned.

Mimi looked at her friend helplessly.

And I don't know what to do

"It's different because it's Joe. He's just so different than the kind of guys I usually like." She bit her lip and confessed, "This whole experience is so different and new for me. This is the first time that I'd be risking my heart without any idea of the outcome." She blushed a little bit and looked away.

"Well then, you'll just have to spend more time with him so you can get a better idea of what he thinks of you," Sora replied, a determined look on her face.

Mimi looked at her friend with a strange look on her face. It seemed to be halfway between curiosity and hopelessness. "How?"

"We'll have him take you on a date," she replied matter-of-factly.

"What? !" Mimi stared at her in shock. "Are you insane? !"

Sora looked slightly hurt. "What's wrong with my idea?" she asked a tad defensively. "I thought you'd jump at the chance to spend time with him again."

"Well, yes…I would like to see him again…" she admitted. "But I don't want to force or trick him into taking me out!" she protested. "He's got more important things to do than hang out with me."

Sora gave her a funny look before walking over to her desk chair and picking up her schoolbag. "Boy, you really have it bad," she commented as she rummaged through the bag.

Mimi frowned. "Why?" She didn't like something about the way Sora had said that.

"Well…" Sora hesitated, "I'm not really sure of a good way to put this…"

"Spit it out," Mimi ordered.

"Well…you're not always the most…considerate person in the world. You aren't very…accustomed to not having your own way, and you aren't usually very…willing to give it up for the sake of others." At the sight of Mimi's indignant scowl, Sora quickly added, "Not to say that you don't care, but if something's not important to you, say like studying, then you tend to dismiss it as not a good enough reason for why that person can't accommodate you." She gave Mimi a pointed look. "I know you've bullied Joe into skipping class before."

Mimi squirmed under the look. "That was because I was only here for a couple of days!" she whined defensively. "It's not like I don't want him to do well in school!"

Sora smiled kindly. "I know you don't, but considering your track record, you can understand why I'm convinced that you really love him." She laughed softly. "After all, true love makes you kinder and more considerate toward other people. You care more about the things that are important to them and are less selfish and self-centered." She winked at her now crimson-faced friend before surreptitiously looking for a number on her cell phone. "Don't worry; I'll figure out a way for you to hang out without interfering with his schedule." She chuckled and pressed the "call" button.

"Hello?" a male voice answered.

"Hi Joe! This is Sora," she responded cheerfully as Mimi's expression turned to one of absolute horror.

She made a grab for the phone, but Sora lithely danced away. The two played this game of cat-and-mouse as Sora continued her conversation.

"So I'm thinking of throwing a get-together for the Digidestined since Mimi's back for a little bit," she explained, quickly ducking to avoid a swipe from Mimi.

"That sounds like a good idea. When were you thinking of having it?"

"Well actually," Sora stepped to the side to avoid another attempt at her phone, "Since you seem to be the most busy I was wondering when you're free."

"Oh!" Joe felt terrible. He hadn't intended for his busy schedule to make things difficult for everyone else.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Sora responded as she kept Mimi at bay with her foot. "Wednesday evening works for me. I'll tell the others. Oh! I almost forgot!" she grinned slyly at Mimi and dashed out of the room. "Don't tell Mimi; I want to surprise her."

"Will do," he replied with a chuckle.

Mimi was getting dizzy and tired from chasing Sora around and around the living room. It was so frustrating! The older girl wasn't even breathing hard! Why, oh, why hadn't she taken exercising more seriously in her younger years?

Sora gave a theatrical sigh as she leisurely wandered around the room. "Now I just have to figure out what to do with her."

Mimi had by this point collapsed on the floor near the coffee table.

"Need to figure out a way to keep her busy as you prepare for the party?" Joe asked shrewdly.

"Yeah actually," Sora replied, forcing herself to sound sheepish. "Have any ideas? I'd send her to the mall, but you know she'd want a shopping buddy, and the party will probably be at Tai's, so Kari and I are out," she explained.

In a spurt of energy, Mimi managed to snatch the phone away from Sora's unsuspecting fingers, accidentally hitting the speakerphone button just in time to hear Joe say, "Would you like me to keep her busy? I should be free all day." Mimi dropped the phone in shock; had she heard right? Had he just of his own free will arranged for them to spend more time together?

"Hello?" Joe frowned at the phone. "Sora?"

"Sorry!" Sora replied a tad too eagerly after she scooped the phone off of the ground. Her plan was working! "I accidentally dropped the phone." More calmly she responded, "Yeah, that would be great! Could you give her a call tomorrow so she'll know?"

Joe felt his stomach clench a bit nervously. It hadn't occurred to him that he'd have to ask her out! He frowned. "Why am I nervous? This is Mimi we're talking about! We're just friends; there's nothing to be nervous about…right?"

"Uh, sure," he automatically answered, still trying to sort out his strange thoughts.

"Great! Bye!" Sora quickly wrapped up and closed her phone. She turned to Mimi with a gigantic grin and made a double victory sign with her fingers. "You've just gotten yourself a date with the one and only Mr. Joe Kido."

Now that Joe had taken the initiative to make a "date" with her, Mimi allowed herself to get excited. "I know! What am I going to wear? !" With a laugh, she dragged her friend back to the bedroom to let the fashion fun begin.

- (^_^) -

Joe stared at his book; he had read the same paragraph ten times and hadn't processed a single word of it. It was official; he couldn't concentrate. He closed his book and groaned, leaning further back in his chair so that his back slightly hung over the top of the chair back. He ran a hand through his hair that fell just below chin-length. "Me and my big mouth. Why did I have to volunteer to keep Mimi company on Wednesday? I didn't expect to have to call and invite her. I wish Sora would just tell her," he sighed in resignation, "But then that would just about ruin the surprise." He pushed his glasses up his nose before trying to apply himself to his studies again. "Why am I so nervous?" he thought to himself in frustration. "Mimi and I are just friends. Why am I getting so worked up about asking her to hang out? I half-initiated our last meeting, so what is it about initiating this next hang out session that's so hard?" He frowned at his Organic Chemistry homework. "Honestly, the last time I was this nervous about being with her was…back when I had a crush on her!" he realized as his pencil stilled. "There's no way…I can't be falling for her again!" he panicked.

How can something so wrong

"No, absolutely not! No way, José. I'm not having my heart broken by the same girl twice." He looked grim. "Falling for her is just stupid. Just like last time, she'll go back to America and I'll be left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart." He nodded slightly to himself and went back to balancing his Organic Chemistry equation. "Falling for her again is out of the question," he told himself resolutely.

For the next hour he worked on his homework in peace. As he reached over for his textbook again, his picture of the Digidestined caught his eye. His eyes homed in on one particular person, a girl in pink.

Feel so right all along

He felt his cheeks heat as he remembered the split second look that the two had shared when he caught her. He picked up the picture and held it in both hands, gazing solemnly at the small figure. In that moment when their eyes had met, he felt as if something had passed between them. In that split second, all of his buried—and he had thought, forgotten—feelings toward the girl surged back to life.

Catch me, I'm falling for you

It had taken all of his control to keep his face from turning red and his voice from betraying his inner turmoil. For the rest of their time together, he had found himself uncomfortably over-aware of her presence, but he was pretty confident that he had managed to avoid indicating to her how much of an effect she had on him by throwing himself wholeheartedly into his doctor role. After she had left for America, he had resigned himself to knowing that they could only ever be just friends.

How can time be so wrong
For love to come along

Over the years, he had worked hard to, if not eradicate the romantic feelings he had for her, at least avoid giving any indication of their existence through that accursed medium known as body language. He had been so relieved and happy when he found that he had managed to return to that blessed state of being "just friends" with her. He closed his eyes. "How did everything change so quickly?"

Catch me, I'm falling for you

As he remembered the feeling of having her close to him the previous afternoon, he sighed, pushing his glasses back up on his nose. "Why is this happening to me again?"

Maybe someday I'll see
Why love did this to me

His eyes slid over to the phone and he picked it up. "I'll have to face the music sometime; maybe if I do it now, I'll actually be able to get some work done."

'Cause I can't go along, pretending

"Hello?"

The sweet strains of her voice made him smile slightly despite himself. "Hi Mimi; it's Joe."

"Hi Joe!" she grinned and sent Kari and Sora a victory sign. Kari had been brought up-to-date about recent happenings over the course of the afternoon. "What's up?"

"We…ll, I, um, was wondering if you had some time on Wednesday… I, er, happen to be free, and I was wondering if…well, if you wanted to hang out or something." He paused before feebly joking, "You...You told me not to be a stranger, right?" He wanted to throw up. How had he ever gotten into this mess? If she didn't agree to go with him, the surprise the others were planning was ruined! He grimaced. Not to mention that it would leave him far more vulnerable to a second round of heartbreak suffered at the hands of the same person!

"I'd love to," she responded with a girlish giggle.

"Great!" He smiled to himself in relief and mentally squashed the warm feelings that had arisen from the sound of her laugh. All systems were go. Danger averted, he was able to face the rest of the conversation more calmly. "Why don't I pick you up from Sora's around 12:30? We can grab a late lunch or something."

"Sounds good, Joe."

Before she could try and engage him in further conversation, he quickly said, "Well, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you on Wednesday. Bye!" and promptly hung up the phone. Mimi pouted and sighed in disappointment while on the other side, Joe sighed in relief. "Alright, everything's all set, and I somehow managed not to make a complete fool of myself." Satisfied, he sat down and applied himself to his work, determined to save worrying and stressing for the day of the party.

- (=_=) -

*ding dong* The day of the fateful date—"No, it's not a date!" Joe sternly reminded himself—had arrived. Joe quietly waited in front of Sora's door. To the casual passer-by, he looked completely at ease, but inside he was a bundle of apprehensive nerves.

"Hi Joe," Sora answered the door. "Come in." With a wink, she whispered, "Thanks for doing this; you're a lifesaver."

Joe felt himself relax. "That's right; this is a favor for my friends, nothing more. This is not a date!"

"No problem," he replied good-naturedly.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a girl said behind him.

Joe turned with a smile to greet the newcomer and found himself rendered speechless.

That love is in here to stay

Sora sent Mimi a victory sign behind his back. The outfit obviously had achieved its intended effect.

Mimi felt her heart flutter at Joe's unabashed admiration. She wore a pink-and-white lace dress that stopped a little above her knees. The majority of the dress was a light pink, the neckline started out as a V, before the white lace cut across it horizontally just above the swell of her breasts. The bottom few inches of the skirt were also white lace. On her feet she had white, open-toed heels with pink bows and she wore a long, silver necklace with a teardrop charm. In her hair she wore a simple, white headband and her hair hung down in light curls. Shyly she asked, "Are you ready to go?"

Catch me, I'm falling for you

"Huh?" he asked dumbly, snapping back to reality. "O-of course," he replied, mentally berating himself for acting so stupidly. "Let's go." He tore out of the apartment as if his heels were on fire.

Mimi giggled and winked at Sora as she left, waving good bye to her friend. She felt her heart surge as she saw him muttering to himself at the bottom of the stairs. Her eyes misted slightly. "Maybe, there's some hope for me."

Catch me, I'm falling for you

When she had joined him at the bottom of the stairs, she chirped, "So where are we going?"

He blushed, and looked away. "Don't think about how cute she looks. Don't think about how cute she looks!"

"Joe?" she asked, tugging on his sleeve. "Is something wrong?" She peered up at him with wide, concerned eyes.

He wasn't sure if she was doing it deliberately or not, but she somehow managed to completely disarm him. His face flushed an even deeper shade of red. How could he resist those eyes? But as he felt himself beginning to succumb to her concern, something deep within him kicked in. "No." He clenched his fists. "Not again. I won't fall for you again."

"Let's go get some ramen, Mimi," he stiffly whispered, looking away from her. "You haven't had any yet, right?"

She blinked in surprise at the sudden shift. "Uh…no, I haven't," she answered back quietly.

She felt sad. "Maybe there isn't any chance for me after all."

In silence they walked to the ramen shop, ate their ramen, and watched a movie. The only conversation they had was to confer about the movie to watch.

Walking out of the theater, Mimi could feel tears coming to her eyes. "Even though we're physically together, I feel like we're further apart than when I was in America." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "What happened? Did I do something to make him upset?" The tears flowed freely down her face now. "I shouldn't have gone along with Sora on this hair-brained scheme. It's just made things worse." She hiccupped, first one, then another, and another after that; she always hiccupped uncontrollably when she cried. "Oh no! I just know he'll ask me what's wrong! Joe's always been so caring, and kind…No! Don't think like that! You'll just make things worse for yourself! We can never be anything but friends; I know that now." She stopped walking to concentrate on wiping away her tears, praying that Joe hadn't heard her.

Unfortunately—or fortunately—for her, he had heard her. Joe sharply turned around, his eyes widening in shock. "She's crying…" The sight of her tears pierced him like a javelin to the heart. "Joe, you brute! How could you make her cry? !" he berated himself angrily. He took a step toward her and started to reach his hand out to her, but then he stopped, a thought chilling him to the bone. "Am I ready to risk my heart again?"

Even though he hated himself for every second that he delayed rushing to comfort her, he forced himself to simply look, not act. He studied the girl—no, young woman—in front of him. She was so beautiful, even when she cried. He could feel his heart ache. This was insanity. When she had left for America, he felt like his world had crashed down around his ears. And now he was opening himself up to the same disappointment and pain that he had already experienced. He thought he was smart enough to learn from his mistakes.

And is it wrong for me to feel this way

He sighed and looked at her again. "Apparently not." He ran his fingers through his hair. He saw another tear fall. He could feel his heart thudding in his chest. "Tears of Sincerity…" He knew he was undone. All his walls fell away, washed away in the flood of her tears.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and straightened up. Reliability; that was his trait, but a person can't be reliable on his own. In order to be reliable, you have to be supporting someone else. He had failed her earlier, but he'd be reliable now. Not only because he loved her and she needed someone to lean on; but also because he realized anew that he needed her to be in his world more than anything else.

'Cause I don't know what to do without you
I'M FALLING FOR YOU

He took a step toward her.

"No more hiding."

He took another step.

"No more pretending."

Another step.

"I'm tired of lying to myself about how I feel about her."

He closed the distance between them.

"Mimi," he whispered, cupping her cheek in his left palm and tilting up her face.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked back at him.

Catch me, I'm falling for you

He felt his breath catch at the sight of all the pain and sadness in her heart reflected in those soft, brown eyes. "I…I'm so sorry!" he declared, hanging his head in shame. "I'm so sorry, Mimi." Taking a deep breath, he launched into a list of his crimes against her: "I'm sorry for treating you so coldly. I'm sorry for not talking to you. I'm sorry for making you half-run to keep up with me. I'm a terrible friend." He bit his lip, before meeting her eyes. He needed to see her face when he told her. "It's just…It's just that…"

She listened intently, every nerve on end.

"It's just that, I didn't want my world to collapse when you left again," he finally managed. He cringed and stepped back; he was sure to get rejected, but at least, he had been sincere. She'd cut him some slack for putting himself out there, right?

How can something so wrong

"Oh Joe!" Mimi cried happily, tears of joy springing to her eyes. Tears of relief and happiness ran down her face.

In alarm, Joe ran back to her babbling, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Mimi! Please don't cry! You can forget everything I just said. I didn't want to make you cry! I'm so sorry!" He clutched her hands tightly as if to try and convey his sincerity through his grip.

"Joe," she laughed, smiling at him through her tears. "You aren't going to be a very good doctor if you can't tell the difference between when someone is crying because they're sad versus crying because they're so happy!"

"You're happy?" he responded, dumbfounded, dropping her hands in shock.

"Yes!" she shouted it out to the sky. She laughed a little while wiping away some tears. "Actually," she admitted, "This whole thing was a set up by Sora to get you to take me out on a date."

His mouth dropped open. "What?"

She shot him an apologetic smile. "Sorry!" She shot him puppy dog eyes. "Please forgive us!"

He tried to form words for a few minutes before finally giving up and laughing. "In that case," he grinned at her, "I suppose I don't have to worry about spoiling the surprise party."

She shook her head and replied, "Nope."

"Is there even a party?"

She laughed, "Yes, there is."

He looked at his watch. "Well, then it's about time that we should be heading back, but Mimi," he looked at her solemnly, "Do you have some free time on Saturday? I'd like to take you on a real date, a proper one." He grimaced. "I'd like to make up for causing you to have such a terrible time this afternoon."

She beamed. "I'd love to go out with you on Saturday, Joe."

Feel so right all along

He looked happier than she had ever seen him. "In that case, shall I pick you up at 4 P.M. from Sora's?"

"4 P.M. is perfect, Joe," she replied, feeling giddy inside.

"Well, we'd better get going," he stated, motioning with his head for them to walk.

The two walked back talking and laughing. It was just like old times, except that both of them knew that there was something new and special between them.

When they got to Tai's door, Joe lifted his hand to knock.

"Hold on a minute, Joe," Mimi stopped his fist before it could rap against the door.

"What is it?" he looked at her in curiosity.

Shyly she smiled and asked, "Are we going to tell everyone about us?"

With a tender smile, he reached out and took her hand, weaving their fingers together.

Catch me

"Does this answer your question?" he asked with a teasing glint in his eye.

Mimi smiled happily and nodded, pushing herself up on her toes to give him a quick little peck on his cheek.

I'm falling for you

Awww, they are so cute together. (^_^) I originally chose this song because there was a Joe + Mimi video on Youtube that used this song. I couldn't find it, but thanks to Taiora4eva, who is a master at finding stuff on Youtube (or at least better at it than me XD ), you can enjoy it too! (youtube...com/watch?v=Y9XNKDFn478 )

Please review! (^_^)