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ashxketchum · 9 months

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MIMATO WEEK 2023 DAY 1 - "DIGIVICE"

FFN / AO3

Summary: After losing their partners, the Digidestined are learning to let go, they're learning to move on with their lives. But what throws them off track is the sudden revival of their Digivices in a way that none of them expected. The word partner has more than one meaning after all. If one is lost, maybe another will be found?

Notes: Post Kizuna, Soulmate AU

Chapters: 1/?

~~~~~ xxx~~~~~

To live every day with a gaping hole in your life was something that Yamato had now gotten used to.

His routine was simple, wake up, go to college, socialise after classes, come home and sleep, and when the sun rose the next day, rinse and repeat.

This is how things had been ever since Menoa Belluci was apprehended for her actions, ever since Gabumon stood next to him for one last time, before disappearing into a void that Yamato still hadn’t managed to break into. What he had learned from trying, however, was that life goes on despite everything else. Even if he and Taichi could not be there at the scene to resolve the issue of Digimon pouring into their world through random appearances of Digital Gate, someone else was ready to take their place.

Yamato, like many others, had finished playing a role in the grand scheme and had no choice but to accept the next act that awaited him, no matter how small and irrelevant it seemed in comparison.

So that’s what he did, lived life with the hope of making it to the end of the day, ignoring the emptiness that tugged at him from every direction, reminding him of the promise he had made, reminding him of the partner he had lost.

Somewhere along the line, it became difficult for him and Taichi to look each other in the eye after that final battle. Agumon and Gabumon had taken with them the phase of their lives where they depended on each other for everything. From catching up twice or thrice a week, their meetups happened once a month until the two became busy enough to let their get-togethers fizzle out of their schedules and turned them into an occasional message or a short phone call every few months.

Sora had lost Piyomon not soon after, deciding that that was the moment she needed to discover herself anew, moving on to immerse herself in her job and eventually losing touch with most of them. Jou had been the next one to lose Gomamon, he showed up to Yamato’s apartment at 2 AM, crying uncontrollably. Yamato sat with him all night as he sobbed, holding his hand throughout as he held his own tears back. A few months back, Koushiro informed everyone that the timer had appeared for him as well, but so far it was moving slowly so Tentomon was still around. Takeru, Hikari and the other kids were still very much actively trying to work towards solving any Digimon related problems that arose around the world. His brother was sweet enough to not let Patamon tag along when he came by to visit until Yamato told him it was okay to do so.

As crazily as they had been dropped into the Digital World and gotten used to having their partners next to them at all times, eventually, they got used to their disappearance as well. Yamato knew that if he ran into his younger self right now, the little boy would find it hard to believe that he could live every day of his life normally, smiling and laughing, knowing that there was a chance that Gabumon would never appear at his side again. That was probably the only thought that tugged at him the most, every time the idea that he could no longer face his younger self confidently would appear in his mind, Yamato would find it very difficult to look at himself in the mirror.

But, life goes on, and so did Yamato.

Today, he was out socialising after classes with his college friends, the part of his routine that he was always least interested in but could never get out of either. Most of the time the group would go to small izakayas where Yamato would sit cramped between two people he didn’t like, sipping on beer as slowly as possible to avoid getting drunk in front of his classmates. Sometimes he’d be dragged to mixer parties, as much as he tried to say no to these, he was told that the girls would not show up if he didn’t so for the sake of keeping up a good relationship with his classmates he’d allow himself to be showcased as a prize in front of girls he had no interest in. Wanting to try something fresh and new, today his college friends had decided that they would go for karaoke. As Yamato had kept his singing hobby under wraps from this group, he wasn’t looking forward to the night at all but was somewhat relieved to see that only a handful of people joined this escapade.

He was a little proud of himself for managing to avoid taking the mic up for a solo, so far he’d only joined in on choruses when everyone else was singing loudly too, and no one had noticed his bare minimum participation yet. The escape plan became very clear in Yamato’s mind, he’d stand up and join the hype for the next song, then pretend to be tired enough to be excused for the night without suspicion. He tapped his fingers against his knees impatiently, waiting for the two loudest members of the group to come back from the restroom with the hope that they’d pick some loud, rowdy song next which would get everyone in the room worked up for no reason.

Right on queue, the door to their booth opened and for a brief moment the dimly lit room was filled with white light before the two guys shut the door, their loud laughter drowning out the low notes of the ballad currently playing.

“You guys won’t believe what we just saw-”

“It’s so crazy!”

“There’s a girl in the booth next to ours-”

“A really hot girl by the way!”

“And she’s crying her eyes out, it’s insane really.”

Their loud exclamations were met with an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, Yamato was relieved that not everyone in this group thought that a girl in distress was something to laugh about. But as the two boys settled down, a few chuckles and shrugs were passed around their group, dismissing the information as irrelevant as the beginning notes of a preppy song filled the room. Yamato tried not to squirm in his seat as he forced a smile and nodded along to the music, fighting down the suffocating feeling that was trying to overwhelm him. He had planned to stay for one more song but he decided that now would be a good time to escape to the restroom and then come back after a few minutes to take his leave.

Raising his voice to be heard over the boys who were singing, Yamato informed the person sitting next to him that he’d be right back and quietly slipped out of the booth. Once in the empty hallway, he took a deep breath and made his way towards the restrooms. He dawdled around the bathroom stalls, scrolling on his phone and counting down the minutes until he’d need to go back and join the group. Although he hadn’t done much except sit around and fake nod to music he didn’t like, Yamato figured that by the time he got home, he’d be exhausted to the bone.

Deciding that a good ten minutes were more than enough time to go back and make an excuse about not feeling well, Yamato left the restroom and began to make his way back to the booth. When he passed by the booth right next to theirs, his feet automatically came to a halt. He hadn’t peeked inside, he wasn’t rude like his classmates, but something in his heart told him to take a few steps back and see if everything was okay in there. He knew that he wasn’t the best at comforting people, especially when they were crying, but if the person in there really did seem like they were in trouble, then the least he could do was inform the staff so they could come handle it. With that thought in his mind, Yamato confidently took a step back, leaning his head to glance through the large, oval-shaped window in the door.

As Yamato’s eyes landed on the occupant of the booth, his breath got caught in his throat.

His classmates hadn’t lied, the girl sitting inside was indeed crying terribly.

And it just so happened to be that that girl was Mimi Tachikawa.

A million questions raced around Yamato’s mind, should he go in, should he let her be, should he call someone else for help? Takeru would know exactly what to say and Sora would know exactly what to do, but Yamato was neither so at first all he could do was stare at the sight of a completely broken Mimi, fists balled at his side and feet frozen to the ground. He tried to reassure himself, that he didn’t know what had gone wrong, that this could be something personal like an argument with a friend or family member, or perhaps a bad breakup, in which case he really wouldn’t have anything worthwhile to say. It might be best to leave this to the experts, Yamato decided, pulling out his phone to drop a text to Sora. The two hadn’t talked in months but he was sure she would respond immediately out of her concern for Mimi’s well-being. He took a final peek into the booth, just to make sure he’d get all the details right before contacting Sora, and that’s when he noticed it.

Mimi was sitting with her hands clasped above her lap, clutching onto something loosely as she wept uncontrollably. When he moved closer to the door, it didn’t take him even a second to recognise the object in her hand.

She was holding onto her digivice, which once used to be as bright as a clear sky but now lay rusted and lifeless in her hands.

Yamato swallowed a nervous gulp, finally understanding what he was witnessing.

He slipped his phone back into his pants pocket and without hesitation stepped forward, opening the door so he could quietly enter Mimi’s booth. The sound of her crying rose above the music playing in the background. First, Yamato picked up the controller so he could turn off the music, and while setting it back down he noticed the mic that lay on the sofa across from Mimi. He clenched his jaw as an image of Palmon holding the mic and sitting in that dim karaoke booth with Mimi flickered into his mind. He shook his head in an attempt to keep his own emotions at bay before he gently sat down next to Mimi.

She was yet to notice his appearance in the room, when he looked at her face he saw that her eyes were squeezed shut as tears endlessly flowed down across her flushed cheeks, and the sight of her looking so crushed made his heart feel heavy. Her crying voice was also not easy for him to stomach, he was used to her chirpy tone even her slightly high-pitched whiny retorts, but these loud, guttural sobs were something he’d never have associated with Mimi. Being so close to her in this vulnerable state made his own pain resurface. He’d mastered the art of pushing down the numb emptiness he felt in his heart, but now suddenly he could see Gabumon sitting next to Palmon on the sofa across from them.

Yamato closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Now was not the time for him to be consumed by his own sadness, he was here to help Mimi get through this difficult moment.

With the feeble amount of courage that he could muster, he raised a hand and rested it softly on top of Mimi’s open palms. The effect was immediate, though she did not stop sobbing, Mimi did open her eyes wide as she turned to face him.

As surprised as she looked to find him next to her, when their eyes met it was as if everything that she had tried to hold back by herself burst out of her at once.

“She’s gone, she was right there and now she’s not, she’s gone- my best friend-”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Yamato squeezed her hands as he tried to maintain eye contact with her without shedding a tear or two of his own. Mimi darted her head around, looking at where Palmon must’ve been sitting and then back at him, caramel eyes filled with tears and grief as she attempted to make sense of the truth.

“My best friend.”

Mimi repeated those words in a hollow tone and Yamato nodded in response, even though her gaze was focused on the empty spot at the sofa across from them.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed after that, he sat there holding onto Mimi’s hands, making sure that she knew that she wasn’t alone. Even if her tears never stopped flowing across her cheeks, or her sobs never stopped echoing across the room, Yamato didn’t leave her side for even a second. It was all he could do really, he thought about saying encouraging shit like ‘it’ll get better’ or ‘you’ll get through this’ but dropped the idea as soon as it appeared in his mind because he knew the truth, it doesn’t get better so easily and nobody gets through this without feeling incomplete.

Mimi didn’t speak much and only stared ahead of herself in a daze. Once in a while, she’d squeeze his hand, maybe in an attempt to let him know that she was still here. He didn’t know if she appreciated his silence, or even his presence, since they’d never been close enough to bare their true feelings in front of the other like this. But he did know that if he’d turned around and walked away after seeing her in such a broken state, he would never have forgiven himself for it.

Which is why Yamato sat silently, almost as if he was a statue, awaiting any kind of signal from Mimi that would let him know that she was okay enough to leave. But it was the karaoke employee speaking through the intercom to inform them that the room’s usage rate was fulfilled, that brought Yamato’s feet back to the ground. With gritted teeth and a hardened jaw, he coaxed Mimi into standing up from her seat. Her footing was wobbly so he allowed her to hold onto his arms for stability. Looking around the room to check they weren’t leaving any of Mimi’s belongings behind, Yamato gently guided her out of the room even as a fresh batch of tears came rolling down her cheeks as she gave one last glance in the direction of where Palmon had stood last.

He was grateful that the employees they passed on their way out did not seem to bat an eyelid at the odd sight the two of them made, but his luck only lasted for so long. Once out on the street, the two received peculiar looks from the passers-by, with most of them directed at Yamato since he’d draped a protective arm around Mimi’s shoulders to ensure she wouldn’t walk into a busy street in her daze. He knew, however, that they wouldn’t be able to get too far like this, without some well-meaning stranger stopping them and enquiring about why Mimi looked so distressed. Spotting a brightly lit convenience store a few steps ahead, Yamato quickly led them to it, hoping to reduce any suspicion towards him if he talked with her in an easily accessible location.

“Mimi, which way is your home?” He tried to ask the question calmly, he didn’t want to burden her with more tiresome thoughts but knowing where they were supposed to go would make this whole ordeal so much more easier on him.

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore,” she mumbled to herself, her eyes fixed on the pavement as she staggered for a moment before clutching onto his chest to keep herself standing straight.

“I can’t take you home if you don’t help me out here.” Yamato pleaded with her softly, hesitantly resting a hand on the small of her back to make sure she wouldn’t stumble again.

“I don’t care where you take me, it doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore.”

Mimi spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper before she leaned her head against his chest and let her body go limp. While Yamato understood that the whole situation had drained her of all her strength, he’d still hoped that she would be able to stay upright till they reached her house. Instead, he was left having to get her on his back all by himself in the corner of a street without looking suspicious.

With great difficulty and after a few awkward eye contacts with passing strangers, Yamato managed to get Mimi safely tucked onto his back and began to make his way towards his apartment, which thankfully wasn’t a long walk from the neighbourhood they were in. He wasn’t sure if he should inform anyone that he was taking Mimi back to his place since she was in no state to get herself home safely because he had no clue if she still lived with her parents. He thought about checking with Takeru, but the whole conversation that that one question would lead to was something Yamato didn’t have any energy for presently.

So with the occasional huff and a few rest stops, Yamato managed to carry Mimi safely back to his small apartment. Once inside, he made straight for his room, glad about his neat freak tendencies since he could just lay Mimi down on his bed without a single worry. He tried his best to settle her on the mattress comfortably, arranging pillows behind her head, taking off her shoes delicately, and covering her with as many blankets as he could find. During all this, Mimi didn’t even flinch once, which in a way was a blessing since it made things less embarrassing.

After he was done bubble-wrapping her into comfort, Yamato glanced at her face. She looked like she had passed out from exhaustion, which was probably the case anyway. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks were tearstained and tinted pink, the tip of her nose was as red as a tomato, her lips were swollen too from being bitten at carelessly, and her hair lay dishevelled around her face, in other words, she looked like a complete mess.

Yet, the sight of her ignited something inside of Yamato.

He stood there for a few minutes, just staring at her.

He vaguely remembered the first time they’d met at school, he hadn’t paid her much attention at the time. It was only when they went to the Digital World, had he started to notice her.

He’d always liked how easily she managed to gel with Takeru, the youngest one in the group at first, and how she always spoke to him as a friend on the same level, not as somebody older who was trying to assert themselves onto him, something Yamato himself was guilty of at many occasions. He’d always liked how much she cared about everything and everyone, so much so that sometimes those feelings spilt into impulsive or brash actions, but her intentions always remained pure and he’d always noticed that.

There was no denying, that the two had drifted slightly apart as they grew older, with Mimi moving to America and only visiting them once in a while. He always found it difficult to strike up a conversation with her when she’d come back from the States, he felt that nothing about his life here would interest her much in comparison. After they graduated from high school, she did try her best to stay in touch with each of their friends individually, sometimes Yamato would receive a message at midnight asking him about how his day had gone, which always threw him off guard. Lately, he had been lacking in responding to even the shortest questions she sent in, but that hadn’t stopped her from trying.

Now that he stood in his room, watching her chest rise and fall in a slow, tired rhythm, he regretted putting off replying to her messages. Maybe if he’d kept in touch regularly, he might have known about her time with Palmon being limited. Not that knowing about this could have prepared him any better for handling the situation, but still, at least she would’ve known that she could count on him to get through this.

Instinctively, Yamato's hand reached forward and he brushed a few strands of her hair away from her forehead, leaning his face down so he could get a better look at hers.

It would be a while before he’d be able to forget the sight of her sobbing alone in that dimly lit karaoke booth, but he still hoped that tomorrow when she woke up, her face would have the budding hints of her usual brightness, because he really could do with some sunshine and happy smiles in his life.

Shaking his head at the ridiculous thought, Yamato walked out of his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He eyed his cramped couch with contempt before sighing in defeat as he didn’t have a choice. He tried to rearrange the two cushions on the couch into a headrest for himself, however before he could lie down, a flicker at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Yamato surveyed his living room carefully, trying to find the object that had disrupted his concentration but nothing stood out for a while. After a few minutes, just as he was about to give up on the idea of finding anything, he saw a flicker of light on the shelf that took over the opposite side of his living room.

Abandoning the couch, Yamato stepped closer to the shelf as the light appeared for a brief moment before disappearing again. The shelf wasn’t cluttered, there were a few photo frames with his family and friends featured on them, some books and a succulent or two. The light had appeared in the centre, so that’s the direction he leaned closer in. In the middle of the shelf was the photo of him and the other kids from their very first adventure into the Digital World, next to it was the harmonica his father had gifted him that summer along with his battered and broken digivice. Not even one of these items was capable of making the light he’d witnessed, Yamato thought, maybe it was just a trick the nightlights from outside the window had played on his eyes. But just as this thought appeared in his mind, it happened once more, and this time he was able to witness the source.

Yamato had kept his digivice out in the open like this because he knew that it was nothing but a piece of memorabilia for him now. The digivice had laid unresponsive on this shelf since the day Gabumon had departed.

And yet, tonight was different.

The minute Yamato fixed his gaze on it, the digivice lit up intensely in a shade that he knew was not meant to represent either him or Gabumon.

Yamato stood frozen in his living room, eyes wide with shock as a bright green glow surrounded his digivice.

Slowly, the light around the digivice dimmed, but to Yamato’s surprise, the digivice that had been lying rusted for days now looked as alive as ever, the only catch?

It had turned completely green.

- x -

#mimatoweek2023 #mimato week #mimato #yamato ishida #mimi tachikawa #digimon #digimon fanfiction #writealot #sorry im sleepy af #no more tags #im out for day 1 #day 2 will be tackled tomorrow

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