▲ LIGHT ME UP INSIDE
Mimi still couldn’t believe that she was actually seeing Mateo, in New York, in the flesh. Granted, she was pretty sure she’d known he was from the city, and she probably should have worked harder on trying to find him somewhere, but it was a real big transition for her. She’d gone from living her completely sheltered, ballerina life, with her parents, to living completely on her own, but not really since she had 20 other people who going through what she was and who were always there for her. After she left the city, she was really on her own. Well, except for living with Jay for a bit, but it was really nice. She liked to think herself an independent person and it was nice to really just take some time to really, really focus on herself. Still, it was overwhelmingly nice to see Mateo, and Mimi wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t going to cry as he snaked his arms around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder. He even smelled the way she remembered, and okay Mims, maybe that was a little creepy, but she always absolutely loved the way that he smelled. Although, he snuck a surprised giggle out of her as she felt her feet lift from the floor, and she shook her head a little as she pulled away. All she could do was beam at him before she realized that okay, right, they were standing outside a building in the middle of the street, maybe she should actually stay something and not just stare at him. But hello - he was Mateo. ”I missed you.” The brunette settled on eventually, even though that probably went without saying, didn’t it? Still, it kind of came out before she could even really stop it.
"I know, I know, I’m sorry. Things just got - ridiculously crazy. And I didn’t know if you’d still be in the city and - you know." Getting a job so she could support herself had been her number one priority, and she was glad when she actually found a job at a studio. Her injury was such that she’d obviously never be able to dance professionally again, but she was still able to dance as long as she didn’t put too much strain on her knees, and teaching little ones was more about them having fun than being too overly technical, anyway. Her smile got wider at Mateo’s next comment, and she had to bite her bottom lip to try to stop. "So do you." And he did. "You’ve been alright, and everything? You know, since the project got shut down?" Bouncing through the door, she chuckled, "Thank you. I can’t actually drink coffee because it gets me way too hyped up, but I will never say no to a cup of tea. I’m excited for you to come sit in, though. Maybe you can even show everyone a thing or two." She remembered his phenomenal dance skills, even though they hadn’t really danced together that often. But when you shared an interest like that with someone, it just wasn’t something you could super easily forget. "Not much, honestly. I’ve mostly just been working." That was kind of sad, wasn’t it? But it was her passion, it was what she wanted to do. She’d dated a few guys here and there, and she’d made a nice circle of friends with all of the other dance teachers, and they went out from time to time, but she didn’t really dedicate her time to anything else. Okay, clearly she needed to pick up another hobby. "What have you been up to? Keeping busy?" Mimi walked over to the counter, and ordered her tea, stepping back so Mateo could order his coffee.
"I've-- missed you, too." The words came out practically involuntarily, Mateo having caught himself after the first syllable, but finished the thought, anyway, because, well, it wasn't a lie, exactly. Mateo sort of had to remind himself that he wasn't a sixteen year old boy, anymore, despite the fact that was exactly how he felt right about then. He's nodding his head, slowly, listening to her reason out why she never contacted him when she moved to the city. Honestly, he got it. Because, as often as everyone spoke about during the city's last few days that they were all going to keep in touch, and see each other all the time -- Mateo knew reality wouldn't allow that. Things happened, people changed, and that was an OK thing. Hell, Mateo didn't even see people that he graduated from high school with, really, and most of them live just down the block from where he lived. It was nice to talk about, and think about, seeing old friends, but Mateo wasn't holding his breath to any of it; not with his situation. "Well," he began, smiling at her, "now there's no excuses for us to hang out more. You're literally a subway ride away." Mateo missed the tiny sigh of relief he let out after saying that.
A nervous chuckle left him when the compliment got turned in his direction, one of his hands subconsciously moved up to comb through his hair -- it was one of the few times he didn't have a hat on, and he knew his hair had gotten just a bit longer since she had last saw him (and, he may have put on a few pounds, but that's because City X was practically one of the best workouts of his life). If Mimi Sinclair thought Mateo looked good, then Mateo definitely felt unstoppable right then. "Yeah -- been doing alright," Mateo answered as he walked behind Mimi, letting go of the shop's door so that it could close behind him, "moved back in with the parents, went back to teaching at the studio -- it's like I never left, actually." Of course, all the kids were excited to have Sensai Mateo back in their lives, and Mateo would be lying if he said he didn't miss those kids just as much. Admittedly, he kind of figured that the experiment would leave him a changed man, but Mateo didn't feel any different. All that it was was him falling back into his same routine. Whether he actually liked that or not, he'd have to get back to you on that.
"Oh, I don't drink coffee, either. I was just going to buy it for you," Mateo admitted with a laugh, his hand pressing to his chest as he stopped in line, "I hate the taste of it." He was planning on getting a hot chocolate, because inviting Mimi out on a "hot chocolate date" sounded more lame that "a coffee date" -- but this totally wasn't even a date in the first place; more like a get-together, a reunion. Mateo's head nodded towards the clear glass where the different types of teas were laid out, hand reaching in his pocket for his wallet. "Just point at the one you want. Whichever you want, it's still on me." Mateo looked down to watch himself pull out a ten dollar bill before closing the leather accessory and slipping it back into the pockets of his shorts. "The last time I was in a ballet studio, I was yelled at the entire time for my lines not being straight," Mateo picked the conversation back up, face looking back at Mimi with a side-smile. "So, if you promise to not be mean about my technique, then I would love to show your class a little something-something." He was teasing, of course, already knowing Mimi was a fan of his style, and Mateo was never one to turn down an opportunity to show himself off. Especially in front of her.
"Mimi Sinclair, working her butt off as I live and breath," and, of course, now the teasing wouldn't stop, like, ever. "Better than that-- frog breeding you did, right?" If that was even the proper title, Mateo just remembered something about frogs. "Honestly, it's all work for me, too." That included his night job, as well, but, Mimi didn't need to hear about that. "-- oh, hey!" The back of Mateo's hand hit lightly against Mimi's arm after he ordered himself a small hot chocolate, "how's Thumper?"
