well, i think Dani and Hiro are kind of cute. don't you?
For the love of Ember McLain's music, why the hell is she doing this?
She's Dani Phantom, honorary cousin/twin of Danny Phantom, one of the only three halfas in existence, and a serious kickass fighter who's been living on the streets for years.
So why the hell is she reducing herself to this?
You've been on your own too long, she chides herself as she pushes open the door of the Lucky Cat Café and makes her way inside. It's not very crowded, just a whole group of girls in one of the booths who are probably only here to stare at Tadashi, and two or three couples, and a lone teenager listening to music and bent down over his books. Dani slides into her usual seat, a table by the window, and tugs at her jacket sleeves.
She glances around, almost covertly, for him.
She has to stop herself from hitting her head on the window next to her. She can't believe she's doing this. She can't believe that she is actually here, still in the same town after nearly a month, just because she thinks that the bloody waiter is cute.
She's seen cute guys before, obviously. Travelling around the world gives you that kind of opportunity.
But she's never stayed this long in the same place before just for a guy.
Turning fourteen makes you do stupid things, Dani thinks to herself, glumly. To be honest, she doesn't even know what it is about this guy that makes her hang around skulking in this cafe. Not that she doesn't like the cafe - it's amazing - but seriously, what is it about this guy?
A throat is cleared next to her, and Dani raises her head as a voice says: "Can I get your order?"
She freezes.
Shit this is not good –
"Where's Tadashi?" she asks almost instantly, biting her lip as she glances up at the waiter.
Short and skinny, messy dark hair that looks like it's exploding over his head, large, warm brown eyes that blink as their owner absorbs her words. Oh, man - he is cute. Freaking adorable.
She tries to banish the thoughts from her mind.
Maybe it's Dani's imagination, but she thinks his face falls slightly as he processes what she says.
Shit.
Dani wants to scream. It is not part of the plan to actually have to talk to him.
Those large eyes of his are seriously distracting, and his hair –
"Um, he's taking orders over there." The boy jerks his head over to where Tadashi is at the table full of giggling girls. "But if you want him to take your order, too – "
"No!" she says, hurriedly. "No, it's fine, I just – he just usually knows what I order, that's all. I'll get the – "
"A soda and spicy chicken wings with cheesy fries?" the boy supplies, and he grins, almost nervously, as Dani raises her eyes to look at him in surprise. Oh, hell, he really is so much cuter up close, and is that – is that a gap between his front teeth? Shit. That's pretty adorable. Okay, Dani, stop. "Your order's a pretty familiar one. Tadashi's always saying he can never understand how you can eat so much."
"Hey!" she says indignantly, sitting up straight. "I've got a big appetite, that's all."
"And a bottomless pit for a stomach," the boy grins at her. "You want anything else?"
Dani manages a grin, shakes her head. "Nah, I'm good."
"Well, if you need anything, just let me know," he offers, and he grins at her again and oh man he is so cute. He's backing away when he nearly knocks into the empty table behind him, and Dani has to hold back a laugh as he flushes red and stumbles back onto his feet and straightens the table.
"Not funny," he says, jabbing the wooden pencil in his fingers at her, making a face.
"You're right, it's hilarious," she tells him, and she has to bite back another laugh as he makes another face and this time he disappears behind the counter.
There is a smile growing on Dani's face as she turns to stare out the window.
Okay, so maybe talking to him isn't that bad.
Hiro nearly collapses against the wall when he disappears through the door behind the counter, and Aunt Cass glances up with a smile.
"Finally talked to her?" she asks, knowingly.
Hiro nods his head vigorously.
One month. That's how long she's been coming here, sitting at the same table, ordering the same meal every time she comes, which is nearly every day of the week. She always sails in in her scruffy jeans and faded jacket and red hat with her long dark hair behind her and she always slides into her seat and swings her legs as she waits for Tadashi to come over and take her order.
Okay, he'll admit it. He's been staring. A lot.
Secretly, of course. He doesn't want her to think he's some kind of creepy stalker. Because he's not.
He doesn't even know her name.
Although he has memorised her order, and just how much soda she drinks, and the amount of fries she usually eats, and the fact that she always wears the same jacket but she's always alternating the shirt underneath (usually it goes from red to black to white to green to blue) and her jeans all look the same and she wears bright red Converse sneakers the same shade as her hat and she doesn't like too much cheese on her fries and she doesn't have a problem with spicy food –
Then Tadashi bursts in through the doorway.
"You finally did it!" he cheers, and he drags Hiro into a one-armed hug. "You talked to her! I'm so proud of you, knucklehead!"
"'Dashi – " Hiro mumbles as he wriggles out of his older brother's grasp, face flushed: "Not so loud!"
Tadashi waves a hand dismissively. "She's not going to be able to hear from here. I can't believe you would rather risk that table of giggling girls than go talk to her! Aren't you glad I took their orders instead and forced you to go over?"
"She asked for you," Hiro tells him.
Tadashi shrugs. "I'm the only one who's ever taken her order before. Of course she'll ask for me."
"Boys," Aunt Cass says in a familiar tone, "someone has to take care outside, remember?"
"Absolutely," Tadashi beams at her, and he slides her the paper with orders scrawled on it. "I'll do that. Hiro can bring the food to her."
"'Dashi – "
"No arguments!" Tadashi tells him, cheerfully. "You've been pining over her for a month and you don't even know her name or the first thing about her! You can tell her it's your break and sit with her or something – "
"Isn't that what you did with that Holly Shiftwell girl or something – "
"It's not my fault she has a protective older brother! Anyway, there were plenty of empty tables then so it was kind of stupid – "
"There are lots of empty tables now!"
"But you're delivering her food to her," Tadashi says, as if this solves everything. "Hiro, you'll be fine."
"What if she has an angry overprotective boyfriend?" Hiro demands. "Look at her, she's amazing, you can't seriously tell me – "
"Go," says Aunt Cass, as she shoves a tray into his arms and pushes him out the door. "Come on, Hiro – Tadashi, what's that phrase GoGo likes to use – "
"Woman up," Tadashi supplies, helpfully.
Aunt Cass snaps her fingers. "Exactly! Now go get her!"
The door shuts behind him and Tadashi, who gives him another shove in her direction.
Between Aunt Cass and Tadashi, Hiro's not sure if he really has much of a choice.
When he reappears with the chicken wings and the fries and the soda, Dani has to force her heart to stop beating so quickly.
Luckily, she's a halfa. She actually does have control over things like this.
"That was fast," she says, with a smile, as he carefully places the tray on the table and starts setting the plates down.
Is it just her, or is his face flushed red? "Well, yeah, I mean – yeah. Uh, Aunt Cass saw you come in and she knows your order, so – uh. Yeah."
He grins at her, almost weakly.
"Oh," she says, because shit she has no idea what to say. "Oh, wow. That's really nice of her. Your aunt, I mean."
She nods her head, and she drags the soda over so that she won't be stuck looking, or sounding, like an idiot.
"Aunt Cass is fantastic," he agrees, and then his face suddenly flames again and he stutters, "It's my break now, so I was kind of thinking – maybe I could sit here, with you? For a while?"
Yes, thank goodness she can control the rate of her heartbeat, or else she's pretty sure she'd be palpitating by now. "Yeah, sure. Of course."
There's a look of relief on his face as he slides into the seat next to her. "Thanks." He pauses, and then he says, "I always see you come in."
He sees her come in!
Breathe, Dani, she reminds herself.
She shrugs, smiles. "Your aunt's chicken wings are amazing. They're the best I've ever tasted."
He beams. "Yeah, they are." He pauses, and then adds, "I'm Hiro. Like, H-i -r-o. Not h-e-r-o."
Introductions! She loves introductions. Although she thinks this might be the best one yet.
"I'm Dani," she says, and she grins. "D-a-n-i."
"Dani," he repeats, and he grins at her, kind of goofily, and she thinks that, okay, maybe talking to him should've been part of the plan long ago.
"If you want, I can show you around San Fransokyo one day," Hiro offers, when he finds out that even though she's been living in the city for a month she still doesn't really know her way around. He has no idea how long they've been sitting and talking, because all he can really focus on is her bright blue eyes and her carefree laugh and the way the conversation seems to shift from video games to ghosts to robots to boxes to hospitals to punk rock to comic books -
Dani brightens. "Really?"
Hiro nods his head vigorously. "Yeah! I mean, I've grown up here practically my whole life, so I kind of know my way around. But uh – I could get your number, or something. You know. So we can arrange a meeting - ?"
He looks at her hopefully. Oh god what is he doing did he just screw himself over what if she doesn't want to know him –
But she beams at him, and she fishes out a pen out of her jeans pocket and she leans over the table and scribbles something on his arm.
Her hand is very small and very fair and very smooth, and he can feel that it's unnaturally cold as she presses her hand against his arm so she can write properly and please please please don't let her feel his heart beating unnaturally fast –
When she lifts her hand, he has to school his expression quickly because he is not going to break out into a stupid grin that will be a dead giveaway.
She just gave him her number!
"I'm free whenever," she tells him, and the smile on her face is blinding.
He nods so hard his hair falls over into his eyes more than it usually does. "Sure," he stammers. "I'll text you?"
"Sounds great," she tells him, cheerfully, and then her eyes flicker to the clock on the wall and she makes a face. "Oh, man, I've got to go – "
She digs out a handful of notes and coins from her pocket, counts it in seconds and pushes it over to Hiro across the table. She slides off the seat, bounces on her feet and beams: "So – I guess I'll see you around?"
"Definitely," he says.
So it's a date, he thinks, and he has to contain the goofy smile on his face as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and grins at him again. It's like she has an endless supply of smiles and grins and her whole face lights up every time she gives him one.
Maybe he should've started taking her orders a lot sooner.
"See you, then!"
Hiro raises a hand and waves as she practically skips out the door and down the road, her long dark hair swinging behind her – and then he raises his hand and punches his fist into the air triumphantly: "Yes!"
Outside, on the street, out of sight of the Lucky Cat Café, Dani lets out a whoop and leaps into the air.
um, any comments? haha
