i wanna hold your hand

[for hiimkassandra]

Jinora rolled her eyes, looking back to his best friend's pleading face. "It's not going to work," she told him, even as her resolve was trickling away bit by bit. She bit down on her lip. Don't look him in the eyes don't look him in the eyes - Raava above, why did she look him the eyes? "Fine," she sighed.

Kai pumped a fist in the air. "Yes!"

"You know we're way too old for this right?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Kai's grin only widened.

"Fully aware," he replied cheerfully. "Now c'mon 'Minnie'," he looped his arm through hers, making sure his Micky Mouse ears were secure. Jinora would be lying if she said he didn't look adorable in it. And that she had barely protested to wearing the Minnie Mouse ears either. "It's time to visit a haunted house."

Jinora let Kai drag her out of her house and onto the chilly street, the sky a deep black with stars scattered across, streetlamps casting a faint light on the sidewalks. Lights flickered inside pumpkins, while kids crossed lawns in their haste to get to the next house faster, their parents trailing behind them on the sidewalk.

She nudged Kai's arm. "Remember when we used to do that?" she asked, smiling fondly, first at the kids and then up at her friend.

"Like it was yesterday," he hummed. "And deciding what the pumpkin carving should be. And our costumes. That year when we were yin and yang. You were the only reason I passed that Eastern philosophy class, to be honest."

"I know," she said, grinning at him. He mock-pouted. "So, where is this amazing haunted house?"

"Just a block or so away. I promise it'll be good."

It only took a few minutes until they came upon the haunted house, a large, tall building that loomed in front of them. Fake cobwebs and caution tape was everywhere. Plastic gravestones and bones were tossed haphazardly on the lawn. There was a short line in the driveway of the place, mostly kids a few years younger than the two teens.

"So scary," Jinora said sarcastically, looking up at the house, thoroughly unimpressed. She would give it a shot though, since she said she would, and Kai was beaming at her and it was sort of turning her brain to mush.

"You better believe it," Kai slung his arm around her shoulders, and she wormed her way out of his grip, stubbornly refusing to ignore the fact it had sent shivers down her spine.

"Shush you."

The line moved quickly, and Kai paid for both of their tickets, five bucks a pop. ("I'm a gentleman, Jinora," he insisted; she snorted loudly in response.) Then, they entered the house with a few other people. They were cloaked in darkness almost instantly, before faint light from fake candles illuminated the hallway. Various monsters and the like popped up at them - a few people shrieked, but Jinora barely even jumped.

Squinting in the dark, she could make out something crawling towards them. It was a huge black spider, clearly mechanical, but she felt Kai's trembling hand slip into her own. She went pink. As his best friend, she knew Kai was petrified of spiders, but surely he wasn't afraid now, right?

The spider must have been the grand finale, because after a few more moments of walking afterwards, they came out of the haunted house and into the glow of the streetlamps. Kai was still holding her hand.

Refusing to meet his eyes, she mumbled, "The spider's gone now Kai."

Kai glanced down nervously at their linked hands, still not letting go. "I, uh," he gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing, "the spider didn't scare me that much. Really."

She looked hard at him, but found he wasn't lying. Try as he might have when they were younger, he could never lie to her. "Okay then..." she said slowly, looking at their hands. His fingers were laced gently through hers, as if they had always belonged there, a perfect fit. Her brow furrowed. Then why...?

"I didn't hold your hand because I was scared," he continued on, stumbling over his words. "I, uh, just wanted to hold your hand."

Jinora finally looked up at him, making the connection. "Oh," she said simply, processing the information. "Okay." She gave his hand a squeeze and he smiled nervously at her. Slowly, she smiled back. A rush of bravery surged through her, as if the adrenaline that should have come from the haunted house was coming to her now. "If it's any consolation, then, I've always considered you the Mickey to my Minnie."

Kai's smile got so big it looked like it would crack his face in half. "Ditto."

"Ditto?" she repeated incredulously. "Ditto?"

Kai seemed to gather his courage to lean down and plant a quick kiss on her lips. "Bingo, Ms. Mouse."

Dumbfounded, it took a few seconds to collect herself again. She smiled brightly up at him. "Lead the way back home to eat our candy then, Mr. Mouse."

Laughing, they made their way down the dark streets, hand in hand.

Happy Halloween! :)