Hello! So, this is a little thing I've been working on as an exercise/to get the fluff out of my head! I'm currently trying to write my OC's main story which I shall upload here, but I've been having too many Audashi feels (the ship name for Tadashi and my OC Auden) and no romance occurs in Auden's main story for a LONG while, so I needed to vent somehow. So, I wrote a bunch of lovey-dovey fluffiness. This was also an exercise for me to delve into my OC Auden's character more, as well as attempt to write Tadashi. I would really appreciate any comments on if I did alright with characterization or not, and if there is anything I should change/improve on. I want to nail the characters personalities before I write TOO much more of Auden's story, so I would appreciate any and all comments on the matter.

So, this is unedited as well as something I just wrote by the seat of my pants, so sorry in advance for plot holes or grammar/spelling errors. I haven't had time to edit it with school and all, so please forgive me.

I've broken this up into a few parts because it is much longer than I thought it would be. Here is part one. I hope you guys enjoy, and I will post another part later on if you guys find it piquing your interest. ^^

Edit: I realized that this little one shot/fluffy thing might be a little confusing to read if you don't know who Auden is...heh...so, if you want to learn more about Auden before you read this, you can visit my dA ( .com) where I have a bunch of information as well as pictures I did of her there. You can definitely learn more about her, and it will probably make this drabble a bit easier to understand if you know her background and what not. You don't have to, but I figured I should put this out here in case you had any questions or you wanted to learn more about her :).

Happy Reading!

~Smokey :D

BH6:

The Pace We Move To

Part One

"I still can't believe I messed something so fundamental up."

I couldn't help but smile a little as Tadashi criticized himself, one hand making a gesture to the air as the two of us walked down one of the many sidewalks of San Fransokyo. Tadashi and I had just gotten done going over a few things on Baymax; as per usual, Tadashi asked for my critique on his invention, wanting to make sure that he had programmed Baymax's nursing protocols correctly and properly. We had been at it since early this morning, and had only just gotten done, nearly four hours later. I don't think Tadashi had expected it to take so long. Then again, I don't think he had expected me to point something out as incorrect. That was the reason why he was beating himself up at the moment; he had been so sure that he had gone through everything, and that he could move on to finalizing Baymax.

"I mean, really," Tadashi was saying, the look on his face one of absolute disgust, "it's such a rudimentary error, and seeing as Baymax is just shy of being ready to present to major medical companies and hospitals, it's, well, it's just unacceptable."

I felt my lips twitch and my smile grow, watching Tadashi. Though I didn't think what he had missed called for such a reaction, I think it showed just how much Tadashi cared about his invention, about Baymax revolutionizing modern medicine and healthcare. Of helping people everywhere.

"Tadashi," I said as the two of us rounded a corner, "it's…it's not that b-big of a deal…really, it's n-not."

Tadashi glanced at me, and I felt my heart flutter as his warm brown eyes wandered over me. I could feel my cheeks redden, just in the slightest, and a warm sensation travel up my arm from where he held my hand. It only took a look from Tadashi to turn me into a complete mess, and I don't even think he realized it.

"But it is Auden," Tadashi said, looking at me, his eyebrows furrowing as he spoke, "what if you hadn't noticed it? What if no one had? I could of sent Baymax out all over the country and put people's lives at risk."

"Hey, don't w-worry so much," I said, seeing the gears whirl in Tadashi's head as he thought about the hypothetical situation more and more. "Y-you're starting to sound like me. I did n-notice it, and you did fix it, so everything's fine. Y-you're only human Tadashi, y-you're bound to make mistakes, but that doesn't mean you can't f-fix them.

"Besides," I said, looking down at our hands. "B-baymax…he's pretty amazing…I-I'm sure that even if we didn't find the mistake, it wouldn't have p-put people off from u-using him. He's really something…they probably would o-of just had him sent back and fixed. And, like I said, it wasn't a huge d-deal. Really Tadashi. It's okay."

With that, I squeezed Tadashi's hand, looking up at him with a smile, hoping to have set him at ease, even if only a little bit. Tadashi was the one who usually did the "setting at ease," so it was nice to return the favor.

Tadashi stared at me for a moment, words sinking in, before he nodded, smiling at me.

"Eh, I guess your right. No point in thinking 'what if,' right?"

I nodded, and Tadashi brought his hand to the back of his neck with a sigh, rubbing it sheepishly.

"Sorry Auden, it's just…I've been working on him for so long, you know? He just needs to be perfect, in every way. I've put so much into him, we both have, really, that I can't afford him not to be." Tadashi laughed, and I felt my heart skip a beat at the sound. He had such a warm laugh.

"Geez, I sound like an uptight father trying to living vicariously through his only son." Tadashi continued, and we came to stop at a crosswalk, cars but a flurry of color on the busy street. "I need to loosen the reins a bit, huh?"

I watched the cars, still a little overwhelmed by the shear amount of metal on the road; even though I had lived in San Fransokyo for nearly five years, the overpopulated city still was a bit much to take in at times. I shook my head, eyes still glued onto the road.

"I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing…y-you put a lot of effort, time, and work into something; all you want is for it to do is what you m-made it for. I think that's a pretty fair expectation."

Suddenly, the cars began to slow, and the tar and painted lines became visible. I glanced up to see that the Walk sign was blinking, indicating crossing was possible. I felt a tug on my hand, and realized Tadashi had already started walking. I fell into step beside him, looking down at the white stripes that contrasted so sharply against the smooth black pavement.

"I suppose that's true." I looked up to see Tadashi gazing ahead, expression thoughtful. "You know, you always seem to know what to say, Auden," Tadashi looked down at me, eyes warm. "That's pretty impressive. You're definitely one of those old soul types."

I felt my cheeks flush at his sudden attention and comment. I turned my head, looking at the sidewalk we had just stepped back onto.

"N-now you sound like m-my grandma." I mumbled to the concrete, and Tadashi chuckled, apparently amused at my response. I felt him pull me out of the sidewalk traffic, and watched as small concrete stairs appeared under my feet. Right, we were at the café. I had almost forgotten where we had been traveling to after our early morning work.

"So that's not the first time you've heard that?" I heard bells ring and looked up to see Tadashi had pushed the door open and was guiding me inside. Immediately, I could smell the pastries and other culinary delights Tadashi's aunt and her workers would whip up every morning. Sometimes, when Tadashi hugged me, I could still smell the bakery lingering on his cardigan.

I shook my head, looking around at all the customers filling the small café. Some I recognized as regulars, and when they saw me, they smiled. And when they saw me holding Tadashi's hand, their smile turned even warmer, just like my face. I glanced down at my sneakers, the polished hard wood floor reflecting them back up at me.

"N-no…my grandma would always tell me that," I said, trying to keep my voice level even though with all the eyes on me I just wanted to whisper. I felt like they were spying on me, "and, r-really any older relative, e-especially when I m-met them for the f-first time. I-it was all I'd hear growing up."

"I see…" I looked up at Tadashi and couldn't help but jump when I saw he was looking at me, expression far away, as if he was thinking something over.

"Well," He said, a smile appearing on his lips, "you're grandma's a wise woman." Tadashi squeezed my hand "I like that you're an 'old soul;' means you can put up with me and all my robotic motherly antics."

I smiled at Tadashi, tingles spiraling up my arm as he squeezed my hand.

"Well, I-I guess someone has to keep you in line...might as well be me."

"A great idea," Tadashi agreed, greeting someone who said hello to him before turning back to me. "I certainly need it. Someone has to make sure I don't go putting Baymax in a diaper."

I grimaced and Tadashi chuckled, his comment clearly eliciting the reaction he had wanted.

"Of course. And…maybe you could make sure I…" I paused, heart ramming itself into my chest. Make sure I didn't what? Burn? For a moment, the café chatter died down and the shiver-inducing scream from that night echoed through my mind, the flames flickering in my peripheral.

Tadashi must have noticed my sudden pause and look on my face, because he was quick to jump in.

"Don't go into super nurse mode at every paper cut. Sounds like a great compromise."

I blinked and looked up at Tadashi, my eyes widening as he so easily, so smoothly, sealed away the memory of that night. Hearing his voice wa4s all I needed to snap me out of my thoughts. He had impeccable timing, which I'm sure had become more of an instinct as we had grown closer over the past several months.

I wasn't perfect or anywhere near completely recovered, but my PTSD and anxiety from that night had died down considerably, after I had taken the risk of letting down my barriers per Tadashi's request. It had been one of the hardest things I had ever done, letting people in, letting people I knew and had come to care for see the real me, not the persona I put on everyday to keep people content. The last person who had ever seen beyond the gates was Carter…and I was certain that the fire and his death had been because I lowered that drawbridge…

…But after hitting that point of no return, of finally cracking under all of it, I realized I needed help and that people were willing to provide it. That I didn't have to deal with it alone anymore…that I never actually had to be in the first place.

It's been about seven, eight months since that revelation and I haven't regretted accepting the help, of letting people in. Of course, it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, because I was facing my worst fear every single day for a while…but, I haven't been this happy, this okay with myself in almost six years. It's crazy that the one thing I was terrified of, was sure would burn everything I cared and cherished, was actually what saved me.

I watched as Tadashi smiled, this one, gentle and warm, and then he gestured to the staircase with a nod of his head.

"Come on, it's pretty busy in here; we can come down and see my aunt when she has a second to breathe. You know all she talks about with me anymore is you, right?"

I felt my cheeks flush and bit my lip, looking down at my shoes, feeling a bit guilty. Like the other two Hamada's, Ms. Cass had taken a strong liking to me as well. She was a sweet, energetic, busy woman, and whenever I stopped by the café, she always wanted to talk with me, always wanted to know everything that was going on with me. This started even before Tadashi and I started dating; she seemed to have mentally adopted me after she learned that the rest of my family live thousands of miles away and that I was in this big crazy city all by myself. It was a bit…overwhelming at first, but now I've grown used to it. Sometimes though, Tadashi has had to make some excuse to smuggle me up to his room in order to keep the chitchat to a minimum. His aunt meant well, but by the time she finished talking with me, hours had passed and my socializing ability reserves had been completely burned through.

"Sorry about that." I said, following Tadashi over to the stairs. "I don't know why she likes me s-so much."

"Oh, it's no surprise she likes you," Tadashi said simply, his voice echoing a bit as we entered the stairwell, "it's because you're so sweet and, I quote, 'a respectable, honest young woman with a good heart,' and those are 'hard' to find these days, according to her."

My face burned as we walked up the stairs to the apartment; did Ms. Cass really think such things about me? I couldn't help but let my stutter slip as I replied in surprise.

"O-oh, w-w-well, I-I, um…t-that was k-kind of her to s-say."

I could almost hear the smile in Tadashi's voice as he spoke.

"Yeah, she really thinks you're something pretty special. And she's not wrong either. You are definitely something else Auden."

We reached the main floor of the apartment, and Tadashi turned around, tawny eyes warm like copper.

"And, I like that."

Tingles ran their way up my spine at Tadashi last few words. I couldn't help but stare at him, my own eyes wide, words lost in my throat. I felt heat fill my cheeks; Tadashi thought I was "something else," that I was "special?" I wondered what Tadashi saw, what other people saw in me, that I couldn't. Growing up, I had always thought of myself as pretty plain-Jane, not too interesting, just the little girl with a speech impediment that always had her nose in a book.

Carter was the only one who would tell me that I had something in me that no one else did, that I was, indeed, "special." I always thought that he was just being nice, fulfilling the big brother role. But now, as more and more people say the same thing to me as he did years and years ago…I'm starting to wonder if maybe how I see myself has been jaded by years of bullying and self-deprecation…that maybe I'm not so "plain" after all.

I had been lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed that the two of us had gone up the second flight of stairs to his room. Or, should I say, his corner of the room; It never ceased to amaze me how every time I came over, more and more of Hiro's side spread over to Tadashi's, his newest inspirations and blue prints scattered over the floor and tacked randomly on the walls, imitating ivy on brick. Tadashi didn't seem to mind though; he'd rather have his little brother's mind expand and flow throughout the room than contain and limit him.

It was just another thing Tadashi did that only reinforced how much he cared about Hiro, how good of a big brother he was. He was so much like Carter…

"You still in there?"

I jumped, snapping my head from Hiro's side of the room to Tadashi, who was a few feet in front of me sitting on the edge of his bed, feet resting on the frame. He was looking up at me, curiosity and amusement on his face.

I felt my cheeks burn as I realized I had zoned out again. I was so used to living in solitude that I was absorbed in my thoughts twenty four seven, and didn't have to worry about talking to other people. But now that I had friends, people to talk to and a slowly growing social life, I was finding it difficult to pay attention. I tried my best, but sometimes I slipped up and got lost in my thoughts before someone pulled me out. I bit my lip, feeling like a child that just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"S-sorry…"

Tadashi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't apologize. It's not that big a deal." Tadashi stood up and came over to me, taking my bag from me and turning to put it next to his desk where his currently sat. "You're always saying sorry for things that don't need apologizing; not everything you do is wrong, Auden."

Tadashi turned back to me, an expectant look on his face, and I realized that the words "I'm sorry," were posed, ready on my lips. I felt my cheeks burn more at how easily Tadashi could read me. I swallowed the apology and looked down at my hands that were twisting themselves into a digit pretzel.

"I know…just a force of h-habit."

It was. Growing up, whenever I spoke, it would be an apology. I'm sorry that I can't talk, I'm sorry I'm awkward, I'm sorry that I'm too pale, I'm sorry I'm a nerd, loser, bookworm, and all those other names you call me. I'm sorry I can't be like everyone else...always apologizing because I was me, and not what other people wanted from me, though I tried so hard. I put up what I felt people wanted to see, and shelved what they didn't. In the end, I just hid myself behind a weak smile.

"Hey."

Suddenly, larger, warm hands were surrounding mine, gently untangling the fingers and smoothing them out. I looked up to see Tadashi looking down at me, his eyes soft as his voice.

"I didn't mean it was a bad thing. I think it's kind of cute, really. I just don't want you to think that you have to apologize; I'm not as sensitive as I look. I got thick skin."

I blushed and smiled at Tadashi's attempt to cheer me up. I looked down at our hands, warmth spreading from them throughout my whole body.

"You know," I said quietly, tracing his fingers with my eyes, "you're not t-too bad with your words either…t-talking about how I-I know just what to say…y-you're pretty good at it t-too."

"Why thank you." I looked up at Tadashi, my heart skipping a beat at the warm look painted on his face. "Hearing that from such a well said person as yourself makes it pretty important.

"But trust me," Tadashi pulled on my hands gently, pulling me into his part of the bedroom and guiding me to sit on his bed, "I'm not always as smooth as I appear. Looks can be deceiving."

I sat down on the edge of Tadashi's bed, heart beating a little quicker as he moved to slide the shoji screen shut; Tadashi always shut it, even when Hiro wasn't home (which was the case right now-he had a robotics lab that lasted a good portion of the afternoon) to give us "more privacy." Though Tadashi and I hadn't done more than share a few kisses and hold hands, the meaning behind the closing of the shoji screen always made me a bit nervous. I withheld the urge to wring my wrists.

'Relax Auden, just a shoji screen, and it's Tadashi.'

The thought that I was alone with Tadashi riled up the nervous energy in me, but it wasn't bad per say; instead of being driven by primarily fear, it was excitement and anticipation, and sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. Still, it was distracting. I let a breath out and smiled at Tadashi's light conversation, popping the bubbles in my stomach.

"I-I don't know if you forgot who you are talking to, b-but I'm not exactly the hot knife through butter." I commented, earning a chuckle from Tadashi. I felt new bubbles fill my stomach. "S-smooth is n-not in my p-programming, apparently."

"I think you've been hanging around the lab too much." Tadashi made his way back over, taking off his cap and placing it on the desk. I felt my cheeks warm as he ran his fingers through his short black hair. "Talking about being 'programmed' and all that. You're making it sound like you're a robot and not a human."

Tadashi turned to me, pulling out the chair by his desk and throwing his grey cardigan over the back. He sat down, his arms folded across the top of the chair as he leaned into it, a playful smile on his face as he looked at me.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"N-not interested in r-robots? S-sounds funny, c-coming from the guy w-who plans to m-make a career of r-robotics."

My response earned a wider grin from Tadashi, which made me smile in return and relax a bit more. I wasn't typically a humorous person-usually, I was too shy to even say hi to someone, let alone make a joke. The only person I had ever really joked with was Carter, and once and a while, I let a snicker-worthy comment slip around my family. But that was it. I was comfortable with them, unlike some many others, so it wasn't a challenge to bounce a little quip off them every now and then.

But since I had met Tadashi and the others from the SFIT crew and had grown to know them more, I had come a bit more out of my shell, and henceforth, jokes popped out once in a blue moon. However, with Tadashi, I found that I could joke more easily with him, like I had with Carter. It was probably because I saw so much of Carter in Tadashi; that's what had attracted me to him at first. But as time went on, I found there was more to Tadashi then just the similarity to my brother, and before I knew it, I had, well, unknowingly developed feelings stronger than "friendship" for him. And, apparently, he felt the same way towards me, which was the plot twist of the century. But, it wasn't such a bad one, and I found myself smiling more as Tadashi gestured with his hands.

"Hey, I never said I didn't like robotics; I just don't want a romantic relationship with metal. I'm a sucker for women made of organic material." Tadashi wiggled his eyebrows, and I couldn't help but shake my head.

"Guess you've got a lot of f-fish in the s-sea for you then." I said, feigning a thoughtful look. "L-looks like you're gonna need a c-couple more lures."

Tadashi, if even possible, grinned more, and was suddenly swinging himself off the chair and closing the distance between us. My breath caught in my throat as he became eye-level with me, one hand going to the side of my face, brushing away the curls gathered there. His eyes were so warm, the brown expansive and expressive as he looked into my slightly widened, dark grey. He spoke quietly, the rich tone of his voice sending shivers up my spine.

"Now, why would I need to go fishing, when I already have the greatest catch of them all?"

Immediately, my face burned at Tadashi's words, and I looked at him, heart pounding and my stomach blowing so many bubbles it felt like it would burst. My mouth was suddenly dry, and I swallowed, trying to replace the moisture so I could speak, my voice an awed whisper.

"T-t-tadashi…"

Tadashi smiled, and leaned forward, kissing my forehead before pulling away to give me some space. My hand flew to my forehead, the sparks popping off of it enough to catch something on fire. Even after four months of dating, Tadashi's kisses still had as much an impact on me as they did on day one.

"You know, I love your blush."

I looked up at Tadashi, his comment pulling me out of my daze and only colored my cheeks more. I placed my hands on my cheeks, feeling how hot they were and realized my face must have been really red, which in turn, embarrassed me more and added more fuel to the fire currently on my face.

Tadashi must have noticed, because he reached forward and gently pulled my hands from my face, keeping them in his. My heart thumped heavily against my ribcage, and my hands were a tingling mess at his touch. The hold Tadashi had on me was insane.

"Don't hide it; I really like when your cheeks get all pink." He said, his face so open and honest that I had no choice but to believe him. "Blushing isn't suited for all people, but it certainly flatters you."

I looked from Tadashi and down to my lap, feeling my blush creep down my face and to my neck.

"Y…you r-really are a s-smooth talker."

I watched as Tadashi squeezed my hands in his, sending another spiral of tingles shooting up my arms.

"Only for you, my blushing lady."

I braved a look at Tadashi, who was still smiling at me, giving me that gentle look that made my heart float into my throat.

"I-I'm glad t-to hear it." I said, swallowing as my throat dried out yet again. "A-at least one of us n-needs to know h-how to talk."

Tadashi arched a strong brow.

"Last time I checked, both of us are able to communicate verbally just fine."

I gave Tadashi a look. Just because he had me all flustered didn't mean I was going to let him get away with taking everything I said literally; that was one of his favorite things to do. He feigned ignorance and questioned what I meant, making me go out into a long, drawn out explanation of what I was really saying. At first, I didn't realize he was doing it on purpose, and just thought I wasn't phrasing what I was saying correctly, seeing as I wasn't the best at socializing with people.

But, the more often he did it, the more obvious is became to me that he wasn't actually confused; he just liked watching me get all confused and try to find a way to rephrase what I said, which just made me embarrassed. I couldn't figure out why he did it, I still didn't really, but I had a hunch it might have been because he thought I looked "cute" when I blushed.

Tadashi thought he was slick, that I wouldn't have caught on, but he seemed to forget that just because I didn't talk to people, didn't mean I ignored them. I wasn't a talker, that was for sure, but I was most definitely an observer. I watched people, watched what they did, how they did it, how their mannerisms changed and the small movements of their face gave way to what they were feeling. I'd been observing people and they're behavior for most of my life, so to say I was bad at figuring out ulterior motives was most certainly a lie.

I stared at Tadashi for a moment, noting the crinkle that appeared in his eyes, the small, almost unnoticeable twitch of the corner of his mouth from him trying to keep his mouth straight and not smile. Yep. The telltale signs that he was pulling my leg were all there.

"Y-you know that's n-not what I me-meant." I told him, raising my eyebrows to let him know that I had figured out what he was doing, and that it wasn't going to work.

If he was surprised, Tadashi didn't show it. Instead, he pulled back and continued talking as if he hadn't been trying anything.

"Maybe not, but Auden, you talk just fine. I like how you talk. I think your stutter is adorable."

I felt my cheeks burn a little more at Tadashi's words, but also felt my stomach twist. He thought it was cute, but I hated my stutter. It made me sound weak and a bit pathetic at times; plus, it always gained me extra attention I didn't want. I looked down at my lap.

"Easy to s-say that w-when you d-don't have to deal with it…" I said quietly, suddenly finding myself thinking back to when I was little, when I was terrified of speaking; not just because of talking, but because of what people would say and snicker when they heard my stutter. I couldn't help but bite my lip, my fingers curling a bit in Tadashi's hands. The bubbles filling my stomach popped all at once, and the light air that had been in the room turned heavy and hung itself on me.

And there I went, ruining the mood again. I don't know how Ta-

Suddenly I wasn't sitting anymore. My eyes widened as I was lifted up off the bed, my stomach swooping as I flew threw the air. It took me a moment to get my bearings together to take in what happened, but I lost them again as soon as I saw what had occurred.

I was no longer sitting on the bed, but was in Tadashi's arms. He was holding me, cradling me bridal style. I felt my entire body bloom red, my heart exploding in my chest as I stared up at Tadashi, eyes wide with shock and a bit of confusion. My voice didn't come out any better.

"T-T-TADASHI?! W-what a-a-are y-you doing?!"

The exclamation barely left my lips before Tadashi was pressing his into mine. My heart pulled itself together only to burst again, and a shock ran through me like lightning as his lips touched mine, warm and soft and leaving me completely breathless as he slowly pulled away, his face lingering only an inch from mine, the look on it warm and strong, only adding to the breathlessness I felt.

Then, with a whoosh, Tadashi was sitting on the bed, his back against the pillows and his arms still around me. There was not much I could do besides stare at Tadashi, all the blood in my body filling my face as my mind tried to play catch up and take everything into account that had just happened: Tadashi PICKED me up, KISSED me, and now I was SITTING in his LAP.

If it hadn't been obvious before that Tadashi turned me into a puddle, it sure was now.

"Auden"

I blinked, the serious yet sincere tone Tadashi's voice took on grounding me a little. I stared up at him, feeling a bit more together looking at his calm and collected face.

"You're right, I don't know what it feels like to stutter, but that doesn't mean I don't know that it probably wasn't the easiest thing to grow up with." My eyes widened as Tadashi spoke, watching as his eyes drifted over me, taking in my entire composure, as if to make sure I was listening to him.

After a moment, he began talking again.

"Auden, I like it when you talk, when I hear your stutter, because I realize how much trouble it must have caused you, and it just reinforces the fact that you are an incredible person. It shows me how strong you are, that even though you've been through so much, dealt with things no one should have to, you are still such a kind, caring, wonderful person. You made the best out of things, and I really admire that."

My eyes widened at Tadashi's words; did he really think so much of me...? Did I really deserve such admiration? I swallowed, staring at Tadashi, unable to tear my eyes from him.

"I…I d-didn't do anything…I mean," My voice came out in a soft whisper, voice cracking a bit. "I…I j-just was trying t-to…to be, well…"

I didn't know what I was trying to be; I really was just trying to keep afloat in all the darkness, all the pain. I was trying to find the boat in a stormy sea, and even though I had thought I had given up on ever being okay, I realize that maybe I never really had; maybe I had that little bit of hope that things would get better, and that's why I kept coasting those dark waves, because I still saw that glimmer of hope, still believed that someone would come and pull me out of those waters…

…And Tadashi had. But not just Tadashi; Ms. Cass, Hiro, Gogo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Fred, heck even Mochi; they had all saved me, had never let go even when I kicked and struggled against them, or became dead weight. They never gave up, never let me sink. They never left me.

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt Tadashi's thumb brush something wet away from against my cheek. I pulled out of my thoughts to see Tadashi watching me, some concern in his eyes, but mostly warmth. Tadashi's eyes were like the lighthouse on that stormy sea, the sunrise after a long cold night, inviting and warm. He himself was just light and safety, the bringer of fair tidings, a symbol of hope. My heart felt lighter just looking at him; being with him completed me.

"Auden…" Tadashi's voice came out soft and gentle, his eyes so expressive and open that I could feel my heart ache at the beautiful sincerity of it. Of him. His hand lingered on my face, the familiar sparks softened by the light touch. I sniffed, bringing my own hand up to wiped my face, a bit embarrassed by the few tears that had come loose. I then place my hand carefully over his and gave him a soft smile.

"I-I'm okay Tadashi, really. Actually," I squeezed his hand on the side of my face to reassure him. "I'm better than okay. I…I'm good. Really, really good. Thanks to you…so, thank you."

I closed my eyes and tilted my head a bit, smiling a little more, the weight from earlier dropping off me as I said this; I was good. I was happy, something I hadn't ever thought I would be again. But here I was, feeling lighter than a feather and cleaner than rain, the darkness in me finally tamed. I was good.

Suddenly, a soft pressure fell on my lips and by the sensations that flew threw them and throughout my body, I didn't need to open my eyes to know that Tadashi was kissing me. I felt his arms tighten a little around me, sparks flying off my back at the touch. His lips were so soft and careful, his kissing gentle, lips brushing mine in a manner that reminded me of the precise and smooth nature of calligraphy. I could feel my cheeks burn, as per usual, but the excitement that twirled inside of me and throughout overcame the embarrassment.

The kiss only last a few moments, and when Tadashi pulled back, my lips were sparking, buzzing like the rest of my body with excitement and a type of rush I was still so new to. Tadashi brought his hand, the one I had held to the side of my face, and brushed my hair back, as if he was trying to take a really good look at my face. I watched him, cheeks pinked and a little breathless from the overall experience.

"There's no need to thank me silly." He said, face softened by the early afternoon light streaming through his window. "But, I know you will insist on it, so, I'll just skip over the whole debate and say it: you're welcome."

I felt my cheeks redden a little more as once again Tadashi read my mind. I didn't think I was such an easy read; actually, I knew I wasn't. If my history is any indication, I was about as easy to read as Shakespeare. But then again, maybe Tadashi was just better than most at reading such confusing text… he wasn't exactly dumb. Maybe him reading me wasn't such a bad thing…I bit my lip, looking up at Tadashi, who was smiling in a teasing manner.

"I m-must be p-pretty predictable, huh?"

Tadashi raised his eyebrows at my comment.

"Is that a bad thing?"

I shrugged my shoulders, focusing my gaze on the sunlight that flittered through his raven hair.

"Well…predictability…i-it can get pretty b-boring…right?" I shifted my gaze back to Tadashi's face, my cheeks burning a little as I spoke. "I…I don't want t-to bore you, T-Tadashi."

"Bore me?" Tadashi's eyes widened a bit at my words, genuine surprise displayed on his features. "Auden, you don't bore me; in fact, you do the exact opposite. So what if you are 'predictable?' First of all, being predictable is not a bad thing, and second, predictable you are not. Sure, sometimes I can tell what you are going to, but most times I'm not sure what to expect; I'm batting blind. Which also isn't a bad thing; I think not knowing always what you are going to do makes things pretty interesting."

Tadashi shook his head, as if I what I had said was ridiculous.

"Don't worry so much. Bottom line, I still care about you very, very much, predictable or not. So relax, take a deep breath."

With that, Tadashi made the gesture to breathe in, and I watched as his chest inflated, and he held it in, eyeing me. I couldn't help but roll my eyes; Tadashi came off as this cool and suave guy, but he really was just a big dork. But that was how I liked him. I took a deep breath in as well, and gave him a 'are you happy now?' look. Tadashi grinned and let out the breath he had been holding. I followed a suit, letting the air trickle slowly out of my lungs. Tadashi watched, still smiling at me.

"There. That wasn't so hard. Feel better now?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"I was fine before…I-I didn't know you were my p-psychiatrist now."

Tadashi shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, if it helps you, I'll be whatever you need. Psychiatrist, robotics techy, freak in the sheets-,"

"T-TADASHI!"

Tadashi laughed at my mortified shout and I couldn't help but glare at him as my face burned in humiliation, my mouth in a solid frown. When he saw the look on my face, Tadashi laughed harder before ultimately sobering and looking at me, the laughter still shining in his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry. But seriously Auden," I felt my chin warm as Tadashi placed his fingers under it and guided my face up to his, "I'll be whatever you need. I want to be there for you as much as I can. I mean it."

I stared at Tadashi for a moment, his words sinking in and making my entire body warm; was Tadashi even a real person? Sometimes he just did or said things that didn't seem real, like right now. He was just such a caring, compassionate, selfless person. I didn't really think such people existed until I met him. He was just a reminder that not everything in this world is not as bad or broken as it seems; the silver lining is there, sometimes you just have to squint to see it.

I couldn't help but smile at his sweet words, the embarrassment and shock from before quickly fading away. I brought my hand up and placed it gently on his wrist, a rushing sensation flying up my arm.

"Tadashi…I don't need you to stretch yourself thin for m-my benefit," I swallowed, my heart pumping in my chest, "b-but it's t-the same v-vice versa; I…I want to be there for you, too…I…I want you to be happy."

I watched as surprise flittered across Tadashi's features, as if he hadn't been expecting me to reply the way I had. Then, he looked down, shaking his head, a smile making it's way onto his face.

"So worried about boring me and being predictable, yet here you are catching me off guard…" Tadashi looked up at me, brown eyes meeting my grey. "You really are something else…"

Tadashi inched closer to my face, leaning his forehead into mine. A small, sharp intake of breath passed through my lips at the sudden closeness and touch, Tadashi's words swirling around in my mind as I stared at him with wide eyes. I swallowed, my voice barely audible as if the very presence of Tadashi stole away most of it.

"T…Tadashi…"

Even though we were so close, I could still see the corner of Tadashi's lips turn up, his eyes never leaving mine as he slowly shifted his fingers so they no longer held my chin, but brushed against my cheek as he sat my chin in his palm. The heat that flew through my face made it difficult to breathe, my mind white static. But, I didn't miss the last few words before he leaned in and kissed me.

"And, like I said, I like that."