A/N: Reposted from the collection: Fickle Petals (this was originally drabble 4). Written for the Digimon Flash Bingo, #002 - blush
That Awkward Stage of Blushing
He's still at that awkward stage, where his mother can say something embarrassing about him in front of his friends and his face will go hot and his ears will burn. Or his friends can cat-whistle at him when he lets slip he has a date with Juri (or she tells Calumon who tells the whole world). Or Juri says something nice and cute and he just can't help but feeling some awkwardness in the mix.
He thinks Kenta snapping a photo of him giving Juri a hair ribbon for White Day is the worst that's happened, particularly when Juri smiled and thanked him so sweetly, Takato was sure his body temperature would have gone up without Kenta's interference. And he'd felt dizzy for a little bit afterwards too. Walking on clouds according to Hirokazu. Over-combusting in his own opinion.
So when Juri kisses him for the first time, he's worried he's going to kneel over and faint. Twelve is awfully young and he hadn't even imagined a kiss before, but if he had it would be with Juri, and it would be like that. But she was looking awkward and unsure as well, and her cheeks were as red as his brand new jacket…and Juri hardly ever blushed around him. He did the blushing for the both of them.
But he doesn't faint and manages to walk home dizzily that evening. That's not the end of that though; his parents take one look at him and know he's "drunk on his first kiss". And, since they run a bakery, enough people come through and hear – so when Takato and Juri go to school on Monday, all their friends are in the know and want details.
Juri doesn't blush immediately like Takato does but she fiddles with her hands and mumbles, then protests when someone wonders aloud if Takato "wasn't good enough". 'It's just,' she explains, 'I don't know how to describe it. Just –'
The bell goes, rescuing her…and him who was going to be the next victim. In class is a little respite from the questions and the teasing, and Takato lets himself daydream. Now that the idea's in his head he can imagine it and the next bell rings with memories of that kiss again. "You had this sappy dreamy expression on your face," Hirokazu chortles afterwards, as they sit around eating lunch. "So did Juri. Dreaming about your kiss last night?"
They both blush and stare at each other. Takato's the more experienced blusher so he reacts first, giving her a nod when the others are busy looking the other way. She gives him a smile as her blush fades…leaving his painted on for the rest of the lunch break.