Dear Readers,

OHAI GUYS! If any of you here are familiar with me from the HTTYD fandom, it's been a LOOOOONG time. I apologize profusely for my extreme procrastination (not all of which is justifiable) - yes, I am fully aware it's been a year. I do intend to get back to work on the HTTYD fics, but unfortunately they are going to have to wait just a bit longer because after seeing Big Hero 6, I have acquired a new obsession and some insanely awesome plotbunnies that I just HAVE to get out, this obviously being one of them. I swear it has nothing to do with how emotionally compromised I was by that movie. Really, it has nothing to do with that. I didn't cry or have extreme denial issues or anything. Really. ::cough::

Anyway, after seeing BH6 three times in the span of a week (no joke) and reblogging a bagillion things on tumblr, I've pretty much jumped onto the Tomadashi/Gogodashi? ship and am sinking pretty fast with it. The idea behind this fic is to explore how Gogo and Tadashi met and how their relationship evolved up until...well, you know. I'm pretty excited about it, since it's been a while since I've really had enough of a drive to not let writer's block get to me. So go ahead, read and let me know what you think! I hope you guys enjoy it.

Best Regards,

Pooka

Soundtrack: "Deer in the Headlights" by Owl City

Unbelievable

I. Deer in the Headlights

"Tell me again was it love at first sight
When I walked by and you caught my eye
Didn't you know love could shine this bright?
Well smile because you're the deer in the headlights…"

—Owl City, "Deer in the Headlights"

It was almost surreal how things could change in the blink of an eye.

Not that Gogo didn't know that already. She'd been through one hell of a rollercoaster ride the past few years, and as it was, the face of change was an all too familiar one. But there were still times when life managed to throw a curveball in her direction and quite abruptly catch her off-balance.

The day he walked into her life was no exception.

Years later, she could still remember it clearly. It was the first day of the spring semester, sophomore year. She'd just finished a particularly unsatisfying breakfast at the student restaurant (not that the notoriously poor food quality was much of a surprise anymore) and was heading out the building to her engineering class. As Fred's apt nickname for her suggested, the minute she stepped outside she was immediately on the go, striding at a very brisk pace without taking so much as a single glance at her surroundings. That was how she always did things – quickly and efficiently. Her brain and body were perpetually set on "speed" mode and aside from sleep, there was never much of a reason for her to slow down.

Not until that morning, that is.

She was moving so fast that she was completely oblivious to the figure on her right approaching the sidewalk just a few feet in front of her. And, as luck would have it, the moment the figure stepped onto the pavement, Gogo collided with it in full force, knocking a cardboard box full of books to the ground in the process.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! "

The apologetic voice, quite surprisingly, came not from the Gogo's mouth but from the mouth of a tall, dark-haired boy – the figure she had just unceremoniously barreled into.

The petite girl blinked in confusion for a split second as she caught her bearings. Why the hell was the boy apologizing? She was the one who had knocked into him.

"Are you okay?"

The question snapped Gogo back to her senses and she shook her head. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Sorry, it's my fault. I wasn't looking," she replied, glancing down at the mess on the pavement. She crouched down and began picking the books – newly-rented textbooks, by the look of them – up off the ground.

"You don't have to do that – I've got it," the boy interjected, kneeling and hastily scooping up the items into his arms and depositing them into the box.

"No, it's fine – I knocked them over," Gogo said, continuing to help. "Geez, did you rent out an entire library or something?"

The boy chuckled, and at the sound, the young woman glimpsed upward and got a better look at his face. It was a nice face – soft brown eyes, high cheekbones, tufts of black hair peeking out from under his cap. What got to her, though, was the smile. Quite unexpectedly, Gogo felt a little jolt in her stomach as she caught sight of the boy's sideways grin. Gulping uncomfortably, she tore her gaze away and directed her attention to the final book lying on the sidewalk, all the while mentally cursing herself for the unwelcome reaction to the stranger.

"I just registered," the boy responded as he heaved the box off the ground, although Gogo had momentarily forgotten that she'd even said anything beforehand. "Didn't have a chance to get books till today."

"Ah," she said, nodding her head curtly as she stood up. "Transfer?"

"Yeah." She nodded again.

They stood there for an unnecessarily long moment, neither of them saying a word, until the boy spoke up again.

"So," he muttered awkwardly, "thanks, uh, for helping me with the books. See ya 'round."

"Uh, yeah, no prob," Gogo replied, giving him a brief wave as he walked away. "See ya."

But even as he disappeared from her sight, Gogo couldn't shake the thought of the boy from her mind. Something about him – something she couldn't quite put her finger on – had struck her, and no matter how much she tried to brush it off in the following hours, the odd feeling remained.

Little did she know that after that one brief meeting, her life would never be the same again.

The rest of the day passed normally – classes, lunch, a quick power-nap on the main lawn. When she arrived at her dorm suite, though, Gogo felt strangely worn out, and within seconds of stepping through the door, she was sprawled out on the couch with her eyes closed.

"Hiya!" a high-pitched, particularly perky voice called from the kitchenette. "Sooo, how was the first day back at the old chipping block?"

Gogo snorted at her roommate's use of terminology. There was no end to Honey Lemon's quirkiness. Oftentimes the quieter girl found herself pondering how on earth the two of them had ever become friends, given how polar opposite they were. It was a mystery Gogo wasn't quite sure she would ever solve, but to be honest, she didn't really care. For all her oddities, Honey was a loyal friend, and that was all that really mattered.

"It was boring," Gogo finally answered after a moment's silence. "Oh, and the guy I had to sit next to in calc is definitely a chain-smoker. I was gagging the whole time. God, he smelled awful."

"Aww," Honey cooed sympathetically. Gogo could hear the other girl rummaging around in the fridge. "That's too bad. Everything else go okay, though?"

"Yeah," Gogo murmured, opening her eyes. "What about you?"

"It went pretty well," the taller girl piped, pulling a pan out of one of the cabinets. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you – I saw Wasabi earlier and I invited him and his new friend to dinner, if that's okay with you."

"Sure, totally fine," Gogo sighed, letting her eyelids fall closed again.

"This guy is totally adorable - sweetest guy ever," Honey continued excitedly as she turned on the stove. "He's new, just transferred here or something. 'Sabi met him at the back-to-school ice cream social they had on Saturday, y'know? I forget his name, though. Tad-something. Sounded Japanese."

"Mmm," the brunette grunted in acknowledgement of Honey's rambling.

"Aaanyway, I really like him. Such a nice guy. Cute too. And ta-all." The last word she sang gleefully, bouncing happily on her tiptoes.

Gogo snickered. "First day back and you already have new eye-candy? That must be some kind of record."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of, well, somebody for you –"

"Oh, God, Honey, you're not trying to set me up again, are you? You know I hate it when you do that."

"But you're never gonna find anybody if you just sit around and do nothing! You have to get out and meet people!"

"What if I don't want to meet people? What if I'm perfectly fine becoming an old cat lady?"

Honey let out an annoyed huff and turned in the direction of her roommate to yell at her. "You are not becoming an old cat lady!"

Gogo sat up and grinned slyly at her friend. "But what if it makes me happy? What if being an old cat lady is the one thing I find truly fulfilling in the otherwise dull, meaningless existence that is my life?"

"Ugh," the blonde muttered in frustration, re-directing her attention to the stir-fry she was cooking. "You are impossible."

"I keep telling you that, but you still insist on trying to find me a knight in shining armor anyway," Gogo quipped, leaning her elbow against the back of the couch. "I'm a lost cause. You know that."

"Nope, you're not. I'm not giving up on you. He is out there and you are going to find him and live happily ever after even if I have to drag you to him by your ankles!"

The smaller girl chuckled and shook her head in amusement. When Honey Lemon set her mind to something, there was no convincing her to give up. It was one of the few characteristics Gogo shared in common with her.

"Do you need any help in there?" she called, swinging her legs off the couch.

"No, no, I'm fine," came the reply. "Just go make yourself look presentable before they get here."

"Honey, I am not going to get all dolled up for Wasabi and some random guy I haven't even met." Gogo sauntered into the kitchenette and began pulling plates out of one of the cabinets. "Besides, I look totally 'presentable.'" The last word she accentuated with air quotes, to which Honey simply rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Honey sighed as she scooped the cooked food out of the pan and into a large bowl. "Go ahead, throw away a beautiful opportunity for lifelong happiness."

"I told you, I have no problem with being a cat lady."

"Oh, will you stop saying that?!"

Gogo simply laughed.

Twenty minutes later, Gogo was lounging on the couch again when a loud knock sounded from the door.

"Ooh! They're here!" Honey cried. "Go, can you get it? I'm taking out the rice."

"Sure," Gogo answered, standing up and making her way to the door. She undid the lock and swung the door open, opening her mouth to grant their guests a greeting. But when her eyes met the sight before her, she suddenly froze, her mouth hanging open surprise.

It was book-boy.

Well, Wasabi was there too. But standing just behind him was the boy she'd bumped into that morning, wearing the same lopsided grin he had before. Without warning, Gogo's stomach did a little flip, and she clenched her teeth down on her gum in attempt to make the annoying sensation go away.

"Uhh, earth to Gogo!" Wasabi waved a large hand in front of the girl's face. "You okay?"

Gogo let out a huff, pretending that nothing odd had just happened. "Of course I'm okay," was all she said before stepping aside and letting the two boys in. "What's up."

"Oh my gosh, hiii!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, rushing out of the kitchenette to envelop Wasabi in a tight hug. She did a little hop and turned to the other boy. "And you're – oh, I'm such a scatterbrain. I forgot your name."

"Tadashi," book-boy replied in a gentle voice, extending his hand. Instead of taking it, however, Honey leapt onto him, squeezing his shoulders in another embrace.

"Tadashi!" she squealed. "That's right!" The tall girl pulled away, now bouncing excitedly on her toes again. "Oh, and this is my friend Go – I mean, Leiko. I mean, her name's actually Ethel, but she goes by her middle name, except we all call her—"

"Gogo," Gogo interrupted, sticking out her hand.

"Heh, small world, huh?" Book-boy – Tadashi – clasped her hand in his. It was warm and his grip was firm, but not crushing. If Gogo hadn't been so frustrated at her stomach's sudden unwillingness to calm down, she might've enjoyed the feeling more.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Wasabi asked.

"WHAT!" cried Honey, grabbing Gogo by the shoulder. "You didn't tell me—"

"I knocked his books over on the way to class this morning."

Honey and Wasabi each raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, I ran into her by accident," Tadashi explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Actually, I ran into him, but for some reason he still thinks it's his fault," Gogo countered.

"Aww, well it's so great that we're all here together!" Honey bubbled, clasping her hands and bouncing on the balls of her feet for the umpteenth time that evening. "Come on, come on, fill up a plate and sit down! I cooked chicken stir-fry with Teriyaki sauce!"

"Mmm, I love me some Teriyaki chicken," Wasabi mused, following the exuberant blonde to the kitchenette counter. "She's a great cook," he added to Tadashi, who had somehow ended up standing next to Gogo.

"He's been telling me that all day," Tadashi laughed quietly, leaning towards the shorter girl with an amused smile.

Gogo, unsure of how to react to the new boy's sudden proximity to her face, said nothing and merely began loading an empty plate with food. She could feel the boy's inquisitive gaze locked on her, though, and it made her stomach continue to act as if it were a trapeze artist in a traveling circus.

"Don't mind her," Wasabi remarked as he hoisted himself onto a stool to eat. "Sometimes she likes to pretend we don't exist."

"Because sometimes you're an obnoxious ass," the girl retorted.

"Aaand the claws are out!" the larger boy teased.

"Shut up," Gogo snapped, taking her own seat.

"Not until you admit you messed with my coffee that one time—"

"You're still on about that? That was a whole fricking year ago!"

"Well, it was very distressing!"

"Ugh, you're such a loser, you know that?"

"Guys!" Honey hissed, jerking her head in Tadashi's direction.

"It's okay," Tadashi chuckled, sliding onto the stool next to Gogo's. "Some guys at my old school got like that a lot."

"Where'd you go?" Gogo asked before she could stop herself. She inadvertently found her eyes locking with Tadashi's warm ones, and the minute she did, she instantly felt like muttering a string of curses under her breath.

What the hell was wrong with her? He was just a stupid boy, for God's sake.

"I was studying nursing at San Fransokyo University," Tadashi answered, unaware of Gogo's current struggle to maintain control of herself. "But, in the end, my love for robotics won out. So here I am." At that, he flashed Gogo another bright grin, causing the girl to nearly choke on a piece of chicken.

"N-nursing to—" ahem "—robotics, huh?" Gogo replied, attempting to clear her throat without drawing too much attention to herself. "That's quite a switch."

"Yeah," the boy said, that exasperating smile still plastered on his face. "I mean, I've always wanted to help people. I just didn't know in what capacity, y'know? Thought I wanted to work in the medical field but then I kinda discovered I'm not so great with blood—"

"What, did you faint or something?"

Gogo tried to ignore the sound of Wasabi nearly spitting out his drink and the death glare Honey was aiming at her from Tadashi's other side.

"Ha, actually, yeah, I sort of did…"

"Dude, are you serious?" Wasabi interrupted, an incredulous look on his face.

"I admit it, I'm a wimp," Tadashi laughed, jabbing aimlessly at a carrot with his fork.

"Oh, being grossed out by blood doesn't mean you're a wimp!" Honey crooned.

"No, but fainting over it does," Gogo uttered. God, she really needed to shut up.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Honey opening her mouth to refute that last statement, but Tadashi, who was still grinning like a goddamned kid in a candy store, interrupted before the blonde could say anything. "She's right," he remarked, taking a bite of the carrot. "Even my professor wouldn't let me live it down."

"Ouch," Wasabi commented. "That's harsh."

"Nah, not really. If it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have figured out what my real passion was. Although I still want to work on some kind of medical technology. I don't know what yet, though."

"Well, you should totally talk to Professor Callaghan," Honey suggested cheerfully. "He's the robotics expert. He'd probably help you come up with some really good ideas."

"Yeah, I've got a class with him tomorrow," Tadashi replied with yet another smile. "Pretty stoked for that."

"Which class?" Honey asked.

"Industrial design."

"Oh my God, Gogo, isn't that the same class you're in?!" the girl cried, leaning across the counter toward her roommate. "That is so awesome!"

"Yeah, that is pretty cool," Tadashi remarked, eyes twinkling in Gogo's direction.

"Ooh you guys can be study partners!" Honey exclaimed.

Gogo was pretty sure she was going to murder someone by the time dinner was over.

"Yeah, it's not like you're anti-social or anything, are you, Gogo?"

"Wasabi, shut your mouth before I shove this piece of broccoli in it," she threatened.

"See, you don't want to spend time with her. She has the all the grace and charm of a desert cobra."

"Oh, stop it, you two!" Honey interrupted, glowering at both her friends. "Let Tadashi eat in peace."

"Really, it's okay. It's more entertaining this way," Tadashi joked, unexpectedly waggling his eyebrows at Gogo.

She had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. In fact, Gogo wasn't sure how to respond to any part of the conversation anymore. She was pretty certain that she was going to die of embarrassment and whatever the hell else was wrong with her if dinner didn't end soon.

Thankfully, it did, though, and after a few minutes of more small talk and cleaning up dishes, the boys were finally at the door bidding their goodbyes.

"Thanks for the dinner, Honey," Tadashi remarked, after accepting another bone-crushing hug from the taller girl. "It was amazing."

"No prob! Come on over whenever you want! I love to cook for guests."

"That is the understatement of the century," Wasabi chuckled.

Tadashi laughed and then turned to Gogo, who was trying her best to look…normal. She wasn't entirely sure if it was working.

"It was nice meeting you, Gogo," the boy said smoothly, holding out his hand for her to shake. "I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess so," she murmured, internally berating herself for enjoying how perfectly her hand fit into his. "See ya then."

"See ya."

"Goodnight!"

And then they were gone.

"Sooo, what did you think?" Honey immediately inquired, poking her friend in the shoulder.

"I think," Gogo replied wearily, "I need to go to bed."

And with that, she disappeared into her room and called it a night.

A/N: So, I hope that wasn't a total failure, since I did enjoy writing it. I was afraid Gogo got a bit OOC in some parts, but I'm probably being paranoid. Anyway, don't hesitate to review - I love reviews! And special thanks to KateMarie999 for bothering me incessantly and being there to bounce ideas off of. (Btw, she has a fic called "Personal Matchmaking Companion" about Baymax interfering with Hiro's love life. It's pretty hilarious and I highly recommend it).

EDIT: So if you've come back here, you may have noticed that I changed the title of this chapter! This is because for a while now, I've been wanting to write a story where every chapter is named after a song relevant to the content (and in this case, the ship). It's kind of a tall order for myself, but I'm going to try to do that with this story. I searched for a long time trying to find a Tomadashi song appropriate for this chapter, and I finally settled on Owl City's "Deer in the Headlights" since although it's sung from the point of view of a guy, it captures how Gogo was sort of caught off-guard when she first met Tadashi. I might make a playlist on YouTube or post a fanmix on tumblr of the songs once I've got a few chapters going, so you guys can have your own Tomadashi soundtrack to this fic! I might need help picking songs in the future, so if anyone has any good suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Anyway, again, thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome!