Summary: M-21 likes Tao. The next step is asking him on a date, isn't it?

Contains M-21/Tao.

Set after season 5.

Date

By Dark Ice Dragon

M-21 frowned at his phone, watching the curser blink, his thumb hovering over the screen. It was just a few texts. That was all he had to send. He'd done it a hundred times before.

He hadn't asked someone out on adate before though. And it was Tao. It had taken M-21 far too long to identify his feelings for Tao, but now that he knew, he was supposed to ask him out on a date. Somewhere Tao liked.

At least, that was what M-21 had overheard in the playground and he knew that wasn't the best place for accurate information.

He'd held it off for enough already and M-21 started typing.

[Are you busy?] There was a chance Tao was and wouldn't see the text for a few hours. M-21 ran his thumb over the edge of his phone; he'd wait a minute, then stop checking. It would be a waste of time if-

[mm~? nah just finished up~ x3 it was hard work but its all done~ s'up?]

M-21 exhaled. This wasn't different from the other times he'd texted Tao. Though he didn't tend to send the first text unless he was checking if Tao had eaten. [Nothing much.]

And that wasn't what M-21 wanted to say. [Do you want to go to zoo?]

Tao's response came a few seconds later. [8D haha, you remember that~? that's cute, m. you know I do~~ ^-^]

It wasn't hard to forget, not when Tao had mentioned only the week before. And Tao hadn't answered his question. [Do you want to go tomorrow?]

[id like to but i spent all my money, haha….. ._.;;]

M-21 sighed; he wasn't being clear. [...It's a date, Tao - I'm paying.] He was supposed to because he'd asked.

There wasn't a response.

A few seconds passed and M-21 checked his last message. Did it send?

It had, so why was Ta-

[WHT YOU ME AN A DATE?]

Uh.

A date. That's what he'd said. M-21 read through the previous texts – he'd… Only mentioned it in his last message. Ah.

That would explain why Tao hadn't answered the way M-21 thought he would.

[…I'm asking you out on a date.] That should be obvious now. [Do you want to go on one?] In case there was still a misunderstanding.

No answer.

M-21 fidgeted with his cuff, expecting to hear thenotification, but it didn't come.

It had been longer than the previous pause already, so it couldn't be Tao thinking of a response…

…Oh. No answer was Tao's answer.

He slipped his phone into his pocket, his ribcage squeezing everything inside it as he stood up. Huh, so thiswas what re-

His door crashed open and Tao stumbled in, his hair flying as he snapped his head left and right. As soon as Tao saw him, Tao shot towards him, a huge smile on his face, skidding to a halt in front of him.

"Yes!" Tao said, waving one arm, the other scrubbing the back of his neck. "I was trying to reply but the autocorrect kept changing things and it didn't sound right anyway so I thought it'd be better if I just came in person, especially since we were having trouble understanding each other anyway, heh." His smile softened a little. "Didn't want to chance any more misinterpretations."

"…Yeah. So that's a yes to the date?" M-21 asked, wanting to make absolute sure.

"Yup!" And then Tao threw himself at him, wrapping his arms around him and laughing. M-21 returned thegesture, smiling into Tao's shoulder, his heart lighter.

Inspired by this post: darkicedragon tumblr com / post / 110328801766