Tadashi hadn't been sure the boy in the mascot suit would actually turn up in the labs after their meeting at the baseball game - but he did, and it didn't take long to decide that inviting Fred had been one of his better decisions. Whenever Tadashi was in the lab, he could usually count on Fred to come in sooner or later, and he occasionally found the 'science enthusiast' at the doors waiting for him to arrive; Fred was oddly hesitant about going in without Tadashi present, but with both of them there he was a bright, exuberant force. He was one of the few people Tadashi had met who didn't lose interest if he couldn't grasp the particulars of something - sometimes it almost seemed like he was more entranced the less he understood, though the way he brightened up when something did click was rewarding too, and either way he was always impressed and ready for more.
In all honesty, it might've been annoying if Fred wasn't so much fun.
As it was, working without Fred peeking over his shoulder and making joking remarks (or maybe not - it was sometimes hard to tell how serious he was being about pseudo-scientific suggestions) had felt odd ever since he'd first stopped by.
And sometimes Fred caught his eye when he spoke, a hint of that grin just visible even when he was trying to make seriousness part of the joke, and Tadashi almost felt Fred was trying to make him in particular laugh.
It came easily - something about Fred left him feeling relaxed and cheerful - and the wide grins he got in return, silly tinged with sweetness, only made it better.
-0-
Tadashi had a date with Wasabi - just experimental, they'd agreed, just to see how it worked out - and he should have been focused on that. Instead, he was wondering what impulse had made him tell Fred about it when they'd decided they'd keep quiet until they had seen how it went.
For whatever reason, he'd suddenly decided Fred deserved to know, and now he was left thinking of how Fred's smile had had all of its sweetness but none of the usual silly edge.
Tadashi liked the silly smile better.
Any other thoughts on the matter would have to wait; as always, Wasabi was early, waiting for him outside the small bakery just off-campus, and he put Fred out of his mind as he hurried to meet his date.
The evening wasn't a disaster, exactly - the issue was that it didn't feel like a date, and the larger issue was worrying that it did feel like a date to Wasabi.
(It didn't - but it took two more increasingly-awkward evenings for them to open up to each other about the issue, and once Wasabi let it slip to Gogo and they officially told Honey it was almost two months before they stopped referring to awkward moments as 'dates'.)
Fred had snapped back to normal as if nothing happened after the incident, and the whole issue didn't cross Tadashi's mind again until they started helping Hiro prepare for the SFIT Convention.
"Hey, uh... Tadashi?"
The were alone aside from a sleeping Hiro (still in his desk chair, in one of his more improbable nap poses), and something in Fred's voice caught his attention.
It was close to the uncharacteristically careful tone Fred had used when Tadashi had first mentioned his dates with Wasabi; he blinked, still turned away from Fred as pieces clicked together. All at once, he remembered the brief look that had crossed Fred's face - one of the most effective puppy-faces he'd ever seen. He remembered all those times he'd caught Fred watching him.
Just as importantly, he was suddenly aware of just how often he'd been watching Fred while they'd been talking with the others, and he wondered just how Fred had come to the right conclusion about it all before he had... assuming he was right about what Fred wanted to talk about.
Well, he couldn't always be the quickest on the draw. He was right about what Fred had wanted, though (mostly - Fred had first of all seemed concerned that Tadashi would disapprove of Fred's relief over the failed dates with Wasabi, as if Tadashi could ever think he had a single malicious cell in him); the pleasantly nervous way Fred folded his hands as he agreed to a coffee date was almost as rewarding as those goofy grins of his, and once Hiro was safely in bed they headed out together.
-0-
Tadashi stayed at the coffee shop longer than he intended and far longer than he should have - by the time he was aware of how long they'd been talking, dawn light was filtering through the city and he had class in five hours.
"Ahh, Fred, sorry - I gotta go."
He slid out of the booth as he spoke; Fred blinked and then glanced out the window before looking up at Tadashi with a grin.
"Yeah, I guess you do. So, uh... tonight, maybe dimsum or something..."
"Dimsum sounds good, yeah."
They were quiet a moment, Tadashi shuffling his feet lightly and Fred drumming his fingers on the table and both of them grinning faintly.
"So uh... same dealy you had with Wasabi I guess?"
"Yeah. Probably... I dunno, see where it goes without anyone else's... expectations..."
"Yeah dude, would probably get weird with everyone watching to see what we do."
"Yeah." Tadashi cleared his throat and headed for the door. "So uh... bye Fred."
"Bye."
It was hours before he realized they hadn't set a time, and he had to laugh at his own awkwardness; still, it was a pleasant, paradoxically comfortable awkwardness in contrast to the situation with Wasabi, and he found himself enjoying the light tension.
Even better was the way most of the awkwardness seeped away, leaving a warm, content feeling as they walked hand-in-hand along the pier (third date - Tadashi had found himself mentally cataloguing it all, from Fred's ridiculous enthusiasm for carnival games to the way he laced their fingers together and bumped lightly against him when Tadashi first took his hand).
The day of the expo they ended up in the same coffeeshop they'd spent most of a night in - both leaning forward to talk, and when Fred responded to his teasing with the most overblown sad face possible Tadashi leaned forward to kiss him.
"Guess we should talk to the others, huh," he murmured after a moment; Fred grinned back at him, eyes bright and cheeks flushed as he nodded.
"Yeah. Tomorrow, though. I mean... it's Science Baby's big day and all..."
Tadashi laughed at that, reaching to lay his hands over Fred's.
"Don't let him hear you call him that. But yeah, you're right... it's Hiro's day, but once he's had his presentation and gotten in, we can have ours."
"Right!" Fred flopped back, pulling his hands free to wave Tadashi over. "Now come over here. Official boyfriends selfie!"
As soon as Tadashi slid into the booth Fred stole his hat and then all but tackled him; Tadashi laughed and wrapped an arm around Fred and managed to keep his balance just long enough to take the picture before they overbalanced and tumbled out of the booth in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
-0-
Hiro's presentation was a complete success. No one was less surprised or more proud than Tadashi.
They were headed out to the Lucky Cat to celebrate, and for once Fred's exuberance didn't really stand out - even Gogo matched him in her own understated way.
As he herded Hiro away he glanced back and caught Fred watching him. Tadashi smiled and was rewarded with Fred's silly-sweet grin and a small wave, and he chuckled to himself as he strolled off with Hiro.
They had a lot to talk about, they'd have more to talk about tomorrow, and all of it was good news.