a/n: ahh, finally, my otp! happy new year, minna-san!
dedication: to the countdown.
disclaimer: i own nothing.
summary: Splashing in the puddles. – Fudou/Haruna.
rainy day
This was, by far, the most awkward first date Fudou had been on.
Considering that he'd been on quite a few, and all with the same girl – the time he had drunkenly asked Kidou out did not count no matter what Sakuma said – it was an extraordinary feat.
"Umm…"
"Fudou –"
They both stopped and stared at each other, standing a foot apart on the gray sidewalk.
"You can go first," Fudou gestured, eyeing the empty space between them and wondering if he should go for it. They were still a foot apart and her hands were by her sides – and when did holding hands with a girl turn into rocket science?
"No, Fudou-san, please," she said, flushing before wrapping her arms around her torso. Fudou sighed at the lost opportunity and – wait a minute. When had he become Fudou-san?
"I actually…didn't…really…have anything to say," Fudou muttered, resuming his walk with a slightly frostier tone. She matched her steps to his and both continued in a tense silence before she broke it again.
"Fudou…" She looked like she was debating on the choice of honorific, but finally gave up, "Why don't we go in for some hot chocolate? It looks like it's going to rain and we don't want to get caught in the downpour…"
Fudou chanced a glance upward – she was right, it was getting dark and storm clouds were accumulating, the sudden chill in the air as the sun was blocked.
"Let's go to the plaza, first," he said after a moment's hesitation, "Otherwise we won't have any time later." She agreed and they resumed walking, still a foot apart.
The traitorous part of Fudou's mind showed him flashes of images – images of her curled into his side, laughing with a hand in his, darting in to kiss him, melding as one. Unfortunately, those times were past and if Fudou wanted them back, he'd have to suffer through this torturous first date.
However, Fudou had been right when he said there was no time – it started pouring the minute they entered the park and both of them were forced to crouch under the branches of a tree as the heady scent of rain filled the air.
"It started raining," she said and Fudou recognized that judging tone.
"I noticed, darling," he bit out and she turned to him, eyes narrowed with her infamous temper.
"I told you we should go inside," she reprimanded and it sounded so much like a scolding that Fudou snapped.
Screw this – he had been together with this girl for two years and here they were, sniping at each other on this mockery of a date.
"You just have to be right, don't you?" Fudou griped, one hand splayed against the tree trunk as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes, "I swear, you made it rain on purpose."
"You're such a sore loser," she sneered, balancing on her tippy-toes, arms outstretched.
"You're the sore loser."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"I swear to god, I'm going to fucking push you in a puddle."
"You couldn't push me into a puddle if you had me tied up," she retorted, sticking her tongue.
"If I had you tied up, I wouldn't be pushing you into a puddle, sweetheart."
"Pervert," she hissed, taking a swipe at him which, to Fudou's eternal surprise, caught the edge of his shoulder and sent him off balance to land on his ass.
He looked up at her, both of them confused for a moment, before she burst out laughing, doubling over with the force of her giggles. He swore, loudly and creatively, before gingerly getting up – the mud had already soaked through his jeans and Fudou was feeling quite uncomfortable.
"Why're you laughing?" he hissed back at her, "I seem to recall a certain incident a few years ago when you managed to sit on your own ice cream cone."
To his eternal surprise, she brightened up at this, "Oh, we're not doing that awkward thing where we pretend we're total strangers? And, for your information, that was all Kidou's fault."
"Most things usually are," Fudou nodded sagely, wondering what thing she was talking about. But the awkwardness had been dispelled, so he let her chatter on about her idiot of a brother and the majority of incidents that had happened over the years related – quite unfairly – to him.
Fudou had very quickly realized that Kidou got away with everything and so he had used this opportunity to blame everything on him. It was quite satisfying watching Kidou's face turn the special shade of purple reserved especially for him.
The rain stopped, soon enough and they both walked to the plaza, Fudou silent while his date continued to talk about this and that and everything her weird little brain landed on. She also had a fixation for pausing the one-sided conversation whenever she spotted a puddle, darting over to jump in it, thoroughly soaking Fudou in the process.
This had gone on to the point that by the time they reached the Kidou mansion, Fudou was overtly paranoid about his girlfriend's silences.
Of course, the look on Kidou's face when he opened the door to see his little sister and a mud-covered monster was totally worth it.
le fin
a/n: For some reason, I'm not quite satisfied with this…