Tick

Tick

Tick

The loud silence echoed in Sora's eardrums. Don't look up, don't look up.

"Sora?"

She brought her amber eyes forward. When Tai's chestnut coloured ones bore into hers, heat crept up to her cheeks. He took a few cautioned steps towards her.

"So… Yeah, that lady was something, huh?" Tai said lightly, his arms swinging about slightly. "She keeping you company?"

"Oh, I don't know her." Sora corrected quickly. "She was just room service."

Tai smiled. "Looked like you two were getting along pretty good."

"You think?" Sora said, relaxed a bit now that the conversation was flowing nicely.

"I'm pretty glad actually, this place is—" Pausing before the word, Sora thought to herself. What was this place? Green walls everywhere, nothing but sitting on the bed all day, smelling the strong stench of medicine sickened her, and watching paint peel off the walls wasn't that entertaining either. "It's nice." She finished lamely.

"Is it?" If Tai didn't believe her, he didn't let on. His lips tilted in a smile. "Cool. Tell me about it."

Oh god, busted. "Uhh.. well it has good food, the nurses are nice, like Greta for examp— " at this, Sora saw Tai look at her deeply, searchingly. "W-well.." Sora scrambled for words. "The environment is good, Outside is b-beau—tiful, with lots and lots of—pretty …trees…" Sora squeezed her eyes shut. Words just keep spilling out, each one sounding dumber than the last. Um—Oh! Bathrooms are clean, the—sh-shampoo smells good…"

She shut right up then, because in her mind it was already unbearably stupid, and it killed her to think of what HE may be thinking.

Tai crossed the room, strided towards Sora. With each approaching step, Sora's heart quickened. By the time he was looking down upon her from his place one feet away, Sora's heart was slamming rapidly against her chest, and she can hear the thuds, as loud as drums.

When Tai spoke again, his voice came in a gentle whisper. "You said outside was beautiful, so lets take a walk."

While down the hall, he looked back at her and smirked. "And…look at the pretty trees. Lots and lots of pretty trees."

---

The day had dawned bright and sunny, with pink licks of clouds mixing with the purple auqua skyline to form a soft swirl of colours.

Sora took a breath in of the cool spring breeze. She listened to the footsteps of the boy next to her, his feet padding out a steady rhythm. Somehow Tai's confidence had shifted somehow, and now, by the way he was staring at his shoes, hands in pockets, and shuffling posture, Sora noticed he suddenly grew shy. Why? She wondered. And yet, her with him, on this afternoon… it seemed all too familiar. She turned and tilted her head at him. "Have we…done this before?"

He jerked to a stop. "Done what before?"

"This." Sora repeated, slowing down with him. "Walking, just walking. Not saying anything…just…walking."

Tai was quiet for a moment. "Yeah." Then looked away and added gently, "All the time."

"And…what did we do?" Sora said softly. "What…did I do?"

Tai fixed his palms on Sora's sholders. "That." He said. "is for you to remember."

Sora bit back her argument. She didn't want to remember by herself. She wanted somebody to tell her. Why wasn't he helping her? Why? However, it was that moment when she saw a crimson feathered blur out of the corner of her eyes. She turned to see.

"Oh my god! Tai, Look! A robin!" Sora acted out of instinct and grabbed Tai's arm. "It's so pretty!" she pointed up to the bird and bobbed up and down excitedly as a surge of happiness rushed through her. How it got to be, she didn't know. "Do you see it? Look over there!"

"Yeah, it's …beautiful." Tai murmured.

Sora looked up and beamed, gripping Tai's arm tight. "Tai, I know I can't remember anything now, but I will, I will."

Tai's hand came down on hers, and his warm, comforting hold sent ripples throughout Sora's body.

"You know, not so long ago… before all this happened to you… we went for a walk, it was sunny, a day like this one. He looked up at the sky, and smiled. "The clouds were bright warm colours just like today," he traced his glance back to her where it settled bottomlessly. "And..there was a bird, just like this one."

Sora's eyes widened in realization.

"And you know what?" Tai's voice lifted.

"What?" Sora asked, breathless.

"You jumped up and down, wanting me to look, and you were just as happy as you are now." His smile broadened, and his eyes were loving. He brushed a stray strand of Sora's hair away from her face.

"And then what …did you do?" Sora gazed into Tai's eyes, drowning in those golden caramel orbs.

"I—" Tai paused, then said "I…hugged you."

"Oh…" Sora let her gaze drop, but then looked up at him once more. "Well," she said with a smile. "I'm right here."

"You're right here." He repeated in a whisper, then wrapped his arms around her. Sora buried her face in his shirt, and hugged back.

----------------------there ya go, another chapter. Omg it's been like wat 2 years since I—anyway, I'm back. Sry bout the wait. Been really busy. Oh, n my writing's a bit rusty, so bear with me. So yeah, it's a sappy chapter with lots of looking in the eyes's. I've been going through similar scenarios with all the blushing and the stammering and saying random things…but it always worked out at the end. So I thought it would be fun to include it in the story. Just for the heck of it . 33 y'all