His hand flexed slightly, reaching for the six pack of drinks on the shelf. The joints connecting his fingers and wrist were taut, his forearms veins even more prominent as he lifted the beverages with one hand. His hand was big, enough to comfortably carry the drinks the way he'd picked them up, strong enough to not need to re-grip. They were tanned, matching the rest of his body, with callouses that scratched against-

"Oi."

Chihaya blinked out of her trance in surprise, glancing up at Taichi with a strange stirring, something like guilt. "Y-yeah?"

Taichi quirked an eyebrow up, giving her an odd look. "What are you staring at?"

Chihaya glanced quickly at his hand, still juxtaposed holding the pack of drinks. Taichi followed her line of sight, confusedly taking note of her flushed cheeks. "Do you really want some juice that bad?"

Chihaya flickered her eyes to the floor. "Uh-huh."

The man in front of her merely scratched at his hair. "Alllriiight, well, you can have yours once I pay for these."

The two of them walked up to the counter, Chihaya snatching a snack to add to their items. They paid without a fuss, continuing back along a sidewalk to get back to their friends waiting at a nearby park. The day was sunny and warm, perfect for a picnic adventure to do some flower viewing.

Chihaya stuffed her face into the donut she'd bought, using it to distract herself from her staring. She didn't really know why she couldn't stop staring at his hands. They'd always been there, swiftly snatching up the karuta cards alongside hers. Maybe it was because he was wearing a watch? His hands looked even bigger when he wore a wa-

Chihaya shook her head, her hair flying around her in a messy halo as she tried to shake her thoughts out of her mind. She shoved her face into her snack, refusing to turn and look again. Taichi, beside her, was blank, staring at her in bewilderment. She peeked at his hands again, loosely curled to wrap around the plastic bags handles of the store they'd just left.

Taichi followed her gaze again, a note of understanding covering his face as he realised. "Ah, right, juice."

Chihaya squeezed her eyes tightly, the powder of her donut dusted all of her face from her deliberations. When she finally opened them again, Taichi's hand was stretched out in the space between them, the sleeves of his shirt rolled back to show his forearms. In his hand was a can of juice, his hand encompassing most of the beverage he held out to her.

"T-thanks!" she squeaked out, eyes wide. She grabbed the drink as fast as she could, her hands shaking as their fingers collided, the skin of his fingers sliding along her own hand as she scooped the can out of his outstretched palm. Chihaya stuffed the donut in her other hand into her mouth hastily, using her now free hand to open her drink. Her hands trembled, feeling Taichi's gaze on her as well as the phantom catching of callouses against her suddenly sensitive skin.

Her fingers scrambled, and when she finally managed to open it, without even noticing that the two had halted in their path, she grabbed the donut out of her mouth and chugged. She could feel the burn of Taichi's eyes staring at her, and Chihaya hoped her usual beauty in vain effect could explain away why she was acting so weird.

"Chihaya."

She pulled away from her drink, too quickly, and some of her beverage leaked out of the can onto her chin and neck. "M-mh?"

She was still turning away from him, focusing her eyes onto the sky to avoid Taichi's gaze. A shadow fell over her face, Taichi moving in front of her to force her to look at him. His expression was unimpressed, and he took a step forward into Chihaya's space. She scrambled back as he kept advancing forward, forcing her backwards as she avoided him. His face grew more and more impatient, until, finally, he backed her into the wall behind her.

Taichi's gaze was serious, staring deeply into her eyes as the wind blew at his bangs slightly. Chihaya gulped, her heart beating nervously as she waited for him to speak. He was strikingly handsome in this moment, and this realisation almost made her breath hitch.

"Chihaya," he deadpanned, "What's wrong?"

Chihaya ducked her chin, her eyes skipping past his to waywardly glance to the side. "N-nothing-"

His hand, gentle yet purposeful, swiped at the sticky remnants of juice about to slide down her chin. Chihaya inhaled sharply, her eyelids becoming hooded. His fingers lingered, reaching slightly higher to brush away the sugar dust from her donut, which she'd long ago dropped on the floor. Chihaya's lips trembled, her breathing becoming harder as his ever so big hand continued to caress away at her skin, getting closer and closer to her lips.

Finally, his fingers pulled at the plumpness of her lips, and Chihaya, breathing heavy and face flushed more than it had ever been, made eye contact with Taichi. His eyes were wide, darting down to glance at the lips slightly parted due to his ministrations, and her eyes, locked onto his. He gulped, and Chihaya flushed even more as his face grew bright red, a blush overtaking his face.

She side lined her gaze onto his jaw, then his neck, and continued until she was taking in the sight of his tensed forearms and the hand, now held to her cheek as one finger stuck to her lower lip. She bit it slightly, almost making contact with his finger and Taichi flinched. The two made eye contact slightly, before the two went even more red and swiftly glanced away in opposite directions, enough to get whiplash.

Taichi stepped back abruptly and a hollow of sadness washed over Chihaya as he started walking, head downturned and his grip on the plastic bag no longer loose. Instead, it was gripped tightly into a fist, the bag crinkling.

His other hand, the one that had touched her face, swiftly reached out and snatched at her hand, pulling her forward to walk together. Chihaya beamed, wrapping her hand around his, even as her body erupted in goosebumps at the warmth so completely covering her hand. His grip was tight, with his fingers interlocking with hers carefully.

Chihaya stared down at their linked hands with a radiant smile, feeling eyes on her and meeting eyes with Taichi, grinning at him. He blushed again and swiftly turned his head to face the path they were walking down, the redness creeping along his ears.

Nonetheless, he squeezed her hand tightly. She squeezed back.