Author's notes: My inspirations and ideas were so low that I had to consult a list of ideas for first dates. Gave a lot of wrong impressions, but this was fun to write. Thank you for the support, and do r and r!
15.
"Are you free on Friday?" It is Thursday evening when Tadashi pops the question, his fingers twiddling with a strand of thread from his cardigan.
"Depends," GoGo grunts, squinting at her notes before regarding Tadashi in suspicion. "If this is about babysitting again–"
Tadashi beats her to it, thankfully. "No," he says quickly. "A new ice cream store opened up downtown. Want to take a look? I have coupons."
GoGo stares at him.
"Aunt Cass gave me the coupons and told me to take a friend."
GoGo crosses her arms.
"She wanted me to check out the competition."
GoGo raises an eyebrow.
"She said if I took a friend it wouldn't look as suspicious– What?" Tadashi breaks off midway when he sees GoGo narrowing her eyes.
"So why did you invite me? Fred likes ice cream too," she points out. And given how he's been describing Friday as 'nap day', he should be free for it.
Tadashi struggles to say something.
"... Couple."
GoGo blinks. "What?"
"Aunt Cass said that we look like a couple, and if we look like a couple we'd draw less attention," Tadashi finally mumbles. GoGo stares and stares and stares before chucking a book at him. He catches it (he's had enough practice, she grudgingly admits) and starts to tell her to calm down just as she mutters a reluctant 'fine'.
Tadashi beams and GoGo finds her reluctance ebbing. Until he ruins that effect by saying "Great, then it's a date!" GoGo chucks a pen at him this time. He fails to catch it and it hits his forehead with a satisfying bounce.
GoGo spends the rest of her Thursday insisting that it is not a date to everyone and anyone who asks. No one really believes her – not even Professor Callaghan.
"Hamada?"
"Y- yea?"
"How long are you going to keep staring?" GoGo snaps, crossing her arms protectively over her white top. The word 'Queen' is emblazoned on it in impressive curly letters; with the picture of a crown above. That much isn't bad, she's actually quite fond of the present Honey got her. What irks her is how Tadashi is wearing the same shirt with a crown and the word 'King' scripted in a similar fashion. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's meant to be a couple thing, GoGo fumes silently.
"Sorry," Tadashi apologises. "Now I know why Honey got me this, though." When GoGo doesn't answer, he grins uneasily.
"Here." Suddenly, Tadashi drapes his grey cardigan over her shoulders in smooth motion. "If you button it up, people wouldn't be able to tell."
"And risk looking like a nerd? Sorry, Hamada, I'd rather take my chances." But Tadashi knows her well enough to realise she's joking. He rolls his eyes and lets out a single "Unbelievable," before advancing. As she makes to follow him, GoGo doesn't button up the cardigan as he suggests. She simply pulls it closer to herself to obscure her top just a little.
(The cardigan happens to have Tadashi's smell – coffee and singed fabric.)
"It's impressive," Tadashi admits when they step into the cafe. For once, GoGo agrees. It is impressive. The tiles are marble grey and speckled black, matched with tall white tables and chairs. The counter resembles a cocktail bar, only done in paler colors with slabs of colorful ice cream instead of bottles of alcohol. Not that she'd know. She's only been to a bar once (and she doesn't want to talk about it).
"What flavour do you want?" Tadashi asks as he strolls casually to the counter. GoGo follows and keeps an eye out for bubblegum flavoured ice cream. When her search comes short, she huffs inwardly and settles for her old-time favourite. She refuses to add any topping besides some bubblegum marshmallows. Tadashi is right behind her as he pays for their ice creams (and GoGo will admit that she is just a little bit curious about his favourite ice cream flavour. She thinks he's the vanilla-kind. Or chocolate chip.)
"Rainbow sherbet?" Tadashi chortles slightly when he sees the colourful pink confection. GoGo glares at him out of her periphery. They're finally seated on one of the booths with its tall chairs and even taller table. And she'd be lying if she says she isn't irritated by how Tadashi's feet reach the ground – even when he's seated fully on his chair – while hers are still dangling uselessly in space.
"Not meant to be offensive." The tall Hamada immediately clears, his arms raised in mock surrender. GoGo rolls her eyes at him jokingly, knowing the last time he laughed at her hasn't ended well (for him, of course). "Just never thought you'd be the rainbow sherbet type. Given how colorful it is and how–" He pauses for a moment to find the right word. "Well, how not-colorful you are. Honey says she can count the colors of your entire wardrobe with one hand and still have fingers left."
"Oh yeah?" GoGo chooses not to think about why Tadashi and Honey are discussing her wardrobe. "Then tell me, what type do I look?" They're posing as a couple; GoGo thinks she might as well make it look believable. She leans forward in a would-be conspiratorial manner – gazing at Tadashi challengingly – and is gratified to see him starting to fluster.
"Err, well, bubblegum?" He offers.
"That's my other favourite," GoGo grudgingly admits. "But that's besides the point!"
"Then what is the point?" Tadashi asks in a way that makes GoGo think if didn't know better, she'd say he's flirting ba– scratch that. Not flirting back. Just flirting. Flirting back insinuates that she started it in the first place which is– She feels a headache coming on the way and shoves a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth to distract herself. Then she gets brain freeze and there's a real headache now.
"I'm sorry," GoGo hears Tadashi mumble when she's trying to nurse her throbbing head.
"What?" GoGo squints up at him. What's he sorry for? Flirting ba– Never mind. She's going to pretend nothing ever happened.
"You look awful." GoGo's suspicious and mildly insulted glare causes the parlor's already low temperature to shoot down even more.
"Not that way. You look good– I mean, not cos of the shirt – which kind of matches mine – and my cardigan, which– I mean," Tadashi blusters and GoGo deadpans and the air between them falls into a thick and awkward silence.
"You know what? Never mind. Forget I said anything. I mean– I meant, you looked like you were having an awful time." GoGo has to wonder how it takes almost ten sentences for Tadashi to get that out.
"I'm not," GoGo finally admits. "It's actually pretty fun."
There's an intermittent pause of silence as the awkwardness dissipates.
"And for the record, people who have rainbow sherbet as their favorite ice cream flavour are pessimists." GoGo informs Tadashi righteously. And chocolate chip is for the generous, she mentally notes, when she sees Tadashi's three-scoop chocolate chip cone.
"What about bubblegum?" Tadashi teases.
"Adrenaline junkies–"
"Really?"
"–with purple streaks in their hair." GoGo delivers with an impressively straight face.
"Unbelievable."
It's nearing eight when they walk home in silence. GoGo has returned Tadashi his cardigan (after telling him to woman up from the cold), the coupons have been spent, notes have been taken regarding the parlor ("I hope Aunt Cass doesn't remodel after seeing this," Tadashi mumbled earlier. "Last time she did, Hiro and I moved into the garage cos of the noise.") and the ice cream has been stomached.
"How did you find this?" Tadashi clears his throat and asks abruptly. The night is cold and calm, and GoGo almost doesn't want the day to end. "How did you find today?"
"It was… sweet." GoGo ends up answering.
"That's nice to know. See? I'm not such bad company after all."
"I meant the ice cream." They reach the door of GoGo's apartment, and GoGo thinks there's a flash of disappointment on Tadashi's features just before his placid persona is back again.
"It was fun. And the company was surprisingly good."
Tadashi's face lights up
"But–"
His face falls.
"–I still prefer the Lucky Cat Cafe. Tell Aunt Cass that the ice cream was good, but I still prefer her donuts. Night, Hamada." GoGo enters the apartment and shuts the door. Through the peephole (don't ask why she's even looking in the first place), she can see Tadashi's smile. And even through the door, it is infectious enough for her to start smiling as well.