"What are you doing?" Tadashi asked Hiro, who was getting the 'Might Work' label and making a new one.
"I realized that 'Might Work' sounded a lot like 'Maybe', so I'm making a 'This is as good as it will get' label," Hiro explained.
Tadashi rolled his eyes.
(*)
"Thanks for agreeing to take over today, Tadashi. You're such a dear." Aunt Cass smiled as she patted her nephew's cheek, before bustling around and looking for make up.
"It's not problem, Aunt Cass," Tadashi replied, already in his apron. "Besides, GoGo's coming over since it's her day off too, so I won't totally be alone."
Aunt Cass expertly lined her eyes and put on some shimmery reddish pink lipstick. "How do I look?" she asked.
"Beautiful as always, Aunt Cass," Tadashi replied dutifully. Aunt Cass had been seeing someone lately; the name escaped his mind. All he knew was that Aunt Cass had met him here, in the Lucky Cat Cafe, he was tall, some kind of author, and was a sucker for Aunt Cass' chocolate pastries. Oh, and he made his aunt a very happy woman, which was all Tadashi could ask for, really.
"Don't forget to tell GoGo she's always welcome behind the counter," Aunt Cass told Tadashi. He nodded.
"She's probably going to sneak up behind me and steal a doughnut anyway," Tadashi joked. "Have fun on your date, okay?"
"Oh, Tadashi." She smiled. "Of course I will. We're going to the zoo!" she grinned, and Tadashi couldn't help but smile back. Just then, the door to the cafe opened, and Aunt Cass' date stood in the doorway, smiling.
"Beautiful. Me and my fellow monkeys approve," he teased.
"H-Hi, Chris!" Aunt Cass turned a faint shade of pink. "Thanks."
Tadashi bit back a smile. So that's what his name was. Cass and Chris. That was cute.
After five minutes of reassuring Aunt Cass that no, he was not going to burn the kitchen, and yes, he was going to be fine (even though he was well over twenty years old and could obviously handle himself), the two lovebirds left, leaving Tadashi in charge of the afternoon shift at the cafe.
The door opened again soon after, and this time it was GoGo who was standing in the doorway. She walked up to him, a knowing smile on her face. "Was that Chris?"
"How come you know his name?" Tadashi asked, after giving her the obligatory greeting kiss on the forehead.
"Because I actually pay attention?" GoGo replied sarcastically. "Can I put my stuff upstairs?"
"Yeah, sure. You know your way. How long are you going to stay here, anyway?"
She rolled her eyes, and replied before heading upstairs. "Until the cafe closes, duh."
Tadashi bit back a smile, and started to get busy. Customers usually started showing up at this time, so he readied the crowd favorites, and specials for the day. By the time GoGo had gone back downstairs, Tadashi was waiting expectantly by the counter. "Your table is ready, my lady," he said in a mock serious tone, gesturing towards a table for two that was situated in the corner, and was the duo's favorite place to sit - when Tadashi wasn't working, that is.
She waved a hand dismissively. "I'm working today," she said decisively, and went into the back room to get the spare apron.
He had a faint smile on his face. On the rare days Aunt Cass told him to cover for her, and GoGo was there with him, the couple had worked out a system. Tadashi, being the friendly, smiling person he was, played waiter, while GoGo became a promising barista. When Tadashi wasn't waiting on tables, he stood next to GoGo by the counter.
Two hours had passed, and the two were enjoying a rest period by the counter when an elderly woman approached the counter. "Hello, dears!"
Tadashi broke out into a grin. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Carson."
Mrs. Carson waved a hand. "I always tell you to call me Mary, Tadashi. I'm not an old person." She winked. "Oh, and hello, GoGo!"
"Hey, Mary," GoGo smiled with ease.
"See, why can't you be like your girlfriend?" Mary chastised. "Wait. She's still your girlfriend, right?"
Tadashi smiled, and draped an arm over his girlfriend's shoulders and smiled. "Fourth anniversary's in two months."
"Oh, heavens no I didn't mean that," Mary exclaimed. "I was wondering if you two were married yet."
Both blushed. "A-Actually, Mary, no," Tadashi stuttered.
"At least tell me you proposed."
The awkward silence was as heavy as an African Elephant.
"Dear me, I'm sorry. I hope you propose soon, young man," Mary smiled. "I remember walking in here all those years ago when you two were still students; presumably just friends. You and your friends and little brother would hang out here all the time..." she sighed. "And you'd just make the most adorable goo-goo eyes at this young woman all the time."
Tadashi blushed, while GoGo looked up at him in amusement.
"Trust me, when you two finally got together, all of the regulars had a celebration here!" she laughed. "Can you imagine the hubbub you two will make if you two get married?"
"Well, we're still pretty young," GoGo said slowly.
"Oh, nonsense. There's something special about the two of you. Well, I'll be sitting at my table," she said, smiling. "You know what to get me!"
"Chocolate éclair with a medium decaf coffee," GoGo patted Tadashi on the shoulder.
Tadashi was left with thoughts of marriage, while his girlfriend got the order ready, unaware of his musings.
(*)
"I also like this one," Hiro commented. "And I like how Aunt Cass and Chris are still together in this one."
"I like the guy," Tadashi admitted. "He's cool."
(*)
It's finally time for a break as Tadashi flips the 'Open' sign to 'Closed'. "That was a busy day," he commented. GoGo went over to their table and sat down.
"Tell me about it. I admire Aunt Cass. Can you imagine working here every day?"
"Seeing Aunt Cass overcome with stress was one of the constant things of my childhood," Tadashi admitted. "Hungry?"
"Oh God yes. I thought you'd never ask."
Tadashi smiled. "I actually have a new thing I wanted to try out. Just wait."
He disappeared into the kitchen for five minutes, and came out with a dish of mini-doughnuts. "Cute," GoGo grinned. He reached the table, and she got a closer look at the doughnuts. They were smaller doughnuts about two inches in diameter, that still had classic flavors of honey-glaze, chocolate frosting, and candy sprinkles. "Kinda like appetizer doughnuts."
"I know, right?" Tadashi grinned. "Thought these would be cool for kids. Like, bite-sized doughnuts. They're hard to make, though."
"They taste good," she said appreciatively, licking the chocolate frosting off her fingers. "Eat them, before I finish the entire plate."
In the silence of the now-empty cafe, the two talked about their lives as they ate mini-doughnut by mini-doughnut. But, as they consumed their doughnuts, something in Tadashi changed. He saw his beautiful, almost pixie-like, speed demon of a girlfriend in a new light. Were the observations of an older person really enough to make him change? "I love you," he blurted out, and he watched the confused look on her face.
It softened, however, as she smiled back. "I love you too, Hamada" she replied, a slight pink tinge on her cheeks.
He continued to gaze at her, and she was finally realizing that there was something different about him. "What's up, hmmm?"
"It's nothing. I just. I." He didn't know how to explain the sudden surge of love that was just pumping through his veins. Maybe he had always felt this way; he just needed someone to tell him that it would be all right if he felt so. Maybe he just needed affirmation that they were compatible. All he knew was, there was no way he was just going to let her slip away from him.
He held a honey-glazed doughnut in his hand, and he smiled faintly. He looked her straight in the eyes. "Marry me."
"H-Huh?" she sputtered. "Where's this coming from?"
"You're it for me, Leiko," he said tenderly, rolling the mini doughnut in his hands, but not breaking it's form. "I think I've loved you since the day we met."
"Oh, so you think?" she teased.
"You're just amazing. And I'm never going to get tired of you. Ever. I mean it," he said, smiling. "And I haven't bought a ring yet, but... I think this comes close." He winked, and showed her the doughnut.
She laughed. "Oh, Hamada." After a few moments of silence, she reached out and took the doughnut from his hand, and slipped it on to her finger. "A bit loose. But, I'll take it. And you, I guess."
(*)
Tadashi grinned triumphantly at the look on his little brother's face.
"Oh, come on!" Hiro burst out. "That was ridiculously cheesy! That was so out of character! Too simple!"
"Stop yelling out negative things when I know this one was your favorite," Tadashi laughed, and placed the paper in the 'This is as good as it's gonna get' pile.
"I just felt so... I felt happy listening to that. Like the kind of happy you get when you're watching a Nicholas Sparks movie where no one dies." Hiro said suspiciously. "I think you've finally got it! You're slowly getting better. This is it."
"But there are still other plans!"
"That was the best one!"
"Just listen to the others, okay?"
"Fine, fine, FINE. What's the 'E' for?"
"E is for... Okay, I admit, this is one of the harder ones... But E is for Electromagnetics."
(*)
IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GOING TO DIE!
I got the idea for this the time I finished the last one, so I started writing it ASAP. Yay for quick updates! And yay for doughnut rings! These two are my relationship goals. Ughhhhh.
Thank you so much for everyone who sent in prompts - you're inspiring me all, I swear you are.
I might have E for Electromagnetics in a few more hours, but we'll see.
Again, thank you so much. Thank you! I promise you'll see more of the gang in further chapters.