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We leave the pizza parlour in a buzz of warm feelings and cheery laughs. Sliding out of the booths, I reached back to grab my jacket from the pile next to where I was sitting. I started to find my sleeve when I heard Tadashi rush behind me.
“Here, let me help you with that.” Quick, swift hands found both sleeves and helped me pull my coat on. I turned to face him but I couldn't fight the smile when I saw him.
Tousled hair, flushed cheeks and bright shining eyes looking down at me. His hands traveled over my arms to clasp my hands. He already had his jacket on but he leaned into the booth behind me to grab my bag.
“It’s okay, I can hold that.” I take the strap from him and pull it over my shoulder. “Ready to go?”
Tadashi nods and takes my hand as we head to the door, dodging oncoming customers on their way up to the counter. He beats me to the door and pulls it open, only for us to be swallowed whole in the sudden cold of the night air.
Freshly fallen snow greets us outside and our breaths become mist visible in the San Fransokyo street lights. Tadashi holds my hand tightly and pulls me closer so we are brushing shoulders.
“Wanna go for a walk before heading back?” He suggests, his nose becoming rosey in the cold’s assault.
I nod without hesitation.
Tadashi is looking over me with worry, “You sure you’re warm enough like that?” He pulls us to the side of the walkway and pulls my jacket up closer to my neck and tighter to my body before rubbing my already frozen hands.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m okay Tada, I promise,” He’s having none of it as he tugs off his scarf and wraps it around my neck. “What about you? You’ll be cold?”
“Nope. None of that. Looking at you cold makes me cold.” I start to unravel it but Tadashi stops me, “Just take it, will you? Stop being a knucklehead.”
He fixes the scarf real quick before taking my hand again and we make our way to the closest park. Lights hang in the trees, sparkling like yellow stars trapped in the branches. The snow falls like feathers and nothing is as warm as Tadashi’s hand in mine.
The pavement is dark and hard to see, but we walked slowly, talking about anything that came to mind. Conversation flowed with ease and even in the soft lighting and the night air, it wasn’t hard to miss the quiet smile Tadashi had in the moments of silence. Flecks of snow brushed my eyelashes and others got lost in Tadashi’s dark hair.
Lost in thought and presence of the other, we failed to see any sign of the black ice that had made its home on the middle of the pavement and within seconds we met the ground.
I didn’t notice that we had fallen at first. Feeling something soft as I landed. He had somehow managed to take the brunt of the fall for the both of us as his body was beneath mine. Tadashi’s arms were around me and we mirrored each other’s shocked expressions. My hands on his chest could feel the thundering trapped in his chest, even through all his jackets and cardigans.
My hands brush his face and comb through his hair, checking the back of his head in case he hit it. My words rush out before I can stop them, “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need help?”
Tadashi's face melts from shock before he laughs. His whole body moving with every belt of laughter that escapes him. He tightens his arms around me and lays back on the pavement, ignoring that his jacket is beginning to get wet and his San Fransokyo Ninjas cap rocking back and forth next to his head.
It’s contagious. I can’t help when my own peels mimic his own.
We calm down. The rush of the moment dissipating like steam in the winter breeze. I don’t see it, but Tadashi’s hand comes to greet my cheek. Icy in contrast but warms at my touch. Eyes meeting, the gap between our faces slowly decreases before we give in entirely to the craving of each other's lips.
He tasted of pizza. A memory I'll lock away in the back of my head and cherish later. The kiss doesn’t escalate past a pressing of open lips. But it doesn’t do anything to quell the tingles in my chest.
We pull away, eyes staying closed after we part ways and opening when Tadashi speaks between us.
“This wasn’t what I’d planned.”
I smile, “Were you planning on kissing me at my door?”
Embarrassed, Tadashi looks away.
I lift his chin to look at me once more, “Don’t worry. I liked this first kiss much better.”
And I kiss him again.