꩜ .ᐟ Tatta Kõdai

The second you stepped into Tatta’s apartment, he knew something was off. You didn’t say anything ; just dropped your bag by the door and stood there like you didn’t know what to do next. Your shoulders were tense, your eyes were dull.. no teasing, no "Hey, I’m here" no snarky comment about his permanently messy coffee table or the faint smell of engine grease that always seemed to cling to Tatta no matter how many times he showered. Yeah, something was definitely off with you today.

Tatta looked up from the couch, cap pushed halfway off his head, and blinked. "…Hey ?" You didn’t answer. That's exactly what made Tatta understand. "Shit.. bad day ?" You gave the smallest nod and that was all it took. Tatta got up without asking another thing. He didn’t push for details--he wasn’t really the talk it out" type unless you needed him to be, which he assumed you didn't right now given the way you looked at him. Something was for certain ; he just made it his duty to comfort you. Tatta was good at reading people. Well.. depending on the situation. But you? He could literally read you like a book and he knew exactly what you needed right now.

"Come here" Tatta said softly, tugging his cap off and tossing it somewhere into the abyss of his apartment. His arms opened automatically like it was second nature now--which kind of was after a year of dating you. You stepped into him and practically collapsed. Tatta caught you like you weighed nothing, wrapping both arms tight around you, one hand smoothing along your back, the other resting gently at your waist. He didn’t say much, just held you. He rocked you a little, back and forth. Tatta noticed how your breathing got slower, how your face fit just under his chin. How you finally melted into him like your body had been holding tension all day and only now remembered how to soften. That made him smile. A genuine, warm smile that he couldn't hide no matter how much he tried to

"…Yeah.." Tatta whispered into your hair. "You’re okay, just stay here a bit. I got you." You stayed longer than a bit. When you finally pulled away, eyes a little glassy, he gave you another soft and genuine smile. Tatta tilted his head slightly to one side "Lemme guess" he said, heading into the tiny kitchen You haven’t eaten either?" You made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a groan, flopping onto his couch like a person freshly defeated by the weight of life. Tatta peeked over his shoulder, already opening his fridge. "Alright, alright. I got you. Don’t even think about moving." He started pulling stuff out ; leftover rice, a couple eggs, green onions, soy sauce. It wasn’t anything fancy--Tatta wasn’t a chef, but he knew how to throw together comfort food like a pro. Something warm, filling, simple. Something that made it feel like the world wasn’t falling apart outside.

While the rice sizzled in the pan, he kept glancing back at you. "You look like someone drop kicked your soul" He teased gently, just trying to coax a tiny smile Wanna wear my hoodie or something? You get all weirdly quiet when you’re cold. That's creepy." Tatta smirked. You didn’t answer, but a few minutes later you were wrapped up in his biggest, softest hoodie. The one that smelled like laundry detergent and him. You buried your face in the sleeve. When the food was ready, he didn’t even bother with plates ; he just brought the pan over with two forks and set it between you both. "Here. Eat while it’s hot. I know you’re sad, but sad people still gotta chew." Tatta nudged your knee with his.

After eating Tatta guided you to his bedroom and dragged you gently into his lap on the couch, pulling a blanket over both of you. His arms wrapped around your waist like he wasn’t planning to let go anytime soon. "You don’t gotta say anything" he murmured like he was about to fall asleep "Just stay here. I’ll do the thinking for both of us tonight." You felt his breath against your neck, warm and steady. His hands moved slow, thumbs tracing circles over your sides, grounding you. He smelled like faint cologne and something kind of burnt--he definitely left the rice on too long--but you didn’t care. He was warm. Real. Solid. That was exactly what you needed. As for Tatta? He was fighting the sleepiness. Maybe pulling you on his lap was not the best idea. Now he had to force his eyes open to not fall asleep while cuddling you. "So.." Tatta said eventually "What got you so drained today? I mean, surely something happened for you to feel this way right ?"