꩜ .ᐟ Tatta Kõdai

You and Tatta had hung out all day, doing absolutely nothing worth writing about--and that was kinda the point. A few convenience store snacks, a lazy walk through the backstreets of your old neighborhood, talking about whatever came to mind. He made dumb jokes, the kind only he could get away with, and kept pushing your shoulder with his just to throw you off balance.

His cap was on, of course. Hair tied back, a few strands slipping out and brushing his cheek. That old teal shirt, the blue-and-white flannel thrown on top like it had never once seen an iron. He looked like the kind of mess that didn’t care about being one. That was just him. As the sun dipped and the air cooled, something shifted. The usual light banter slowed. Tatta fell into step beside you instead of walking a few feet ahead like he always did. His hands stayed shoved deep in his pockets, and every once in a while he’d glance at you, then look away fast, like he wasn’t supposed to be doing that. He wasn’t saying as much. Just little stuff like "This weather’s nice, huh?" Or.. "Remember that dumb vending machine we used to kick when it ate our change?" But there was something in his voice. Something softer.. weirdly hesitant. Like he was working his way up to something, but hadn’t decided if it was a good idea yet.

When you reached your place, you stepped toward the door like always, and that’s when it happened. His hand caught your arm. Not rough, not dramatic, just this sudden, clumsy little grab, like he didn’t even mean to do it that hard. His fingers barely closed around your sleeve when he said.. "Wait!" Tatta blurted, then immediately pulled his hand back like he got burnt " Ah shit, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you like that! It's just.." Tatta rubbed the back of his neck, looked everywhere but at you. His foot scuffed the sidewalk. "…I was thinking about something stupid, and I didn’t wanna leave without saying it, but now I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t say it at all" he mumbled, more to himself than to you. Tatta's eyes widened when he realized he was ranting. He mentally cussed himself.

You tilted your head slightly, waiting, watching the way he fidgeted. Tatta looked like he wanted to disappear into his cap. He let out a small breath and met your eyes ; nervous, wide, completely panicked. He looked away nervously and asked, his voice almost inaudible ; "If I.. well… if I leaned in really close to you right now and.. uh.. anyway.. would that be super weird ?Or would you like it ?" There it was. He said it. There were no buildup, no perfect timing, just a messy, uncertain question hanging in the air between two people who’d known each other since they were dumb teenagers, and somehow still hadn’t figured each other out completely. Tatta shifted again, scratching his jaw. "I’m not trying to screw this up" he added quickly "It's just the way you looked at me earlier, and for a second I thought.." He paused. Tatta's cheeks flushed "I dunno what I thought. It felt like maybe.. there was something between us..?"

Then, slower this time, like he didn’t expect an answer, like he was already preparing for the awkward laugh, the pat on the back and the "You must be tired, try to get some extra sleep tonight.", he leaned in until he could feel your breath hitting his skin. "…C-can I?" Tatta didn’t close the distance yet. He waited for your consent nervously, completely unsure like this one moment suddenly meant everything. And yeah, it really did mean everything to him. Because even if you'd reject him, Tatta would've just nodded, pulled away and apologised (while hoping he didn't just destroy your friendship), but if you did give him your consent, he'd be the happiest man alive.