First Date {Tag Xion}

Tadashi was standing in front of the arcade, horribly tense, chewing on his inner cheek: he had arrived fairly early so now he was just waiting for Xion to arrive. He had thought about bringing flowers, as some internet sites suggested, but Flynn and Reno had advised him so much against it that he had decided to follow their suggestions. He was sitting on the bench right in front of the arcade, his arms crossed on his chest, his left leg shaking in anxiety. It was the first time ever he dated someone and... somehow he just didn't expect it to happen so soon! Ok, for other people's standards it wasn't soon at all, but for him... he just didn't feel ready, he was barely managing to handle the anxiety now... he was almost starting to think that Reno and Flynn's teasing was better than this... this waiting! this was just killing him!

Xion had gone through books and magazines on what to do during her first date. She was supposed to be charming but personable, contribute to the conversation, listen to what he had to say and ask personal questions... She was supposed to be flirty but still chaste. It was all so very confusing. She plucked uncomfortably at the skirt she had gotten at the last second, wondering if it wasn't too late to go back until she saw Tadashi, already there and already waiting for her. She gulped.

As Tadashi saw her, he could feel every muscle in his whole body tensing up, while his cheeks blushed by instinct. That was it, she was there, no coming back now. He gulped, looking down and trying to gather a courage he didn't feel like having, but he managed to convince himself to stand up and walk toward her "H-hey..." he peeped shyly

"Hi," Xion greeted just as softly. She cleared her throat and attempted a smile, though she felt like it was more akin to a grimace. Her brother would have lightened the mood with childish flirting but Xion simply didn't have the nerve to do it. Nervously she began to play with the bracelets around her wrist. If her brother found out about this, he probably would have been not far off, watching Tadashi like a hawk. "Do... you want to go see what games the arcade has?" Xion asked.

In a gesture as shyly as her playing with her bracelets was, he kept passing his hand between his hair, looking down, unsure on what to say, his mind suddenly absolutely blank. At her suggestion though he nodded "Y-yeah sure!" Not like he hadn't checked them all already... he knew quite by heart all the games they had there! "S-so... w-what games do you prefer?"

"I like the claw machines," Xion said, appreciative for the start in the conversation. "No real memorization needed there. Just trying to angle the claw right." She took a breath before starting to walk into the arcade. Loud and noisy, with lots of flashing lights everywhere. It already felt comfortable to be there. "What about you? Any games you like?"

Claw machines? Well that was surprising but Tadashi didn't have to make any effort not to laugh: he was too nervous anyway. He just nodded to her words, walking by her side, before she turned the question to him "Mine?" well... she watches his videos, she probably knew already: he loved horror games, indie games and puzzle games, but when it was about arcades his favourites were... "I-I love fighting games and races..." he replied with a smile

Xion frowned when she noticed he was still nervous. She bit her lip. "Uh... Wanna hear a joke?" she offered. It worked for her brother. A good laugh always seemed to break the ice and cut the tension. "What's Link's favorite animal?" she asked and jumped right into answering with, "A Gazelda!" It was lame and extremely cheesy. For some reason it was the first thing that popped into her mind - a corny joke she heard when she was eight.

"uh?" A joke? Tadashi kept walking by her side, listening to her while she started her joke, but when she finished it he couldn't hold the laughters: that was such a stupid, childish joke, and still... he had to stop walking just cause the laughters were draining his strengths. That was probably also a way to react to the tension. As he was done laughing, he turned toward her and asked with a more relaxed smile "So... what would you like to do first?"

"Well, you like fighting games. So let's do a fighting game." Xion said. She happened to like fighting games as well. Well, more or less her brother's face when he lost to her but that was another story. She was just glad a cheesy joke helped Tadashi ease his nerves. She was just worried as to why he was so nervous. He had been the one in control the last time they saw each other and she had been blushing something fierce until she mentioned going out to eat.

Tadashi nodded with a smile as she suggestion of playing a fighting game, immediately pointing at the street fighter one "Let's start with that one then!" He smiled childishly, taking her hand and almost dragging her toward the game, inserting the needed coin so that they both could play

Xion laughed and quickly grabbed the joy stick as soon as they got to the game. She swiftly selected a character - focusing more on a character with speed and agility than strength. She was almost as excited as he was. Finally, someone who could potentially be on the same playing field as she was. While she enjoyed playing the games with her brother, he just wasn't that much of a challenge.

Tadashi quickly selected a character as well and in no time the countdown started and was over: as the battle started, he didn't have time to be nervous anymore, he could only focus on the fight , and boy did he need to! She was good! It was the second time he needed to focus so much not to lose to his adversary...

She started the game swinging hard. As soon as that last microsecond before the clock ticked down to start she attacked. A wide grin spread across her face. She was pulling out all the stops because Tadashi was just as good as she was. Maybe even better. Her more agile character was able to duck and dodge past most of Tadashi's attacks. She could almost feel her heart racing over the new challenge.

To his utter surprise: the game ended in a tie. He stared at the screen in disbelief: a tie! Never before he had reached such a result! He had lost now and then, but a tie? That was even more surprising the loosing!

Xion looked over at Tadashi with a look of delighted disbelief on her face. She had wanted a challenge and that's exactly what she got. That was one of the harder games she had played. She fished a quarter out of her pocket. "Best two out of three?" she challenged, holding up the coin so he could see it. She couldn't let this tie go! Not when they had been so close to having a winner.

He grinned to her in a childish way, nodding, but as she showed the coin he put his hand on hers and lowered it "I-I pay...ok?" he didn't wait for an answer, before she could complain he inserted a coin in the machine and was ready to play again. He had read that boys were supposed to be gallant and pay on dates so... he supposed that that was what he had to do... that at least was easy...

They kept playing for hours, and after street fighter they tried almost every game in the arcade. Tadashi lost count of the victories both of them obtained, but they both gained many. That was really, really interesting and amusing! He was really having fun and by then he had almost forgotten all the bullshits about dates and what he was supposed to do and what not to do on a date... but whe he heard his stomach grumble for hunger he turned toward Xion with an apologetic smile "So... ehm... what about that pizza place?"

Xion frowned when he paid her way for her. But since them game was going to start right after the coin went in. She didn't want him to have to continue to pay her way the whole night...

And so it went, them going back and forth - head to head. They played the games like their lives depended on their ability to win, going through almost every game the arcade had in that time. Xion had completely lost track of time, not their win-lose scores, at least until her stomach growled something so fierce that she was certain Tadashi heard it. She smiled shyly when his stomach grumbled too. "It's next door," she said. "My brother says they've got garlic bread to die for."

She kept trying to pay, but at every turn Tadashi kept beating her and using his coins instead: she didn't have time to complain so he didn't think she actually minded, beside... if that was the rule... As both heir stomach grumbled, he smiled sheepishly to her: well, at least he wasn't the only one...
"Ah... I-I think I'll settle with pizza..." he replied shyly and almost guiltily: he didn't like many salty things, pizza was one of the few not-sweet foods he actually enjoyed and garlic, instead, was a flavour that he didn't manage to digest easily...

"Uh... Let's mosey?" Xion offered. Once again she realized that Tadashi seemed uncomfortable by the notion of eating with her. She wondered if it was because he was just shy around eating in front of others or he really just wanted someone to play video games with and that was it.

He nodded to her with a smile, moving toward the pizza place: there wasn't much crowd so they didn't have to wait or anything and they could sit down immediately, and the waiter was soon by their table. "I-I'd like a double-cheese pizza and a coke" Tadashi ordered for himself, waiting then for Xion to place her order

"Can I get a pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a coke?" Xion requested. She took a deep breath when she was left alone with Tadashi. "The games were so much fun! You're a better gamer than my brother."

As they were left alone he could feel his nervousness rise once again because of the date, but at the same time he had really enjoyed the time with her and part of him really wanted to talk now... it was all so confusing... luckily she vroke the ice once again talking first, making him smile "Well... glad I haven't disappointed you..." he said shyly, knowing she knew already his gamestyle "You are a great gamer yourself! How did you learn?"

"My brother bought me a game system for my birthday when we realized... I was a little different than everyone else." Xion said. "Playing games with Zack made me feel... normal?" She smiled up at him. "We would sit and play for hours. He never got mad that I beat him all the time..."

He smiled to her explanation: that seemed nice... "My mom started buying videogames for... quite the same reasons... even if it wasn't connected to my powers. But she never managed to play with me." He said with a soft chuckle at the memory: she did try... it hust wasn't her stuff! "My dad and I played football games together, it's the closest things to doing sports together we ever did" he half chuckled again, shyly, knowing his father would have preferred real sports...