Private Finished A Tentative Reunion

Tadashi slowly blinked, processing the words Ezra had said. The menu stuff was fine and no cause for any extra thought. But mentioning his smile looking nice... and pointing out how he hadnt really been smiling much lately, kind of had a bigger impact that he was ready for.

A faint pink tinge crept onto his cheeks as he scrambled to figure out whether... eh, too much thought. He realized he'd been silent for a full minute or two. "Oh, um sorry. I think tea would be ok with almost anything we get here."

Then Tadashi shook himself out of it a little and stretched out his arm so that the gloved hand could lightly tap the table where Ezra was looking. Hoping to draw their attention back up as he withdrew the hand. "Sorry, that was um, a really... nice thing for you to say. I wish I was more... happy."

Tadashi sighed a little. He knew Ezra was trying really hard at this. But emotions weren't so simple and easy like it sounded. Of course he also knew Ezra had extreme difficulty understanding and properly dealing with emotions so that wasnt their fault.

"I think... maybe just doing things like this can help me. I um, know you struggle with this kinda stuff. You come across as very...rigid and not really relaxed sometimes but I know that's not your fault or how you want it to be."

He had to pause as the waitress came over to take their orders and he placed his. After Ezra ordered and they were again alone at the table Tadashi shrugged. "I did um, really like it when we went to the minigolf place. I liked helping you have fun." Despite himself a couple tears burbled up to make his eyes watery and he dabbed at them with the corner of one of his sleeves.

Tadashi let out a tiny sniff and graciously took the handkerchief to clear away the tears before they could drip out onto his cheeks. To be honest, he really wasn't sure why he was tearing up. It was probably the gnawing pit in his stomach and slightly nauseous feeling he was experiencing. "I think... that would be ok, Ezra. I'm still not sure what to do, or think, or feel in general but i would like to try to have fun with you if we can."

At that point he set the handkerchief back down and folded it back up, more to give his hands something to do than any other reason really. Boy, this was harder than he'd expected it to be. It was almost harder for Ezra not to have a real emotional response. It came across slightly like it was not an important thing for them- but Tadashi knew in his heart that wasn't true at all. Ezra had made it clear, in their own way, how much this all meant to them.

Tadashi folded his gloved hands in front of him and glanced at Ezra's face. "It can be hard sometimes, yeah. But we all, uh... learn to be people differently I guess. You should have seen me when I was just starting to be a boy. I thought like a cat and acted like a cat but... well, you can guess."

Tadashi sighed and took a sip of water. "I don't know how helpful it will be. I dont remember all of it because I was still learning to think like a person too."

His cheeks again tinged just the faintest of pink hues as he stumbled over his words a little. "It um, I think at first it was mostly Ms Esumi chasing me around, making me wear clothes and stop trying to climb on things. She um, taught me almost everything I knew before coming here. Except art. The art I was always good with."

There was both pride and a bit of bitter sadness behind that last bit. He could remember being complimented for his art while he was still just a cat getting into things and making a mess.

Tadashi looked a little paler than usual, almost like he might get sick right there. "She was like a mom... but not exactly. I owe her a lot but.. I havent seen her in years. I think seeing what I could become scared her too much to want to keep me." He could still remember the smell of blood and scalding coffee in the air as she hugged him to keep him from continuing his feral rampage.

But Tadashi cleared his throat and tried to focus on the funnier memories. Since Ezra asked about the art thing Tadashi forces a weak smile onto his face. "Before Esumi found me I belonged to an old man. I kind of got into his art supplies a lot and tracked it around. He called me his little apprentice"