Miniature Golf, But Big Friendship

There was some noticeable awkwardness between them as Tadashi realized that Ezra was confused... or maybe displeased by him saying he enjoyed hearing Ezra laugh. 'Oh no, do they think I was mocking their laugh? Um. I don't know how to fix that.. I didn't mean it that way...' He thought to himself.

Fortunately the rest of what Tadashi had said seemed to go over better as Ezra stopped looking at him like he'd said something bizarre and confusing.

Tadashi continued to blush a little bit as he grew embarrassed at being able to, you know, talk properly. Why was he stumbling so much? Did that golf ball actually hurt his head more than he thought? No.... he was pretty sure it wasn't that.

"Oh! Yes, um I think we can just move on yeah. We have so much more to do here today," he shook himself out of the weird embarrassment and tugged his gloves on tighter. Picking up his club and ball he smiled at Ezra. "Let's go see if squirrels are causing trouble in the other holes," he laughed and led his friend to the next hole.

They played a few more holes, with Tadashi seeming really happy to be spending time with Ezra and cheering them on. And thankfully no signs of any more fat squirrels hiding in the course.

After a bit they found themselves in front of hole number 11. This one was apparently built inside a fake cave with weird overdone rushing water sound effects as the "story" of the course had progressed to the "island" where the pirates buried their treasure. Fake skeletons shifted occasionally to make rattling or clinking chain sounds. Also to block balls as thy moved through the course. It was a lot going on.

Tadashi hit his ball into the course and it got about halfway through before a skeleton dragged a foot across and "kicked" it over to the side.

Tadashi's glove pulling was something he didn't even notice himself. Not anymore. It was to the point that he just did it unconsciously when he was nervous or embarrassed.

Tadashi glared at the skeleton that had so rudely kicked his ball away and then giggled. What was he going to do, beat up a fake skeleton? Instead he turned his attention to Ezra's shot and cheered them on. "You can do it Ezra, look at that- you made it past that meanie, now just-" he cut himself off as the next skeleton smacked the ball away.

He head Ezra's sigh. Tadashi didn't like hearing such a defeated sound come from his friend but at least they seemed to take it ok. Tadashi giggled back at Ezra after seeing their smile. "It's ok, you did really well and we could still maybe hit par," he consoled and went to pat Ezra on the shoulder before catching himself just before he could make contact. Then he awkwardly pulled back his arm.

"Sorry, it's just a habit. I'm kind of touchy with the people I like," he apologized and then realized how that could have sounded and went a little pink in the face again. "Um, I mean like with friends and my siblings and stuff um... oh do you want me to draw mustaches on the skeletons for vengeance?" He very quickly seemed to try to change the subject, all the while he was feeling more and more embarrassed.

He stepped towards one of the skeletons and pulled out a golf pencil to start sketching a mustache on the plastic skull.

"Oh.. ok, good.. I mean it's good that I won't bother you too much...," he replied and hurriedly tried to clarify himself. Why was he getting so flustered? He forced himself to take a few deep breaths as he distracted himself with the drawing.

In the end Ezra was right, doing any more drawing would probably get the kicked out and that would ruin the dat- day together. He stepped back to examine his handiwork and couldn't help but giggle. It was ridiculous but that was exactly what Tadashi wanted and needed at the moment. Too much thinking about Ezra seemed to send him into loops- which was confusing and mesmerizing in itself.

"I know, we should go back to playing before they think we are hiding in here or something. I think I can take a swing," he said as he moved up to line up his shot. There was no way to make it directly into the hole from there but he could get close.

Tadashi struck the ball and sent it past the traitorous skeletons towards the end of that hole but it didn't go in, as expected. "Ok Ezra, try waiting until just after the skeletons kick and then hit the ball," he advised and moved out of the way to cheer them on. It Ezra bounced their ball just right they had a slim chance for the ball to go in, since they had made it a little further down the course before being kicked.

He could feel Ezra staring at him but Tadashi didn't even know how to explain to himself what was going on, considering he wasn't quite sure. How could he explain it to Ezra without sounding like an idiot? Fortunately they did have the game to play and that was enough to keep him grounded.

Tadashi blushed just a tiny bit from the simplest of contact from Ezra but he was trying to not let that get to him. "Thanks Ezra," the boy smiled back at Ezra. For all the mixed up and confusing feelings he was .. well feeling, Tadashi was glad it was Ezra he was spending the day with. That was clear enough in his mind.

He moved out of the way and watched his friend get ready to they their hand at getting past the skeletons. "You can do it Ezra!" he cheered them on and then fell silent so he wouldn't disrupt the swing. Not that quiet was so important for minigolf but it was the thought that counted.

The ball went almost perfectly towards Tadashi's ball like they were some kind of magnets and together they bounced around and ricocheted off the boundaries. There was a pause and then Tadashi just started laughing. "I-I don't think you could do that again if you tried Ezra," he joked and stepped forward. Without thinking at all he put his gloved hand up to rest on Ezra's shoulder.

"It's ok, it happens sometimes. Remember we're here to have fun and not worry about scores," he consoled as the two of them walked together around the animatronic skeleton backstabbers obstacles. It was only after taking a couple steps that Tadashi realized his hand was still on Ezra's shoulder and he pulled it back, embarrassed again.

"Um, do you want to hit yours in first this time?"