Lilium canadense

Chapter 2: The Date

Waiting for Taishiro was agonizing for two reasons, one Rue was right, and two I am so embarrassed for sleeping in so late, and why did I have that dream last night... that was five years ago... It should be coming back to me anymore. Pulling out my phone I went looking through my pictures and found the one that made my heart drop as I unconsciously touched my lower stomach, a horn honked startling me, and I saw Tashiro making me smile and shove my phone into my pocket.

" Nice place you got here." He mused and I hummed in response as I ran my thumb up and down my stomach. " You okay?" He asked and I jolted and then nodded.

" Yeah, just had a long night. I talked to my family last night." I said and he gave me a kind smile.

" Oh. I bet, when was the last time you talked to them?" He asked and I chuckled.

" Believe it or not, about two months ago now." I said and he laughed.

" They must have seen you on the news." He mused and I nodded.

" Oh they did... They were just as concerned as you were with my injuries." I confessed and he chuckled at my comment.

" I'm sure they were more concerned than I was. They are your parents, Nixie." He said and I smiled.

" True, and please call me Nix. There is no need to call me by my full name for our date." I told him and he smiled extra wide as we pulled up to a coffee shop.

" Come on Nix." He said making butterflies bloom in my stomach, I suppressed a school girl giggle as I crawled out of the car, then I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, pulling it out I saw it was Rue, rolling my eyes I shoved it back in my pocket, I would give them details later.

" Toyomitsu! Good to see you! Want your regular?" The barista asked from behind the counter, making Taishiro scratch the back of his neck and smile at him.

" Yeah, Nix, what would you like?" Taishiro asked me. " Kōhī is the best barista in the whole district." He bragged, making the barista blush.

" I'll take whatever he wants to make me. I like it sweet." I said smiling at the bot behind the counter and he nodded then went to work as Taishiro guided me to a table. " I take it you're a regular?" I asked him and he nodded as he pulled out a seat for me, sitting down he pushed me in then he sat himself down.

" So Ms. Nix, tell me about yourself." He said and I smiled, we talked for a while, I laughed more on this date than I ever did while I was with my fling in highschool. Taishrio made me feel good, he made me feel so happy, he told me about his life, why he wanted to become a hero. He asked me for details about some of my older missions and I enjoyed his childlike reactions to how I told my stories. The coffee was amazing and I couldn't help but bask in the warmth of the coffee shop as I carefully sipped my coffee slower than I normally would. " Is everything okay with your coffee?" He asked as I took another small sip.

" Oh! Yeah, it's wonderful. Amazing even!" I said as I gently placed my cup down, it hardly looked like I touched it and I internally face palmed. " Shit... I forgot to tell you, I can't handle heat. Of any kind." I muttered the last part in embarrassment.

" Really?" He asked, eyes wide and I giggled at his reaction.

" A side effect I guess. My dad has an Ice based quirk and my mom has an elemental based quirk. But during her entire pregnancy with me she would only use her Water ability, that is when she felt safest, and since she could also manipulate fire I inareed some of that. I can control my core temperature, and since my physical body is made almost completely of water, if I over heat, I evaporate. If I evaporate too much I get a massive headache, look severely anemic and well could die." I explained.

" So... No hot coffee?" He asked and I gave a hand to hand movement.

" Yes and no, if I take it in small sips I'm fine, say if I were to chug it I'd be too hot to fast and pass out at the very least." I said then took another small sip of my coffee. He smiled at me and I smiled back, then I felt my phone buzz again, pulling it out of my pocket under the table I felt all those butterflies die as I read the caller ID.

" Do you need to take that?" He asked and I shook my head, shutting down my phone and placed it face down on the table.

" Work can wait." I said smirking and he laughed at my comment. We sat there and talked for a few more hours until the sun began kissing the tips of the buildings, I hadn't finished my coffee, but I was too hot and needed a break, Taishiro smiled then reached out a hand then picked me up and walked out of the coffee shop giving a small wave, as soon as we exited the shop I felt a bit cooler.

" You looked a little warm." He said and I nodded. I let him carry me through the streets until we reached a different beach than the one a week ago. " I had a feeling you'd like it here a bit better than a small coffee shop." He mumbled then put me down, I smiled and grabbed his hand pulling him towards the water making my shoes disappear and my pants shorten in length as a wave washed in. " What does it feel like? To you." He asked and I gave a small smile.

" Home." I said closing my eyes, I felt his hand get small making me open my eyes and saw that I was at least a good four feet taller than he was, blushing I shrank back to my natural height.

" That is so cool!" He gushed and I blushed at his comment, then I felt him pick me up, I thought we were going to go back to the coffee shop to get his care and he was going to take me home, but then I'm flying through the air towards the water making me laugh as I fell under the surface, I laughed hysterically as I felt so loved and full in my home element, popping my head up I saw him looking for me, staying in my clear-like state I swam towards the beach then crawled up the sand before reforming behind him

" Boo!" I yelled, making him jump and turn around as I am bent over hysterically laughing, he grabbed me by my waist and hugged me tight lifting me up off the ground.

" How did you get out without me seeing you?" He asked looking over my shoulder and me and I smirked then placed my finger on my lips.

" That is my little secret." I told him winking and he chuckled then put me down. We walked up the coast line a bit, splashed in the water and laughed some more. " Toyomitsu..." I started and he hummed. " Thank you." I said and he stopped then grabbed my other hand then lifted up my chin.

" I should be the one thanking you. I've never had a more amazing time with someone." He said softly, making me blush at his kind words. " Thank you Nix." He said softly then bent down and pecked my cheek making my blush darken as steam left me, he chuckled at my reaction and I wanted to go hide, but the butterflies were going wild in my stomach. " Ready to go back to your hotel room?" He asked, and a part of me honestly wanted to tell him no, I had missed this closeness, I had missed this feeling, this touch, this care.

" Yeah, If you wouldn't mind." I told him and he smiled, interlacing our fingers, we walked back through the streets, once we got back to the coffee shop he opened my door for me, he then got in on his side. The ride was quiet and a pit of guilt pooled in my stomach, I knew once I got back to my hotel room I was going to have to answer him I was going to have to talk with him. I then began rubbing my thumb over my lower stomach.

" Nixie?" Fat asked and I hummed in response. " Did you enjoy our date?"

" Absolutely." I answered quickly looking over at him and he smiled sheepishly then reached out his hand, I hesitated at first then interlocked our fingers right as we pulled up to the hotel. He parked the car then kissed the back of my hand then my cheek.

" I'd love to do this again with you... It was nice..." He said and I smiled then opened my door, before I got out I pecked him on the cheek smiling brightly at him.

" I'd love that." I said then got out and closed the door, heading back to my hotel room. My feet felt heavy and I honestly didn't want to go back to my room, I didn't want to talk to him, I don't want to... but I have too. For the sake of Kaori.