Rambles and Scribbling

Happy birthday to my favorite sunshine boy 💕 Tai went away out of her comfort zone for him this year 🥺 (For context, Tai is deathly afraid of water)

I’ve written a little oneshot to go with this for anyone interested, just copy paste the url into your browser 💕 Comments are on so feel free to leave feedback <3

“Tai, slow down!”

The purplette in question paused mid step to look back at her boyfriend, lips curving in amusement. Normally, he was getting her up and dragging her all over the place while she grouched at him tiredly. How funny it was to see the roles reversed!

“I’m not even walking that fast, Sunshine.” She teased, reaching for his hand before she resumed her trek up the hill, oblivious to the surprised look he was giving her.

“Can you at least tell me where we’re going?” Gon tried, doing his best to keep pace with her. Despite being shorter than him, she had a pretty fast stride when she wanted to, and he was only half awake. “It’s not like you to get up before the sun is up!”

Tai ignored the jab, mirth filled chocolate orbs sliding toward him. “It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?”

“Yeah, I guess not..” Gon’s shoes crunched against the dirt as he yawned, taking careful steps as the trail grew steeper. If not for Tai’s steadfast hold on his hand, he probably would’ve stumbled over something by now, as much of the forest was still blanketed in the last vestiges of night.

Finally, after what felt like the longest silence he’d ever had to endure, Tai stopped and turned to him, a small smile on her face. “You trust me, right?”

What a silly question after all they’d been through. Gon nodded, blinking in confusion when she pulled out a scarf and tied it over his eyes. “Huh?”

The purplette just giggled as she patted his shoulder. “Just follow my lead, okay?”

Gon tried to pout, but he couldn’t be too upset when her fingers laced through his to help guide him. Even if he couldn’t see, he knew he was in good hands. She wouldn’t steer him wrong.

After a few more minutes they came to a stop, and Tai let go of him. “Okay. You can look now.” She said softly, removing the scarf and stepping aside so he could look around.

The sight before him was so beautiful, Gon’s breath caught in his throat. Just a few feet from where he stood, a huge waterfall was pouring into a large lake, continuing toward the ocean down below. The evening’s shadows were vanishing under the light of the morning sun, casting a warm, magenta light over the forest. Even the crystal clear lake shimmered with brilliant pink and amethyst hues that no artist could ever hope to capture accurately. Save for the roaring rapids in the distance, the forest was still, the vast majority of its wildlife still asleep.

“What is this place?” Gon uttered softly, finally tearing his gaze from the natural beauty to look at Tai once more.

The purplette grinned at him. “This is Namida Falls - the waterfall my home is named after.” She answered quietly, being careful not to disrupt the silence too much.

“Wow…it’s really pretty.” Hazel eyes traveled back to the body of water before Gon slumped his shoulders. “If I’d known we were coming someplace like this, I’d have brought some trunks..”

“Ahem.”

The spiky haired boy’s head turned, and his eyes widened slightly as he saw Tai holding out a pair of dark teal trunks with a tropical flowery pattern in various shades of magenta and turquoise. “Where did you get those?” He asked, eliciting a giggle from his girlfriend.

“From my bag- they’re for you, silly!” She replied, arching her brows in amusement. “I figured you’d want to swim, so I asked my mum to make these.”

“Mrs. Chisaka made them..?” Gon accepted the apparel at last, eyes shining with awe. “She didn’t have to do that—“

“C’mon, Gon. You heard her at dinner last night- you’re one of the family!” Tai chided, giving him a gentle push toward the bushes. “Now, you said you wanted to swim, so go change!”

She waited till he was gone to approach the water’s edge and peer down at her reflection. She was no longer the girl who was terrified at the mere sight of water, but being this close was still…pretty out of her comfort zone.

“It’s for Gon, do it for Gon.” She chanted softly under her breath as she grabbed the hem of her shirt.

“What’s for me?” Gon’s voice made her jump and turn around quickly.

“Oh, you’re back. That was fast!” Heat flooded her cheeks as her eyes swept over his broad chest, which had filled in nicely over the years. She knew he would tease her if she didn’t stop staring, but it was hard not to. They’d both come so far in this crazy thing called life.

“Whatcha lookin’ at, Honey?” The teasing note in Gon’s voice made her flinch and she averted her gaze, blushing.

“N-nothing! I’m glad the trunks fit.” She said, carefully avoiding his eyes.

The dark haired teen gave her a skeptical look, a knowing grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah, they’re great!” He finally said, dropping the subject for now. “I’ll have to make sure to tell your mum thank you later!”

Without warning he crushed Tai against his chest in a hug, murmuring in her ear. “Thank you too, for thinking of me.”

He let her go and the purplette watched as he backed up, sidestepping quickly when he dashed forward, laughing as he jumped and disappeared into the water.

When he resurfaced, his grin was gone, replaced with something akin to a grimace. “Ahh! It’s colder than it looks!” He exclaimed as he swam toward the center of the lake, trying to stay active enough to warm himself back up.

Tai giggled as she watched him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. After a few minutes, her gaze trailed back to the water, and she tugged her shirt over her head, throwing it on the ground. Her skirt was next to go, and she bit her lip, trying to ignore the sharp inhale she heard as she exposed the swimsuit she’d kept hidden- a teal wrap around bikini with a ruffled skirt overlay bearing the same tropical pattern as Gon’s trunks.

“Tai..”

The purplette took a deep breath and stepped out into the water. It was cold, like the icy fear that pricked at her thoughts, telling her to get back on shore and run away. Far away.

‘No.’ She told herself, gazing determinedly into the water’s depths. ‘I’m not scared anymore. I can do this.’

She was so focused, she failed to notice how intently Gon was watching her, let alone the emotions flitting across his face. After all, he knew what a big step this was for her.

Tai launched forward, kicking and paddling, and Gon’s face broke into a wide smile as she drew nearer to him. She was doing it! Unable to contain his excitement, he squeezed the girl in a tight hug when she reached him. “You did it, Honey, you really swam!” He gushed, beaming, “I knew you could do it! I’m so proud of you!”

Tai’s cheeks flushed happily and she laid her head on his shoulder, hugging him back. “Were you surprised?” She asked, panting softly.

“Was I ever!” The dark haired boy exclaimed.

“I knew you’d get the hang of swimming if you just kept at it!” He chuckled softly, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes, a toothy grin on his face. “Still, I never expected you to swim over to me like this- you’re a fast learner!”

The purplette averted her gaze briefly, biting her lip sheepishly. “Nah, I just had good teachers.” There was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes when she looked back at him, grinning. “I only got this far because you and Kazuko were so patient.”

“I’ll never give up on you.”

The warmth in Gon’s voice only made her blush harder, and she averted her gaze bashfully.

“So…what do you think of the falls..?”

Gon’s brows arched at the change of subject but he went along with it, smiling. “They’re great! This is a pretty place, Tai. I’m so happy- I’d stay here with you like this all day if I could!”

“That’s good, cause we’re gonna be here all day!” Tai beamed and leaned back to look at him, the mischievous sparkle back in her eyes. “We’ve got fish to catch and a cookout to have in your honor, after all.” She explained, chuckling at the surprise on Gon’s face, letting her voice lower a couple octaves. “Maybe we can swim again after that, and you could give me another lesson? I’m still just a beginner, after all. So if you don’t mind..?”

A startled gasp left the purplette’s lips as she was suddenly lifted out of the water, and she looked down to see Gon grinning widely up at her. “That sounds perfect to me! What a great way to spend the day!”

“Okay.” Tai giggled as he lowered her back into the water, and she leaned in closer. Her eyes fluttered closed as she pressed a soft kiss to his lips, marveling over how well they went together. Like puzzle pieces. They just fit.