You feel the heat on the back and the sand in between your toes. The world around you is beautiful. Gentle, glimmering waves break over stretches of smooth white sand, and seagulls caw softly as they swoop overhead, silhouetted against a bright blue sky by the blazing sun.
But you aren't looking at any of that.
You still remember when she'd asked you this morning.
"Hey Deku! A bunch of us are headed to the beach! Wanna come?" She'd asked.
You'd almost said no. You'd almost said you had too much work to do. Now you're grateful you hadn't, because what you're looking at is her.
She's playing volleyball with the others. Her short brown hair is wild and messy and full of sand, but it's still beautiful. Her two piece swimsuit hugs her body perfectly, and her pale skin seems to sparkle in the brilliant sunlight. You can hear her bright, bell-like laughter all the way from where you're seated in the sand as she taps the volleyball, freeing it from gravity's hold. You chuckle as she bumps it back, because you're pretty sure that's cheating. She collapses in the sand, shaking with laughter at her friends' futile attempts to reach the sand-dusted ball hovering just outside their reach. It's adorable because everything she does is adorable because she's adorable. No, not adorable. The word you're looking for is beautiful.
She gets back up and smiles, releasing the ball. You laugh again as it lands directly on someone's head. Her smile is perfect, too, bright and happy in a way that lights up your day every time you see it. Every time she smiles at you you have to do your best to keep your composure, because it melts you on the spot every time, without fail. Her smile makes you smile.
But her smile is nothing compared to her eyes. They're big and bright and a beautiful shade of brown and every time she makes eye contact with you they make your heart go wild. They make you feel safe and vulnerable, happy and sad, passionate and calm, all at the same time, and you aren't sure of what to make of it. You long for the moments you spend with her, laughing with her, sometimes even crying with her. Yet you're still scared of telling her what you really think because you're scared she doesn't think the same, and you don't think you can survive without her company, romantic or not.
And at that moment, you sigh, realizing you're hopelessly infatuated with her. You pick up a handful of sand and watch it fall through your fingers. You've barely known this girl for a year and you already can't imagine a future without her, as close friends at the very least. Less than a year ago you had no friends, (Aside from Kacchan, but he doesn't quite count.) but now you have one that's so close it feels like she's known you you're whole life and you're slowly falling in love with her.
No, not slowly. It'd been a fast, hard fall that hit you like a truck and left you breathless. It had started when you were watching the video you'd gotten in the mail and saw her trying to persuade the exam proctors to give you some of her points. It hit you then that no one had done something even remotely that nice for you other than your mom, and you found yourself on the verge of tears as you rewatched the video again and again. Her eyes were just as beautiful in it as they were in real life, full of compassion and comfort and kindness. Her face was determined and steadfast, but her eyes gave her away. They were still soft, as soft as he saw everyday.
You'd be content to sit and stare into her eyes for hours on end, reveling in their beauty. You'd be content to just sit and talk with her on the beach, holding her hand with their feet in the surf. You could confidently say you loved her, but had no idea if she could say the same, and it terrified you, reminded you of what you could lose if you take one wrong step.
So you resign yourself to watching. And for the moment, that was all you needed.
Okay so this is short, but it's cute and I wanted to try second person. I've still got quite a few oneshot ideas bouncing around in my head, so look forward to seeing some more of this cute ship from me.