This shouldn't be awkward. I've met her family before. I've known her for years. So why am I so nervous?! Habuko reached for Tsuyu's hand under the table, grabbing it tightly. Tsuyu quickly looked at her girlfriend, wondering what was wrong. Habuko didn't return the eye contact, probably because her quirk would paralyze Tsuyu for a few seconds. Instead, she just stared at her own shaking leg.
"Habuko, is everything alright?" Tsuyu whispered. Habuko nodded, not wanting to admit that she felt like there was a mountain of pressure on her shoulders. She just couldn't mess up.
"I-I just gotta use the bathroom, be right back!" Habuko exclaimed, voice quivering ever so slightly. She burst up from her seat and smoothed out her skirt. Tsuyu's parents gave her dubious looks, their eyes burning through her sanity. Habuko shivered. Great. Way to start off dinner. They can totally tell I'm nervous! At least Tsuyu's siblings were too fixated on their phones or crayons to notice. Habuko worried as she ran toward the bathroom. She got in, looked at herself in the mirror. There she was, every scale on her face accounted for and each strand of fluffy hair in place. She sighed. Sometimes she wondered how she had even gotten a girl like Tsuyu, but now wasn't the time for that. Right now she had to look and act really impressive. She was seventeen, almost eighteen, for crying out loud! Soon enough she'd be off to college, and Tsuyu would begin working at a hero agency. Because of this, her and Habuko decided it'd be convenient to move into a small apartment together. The school and agency were close to each other, her and Tsuyu had been dating since the end of middle school, it was time to take the next step. However, they had yet to ask Tsuyu's parents about it. Tsuyu still lived with them, but they were always away. Tsuyu practically raised her siblings. Her brother, Samidare, was 13 now, but they were unsure if he could take care of his 7 year old sister, Satsuki, by himself. They had to think about all these things first. Habuko slapped her cheeks.
"I can do this," she said, looking herself in the eyes. Talking to a mirror always helped her, somehow.
"I've known them for a while. They like me. They were fine when Tsuyu and I announced that we're dating. I'm sure they will say yes, and even if they don't, they'll be calm about it. I'm Habuko Mongoose and I'm fine!" Habuko gave herself a little pep talk. Her yellow eyes shined bright with excitement. Feeling more confident, she left the bathroom and sat back down at the table. Tsuyu smiled at her as she did, glad that her girlfriend was back and obviously less nervous. Suddenly, the server arrived with everyone's food. Great, just as I'm about to say something the food comes. Gosh, I'm so impatient! Habuko thought to herself. She tried to eat her soup as fast as possible, but realized she might've come off as rude if she rushed. So instead, she waited and hoped the nervousness wouldn't return. However, it wasn't her that began the important conversation. It was Tsuyu. Her parents, Ganma and Beru, were taking a break from their extravagant meals, choosing to strike up conversation with one another instead. Tsuyu interrupted them almost excitedly. Habuko knew what was going to happen, but she felt ready.
"Yes, Tsuyu?" they asked. Tsuyu looked antsy, fiddling with her hands and a small blush coming onto her face. Habuko couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"Well, Habuko and I have been talking about some stuff. We're both graduating high school soon. We're growing older, and life seems pretty in place. So… we were thinking that maybe Habuko and I could-" Tsuyu began very calmly, but Habuko was so excited she had to finish for her.
"Get an apartment and move in together?! If it's alright with you, there's many complications, but I really do love Tsuyu and I-" this time Habuko was cut off. Ganma was laughing! For a second there, Habuko felt worry wash over her again. Was Tsuyu's father upset and just hiding his anger behind a smile? But she double checked, and Ganma's grin seemed genuine. She snuck a glance at Tsuyu, who was very embarrassed.
"Ganma, please, relax. The girls look very confused!" Beru scolded, although she had a grin on her face as well. Ganma rubbed his eyes and let his laugh fade away. He began to explain.
"You know, Tsuyu, your mother and I have been planning on settling down. You're right, life is pretty swell. You're a pro-hero, pretty much everyone's dream. Your brother is older now, too. We always wanted to stay with you three more, but work was very dependent on us. But this really is perfect timing. It'll be a bit sad to see you go, Tsuyu, but we know you're in good hands," Ganma said mellowly. He put his hands over Tsuyu's and smiled. His eyes were full of melancholy, but Habuko felt as if she was going to cry out of just happiness. They'd gotten the okay from Tsuyu's parents! Her future with Tsuyu was in sight! Fantasies of their life together began swirling in her head. Every day, she would wake up next to Tsuyu. They'd eat breakfast together and get ready to leave. And every evening, they'd get back home and eat dinner, then wind down and cuddle each other to sleep. It truly was a dream come true. Of course, Habuko forgot one last thing. Once she remembered, the worry came back and her fantasies came to a halt.
"Samidare, Satsuki, stop playing for a second. Your sister has something very important to say to you," Ganma quickly tapped his younger children on their shoulders. Their gazes were now fixed on Tsuyu, occassionally shifting over to Habuko. When they first met her, they were quite intimidated. But eventually, they got used to the snake girl. Seeing her around the house was very common, and if she made Tsuyu happy, they were perfectly fine with Habuko. The two really cared for their sister, since she practically raised them. It made Tsuyu feel a little bit bad for having to announce that she was moving out. But Tsuyu was no longer a tadpole, and it was time to go off on her own. Well, not completely alone. She had her wonderful girlfriend Habuko by her side. In fact, she had her arm around Tsuyu, as to reassure her. They both gulped.
"Samidare, Satsuki. I love the both of you very very much. You are amazing children with bright futures ahead of you. I'm glad I've seen you grow this much. But Habuko and I… We're going to move into our own home together. Which means I won't be living at home with you guys anymore. You won't see me everyday. It's a little bit sad, but I'll come visit. And you'll see me on TV doing hero things all the time! So please don't cry," Tsuyu explained, the last part more a message to herself. Her eyes watered as her siblings looked at her in disbelief. It was a hard thing to handle. But soon enough, they came around.
"So long as you're happy, sis, I don't mind," Samidare replied quietly. He had a bittersweet smile on his face, but his eyes were on the table. Satsuki seemed a bit bittersweet too, and she asked if she could go to Tsuyu and Habuko's apartment from time to time. The answer was obviously yes, and Tsuyu pat her sister on the head. The whole family, including Habuko, was very happy now. They finished their meals gradually, and as they were getting up to leave, Habuko whispered to Tsuyu,
"I'm the luckiest girl on the planet right now. I love you." Tsuyu blushed, but then gave Habuko a quick kiss on the cheek. The drive back to Tsuyu's house was very mellow, ambient music playing from the car radio. Tsuyu and Habuko leaned on each other as they watched the world zip by from the window.
"Hey, look, if I breathe, the window fogs up," Tsuyu commented. She slid her finger down the window, making a face. After a while, you could tell she had drawn herself. Habuko laughed.
"Well, here's me," Habuko said as she scribbled what only Tsuyu could comprehend as Habuko. She was a bit embarrassed at her lame drawing, but to Tsuyu it was the Mona Lisa.
"Well, we're missing one thing," Tsuyu whispered. Habuko looked at her with a confused face, but just observed. Tsuyu had drawn a heart right in between their self portraits. The two chuckled.
"Gosh, you're so sappy," Samidare commented, noticing what they'd done. But Tsuyu and Habuko didn't care. They were hopelessly in love.
It was eleven at night, and the Asui residence was silent. Everyone had gone to sleep, except for Tsuyu and Habuko. However, they were whispering sweet nothings to each other so it didn't make much noise.
"I can't believe we're gonna be living together," Tsuyu said excitedly. Her arms tightened around Habuko's waist, and she pressed her face into her back. Habuko enjoyed Tsuyu's warmth, even though they were underneath mountains of covers. It was autumn, after all.
"Me neither, Tsuyu. What do you think our middle school selves would think if they saw us here like this?" Habuko asked, giggling at the thought. Tsuyu chuckled as well. She thought back to her first encounter with Habuko. She thought she was a strange girl, but really she just wanted a friend. Tsuyu needed one too, though she never admitted it, and the two hit it off immediately. When they graduated middle school, they were so heartbroken about leaving each other that they confessed in the moment. Tsuyu could clearly remember how many tears she shed when she realized Habuko loved her too. It'd been a tough high school journey, but it was almost over. No more long distance phone calls, no more hefty date organization. Just them, together, forever. Habuko was thinking the same thing, and she honestly couldn't want anything more. Maybe her future with Tsuyu was hazy. Being a pro hero is tough, and adult life is complicated. Then there's next steps in relationships, like deciding when it was the right time to pop the question. Oh goodness, the question. Habuko shivered. Her mind scrambled with so many possibilites. But there was one constant— Habuko and Tsuyu were together.