After getting her arm treated, Nico talked her ideas over with the teachers. She had called a favour from one of her family members that liked her and got the entire second year a free place to stay.
"How did you pull this one off? This place is huge." Izuku looked up at the five story hotel. "There's no way the school has enough money to book enough rooms for everyone."
"The owner is a distant cousin, she happens to be a bit of a black sheep like me so we get along." Nico smiled at herself, "Last time I was here I help her out of a bind and she promised to give me and my friends a free stay next time I came."
"So you happen to have two hundred friends now?" Bakugo asked, "House cat, I think you're stretching the truth on this one." he draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close.
She elbowed him in the ribs, "I told Sakura that the school was looking for a place for the class trip and she said since it was more than happy to open the place up for us." Nico picked up her bag and head for the lobby, "Come on guys, I promised that I would introduce my teammates first."
Nico and the boys didn't even make it halfway to the reception desk before she was intercepted by a woman with short brown hair. Both Izuku and Bakugo noticed that she didn't have the golden Gatta eyes or any feline features that the rest of the Gattas they have met.
"Nicole Diana, it has been too long." it sounded like she was scolding Nico but she had a huge smile on her face. "And you show up with boys too, you're growing up too fast."
Nico laughed as she threw her arms around the woman. "I don't mean to stay away, but you know how grandfather is. How have you been? The hotel looks better than last time I was here."
"Your grandfather is a hard man to deal with," the woman said, noticing Nico's ears and tail. "Wait a minute, you're not hiding yourself. When did you start walking around with your tail out."
Letting go, Nico turned and gestured to the boys. "I have these two to thank for my new confidence. Sakura I would like you to meet Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo, the teammates that helped me get here."
"Well now, it seems I should have put the blonde in the room close to yours." Sakura noted as Bakugo looked a little confused.
"She's an empath, so she can read emotions." Nico explained, "And we can trust her not to tell the family about us." she had told Bakugo that outside of her aunt and uncle that none of her family should ever find out that they were together.
"But just a warning, I heard that Nagisa and Nori might come through some time in the next few weeks, so be careful about how affectionate the pair of you get." Sakura warned them as she produced three key cards, "Now Nico dear, you get your favourite room all to yourself and it seems that he's a few doors down from you." Nico smiled as she took the card.
"Thanks a lot Sakura, I guess we'll have to have dinner one night while we're here." she offered as the woman smiled back.
"I would like that a lot. Now go on since I have more rooms to get settled." she shooed them on their way.
Once they settled into their rooms, Nico went and found her friends. "So we get two whole weeks to enjoy the beaches with no actual school work, this is going to be great." she hung over the back of the couch next to Momo. "Does this make up for my rough treatment?" she still felt bad about their fight.
"You don't need to feel bad, it was a fair fight. But you need to teach me how you did that." Momo said giving Nico a side hug.
"I'd love to," she let out an undignified meow as Bakugo grabbed her from behind. "Katsuki, could you not do that. You scared me."
"But you make it too easy." he kissed the top of her head, "So now that you finally got you vacation, what was the reason it was so important."
"I have someone I need to visit." Nico could feel everyone in the room look at her, "Don't look at me like that, they raised my father so they're basically family."
"So it's good you guys won then." Ochaco said as Nico managed to free herself from Bakugo and dropped down next to her. "But why not come on your own when you get the chance." Bakugo preached himself on the arm so she could lean on him a little.
None of her classmates got to witness how her grandfather treated her outside of the ones that had been their, so they didn't know what it was like for her. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Nico changed the subject and most of those gathered started to make plans for one activity or another. But Ochaco and Momo could see that it was just an avoidance, and they would be cornering her later on and getting the truth.
"Do you even like the beach?" Kirishima asked bluntly, catching Nico's attention. "I mean most cats tend not to like water, so outside of wanting to see your family why'd you want to come here."
Nico gave him a flat look, "Really? You're going to the assumption that because I have feline traits that I have some aversion to water." she could feel Bakugo shaking with laughter beside her. "You and me, tomorrow I'm going to show you how I feel about water."
"Now you're talking, a whole day of beach game competitions." Kirishima whooped as the rest of them laughed.
"I'm going to call it an early night then. I don't want the idiot squad beating me because I'm tired." Nico pushed herself up, "I'll see you guys in the morning." she waved to them before retreating to her room for the night.
"Everything alright? You've been acting a little off since you guys won the competition." Ochaco asked as she and Momo caught up with her in the hall.
"Just family stuff. I'm sorry for bringing the mood down." she waited for them to fall instep with her. "My grandfather was there and I guess I didn't live up to his expectations." she rubbed the small scar on her arm. "I should have gotten my hopes up on him actually being proud of me, but I couldn't help it."
"You guys did so well, Deku told us what happened to Aizawa and the glitter. Why wouldn't he be proud of you?" Momo asked as Nico flattened her ears down.
"Because of what happened with my mama. They had a bit of a falling out and grandfather still hasn't gotten over it." her friends caught her off guard when they both hugged her. "Come on you guys, you keep this up I'm going to start crying." she managed to giggle a little as they continued to walk to her room.
"We've just been a little worried, it's not like you to be distant with us for no reason." Ochaco linked arms with Nico, "I think one of the nights we're here all us girls pile into one room and stay up all night."
"I think that would be great. I think that's long overdue." Nico agreed, "We just need to get Midnight to agree and we're golden."
"I don't think she'd have a problem with it, if anything she might just come and join us." Momo said as they stopped at Nico's room. "Are you sure that everything is alright? You know you can talk to us if you need to." her concern made Nico smile a little.
"I'll be fine. It does make me feel better knowing I have such great friends." she opened her room, "I'll see you guys in the morning so we can kick the boys collective ass at the beach." she waved to them before turning in for the night.
"How you holding up?" Bakugo asked, spooking Nico as she locked the door. "I noticed that you got a little quiet before Kiri made an ass of himself." she turned to see him sitting on the bed, waiting for her.
"What the hell are you doing in, better yet how'd you get in here? The door was locked." she looked at him, she hadn't taken that long to get back here.
"You forgot to lock the sliding door." he pointed to the balcony, "Is what happened with the old man still bugging you, or is it that we might run into that prick while we're here?"
"Wow everyone is on my case tonight. Have I been acting differently lately?" she snipped. "What's next Izu's going to come popping out of the washroom? I don't need everyone looking after me."
"No, but we care and it's clear that you're upset over something." he went over to her and wrapped her up in a hug. "You don't have to say anything, but you shouldn't keep things bottled up. You'll only make yourself miserable."
"I just wanted to have a small vacation without having to look over my shoulder waiting for one of them to show up." she buried her face into his chest. "I was looking forward to have a walk with you and not be on guard."
"Then that's what we'll do." he started running his fingers through her hair. "We got two weeks here, you can relax and just be yourself, just forget about them and enjoy. You should have heard the way Kiri was making plans after you left, he actually thinks he's going to win against you."
"Yeah, well us girls plan on wiping the sand with you guys tomorrow." Nico melted a little more, "I wish you could stay the night, but if you're not in your room when Aizawa does a bed check, I'll be the one covered in glitter."
Bakugo laughed a little, "I would honestly like to see him try that. I can just imagine him on a roof with a huge bucket waiting for you to walk past."
"What is he four now?" she rolled her eyes, smiling up at him. "You should go now, I don't want you to get into trouble."
"I'll come back later then, I just don't want to leave you like this." he was reluctant to leave, "I don't like the idea of you being here all alone, angry at nothing and everything."
"Kind of sounds like someone I already know." Nico laughed and he glared at her. "I'll be fine now, I promise, so you don't have to worry."
"I'm still going to come back to check on you, I know that you get yourself stressed when it comes to your family." Bakugo watched as her ears flicked towards the door, "I guess that means someone's coming, just leave the sliding door unlocked."
"Just go before someone catches you." she shoved him out the room, "I'll see you in the morning. If it makes you feel better I promise to come and find you if I get lonely." Nico gave him a half hearted smile.
"Alright house cat." he ruffled her hair, "I'm just down the hall if you really need me, so don't worry about those pricks, nobody can spoil our time here."
"So we all know just how fast you can be while on land, but let's how well you can swim." Kirishima said as he and Nico stood at the edge of the water.
"A whole hell lot faster than a rock, but how about this if you actually beat me I'll answer one question honestly and without sidestepping." she offered pulling her overshirt off revealing a jet black bikini top.
What she had completely forgotten about was the cat shaped birthmark on her ribs, "What the hell is that?" Bakugo asked as he caught Nico's shirt.
Nico looked down at herself, "I would have thought you knew what a bikini was." she gave him a confused look as she pulled her hair into a ponytail."I can't wear a one piece because of my tail, so I have to settle for this."
"Not that, on your side. Is that a tattoo?" he poked her in the ribs. "Another one of the Gattas strange traditions?"
Nico could see that even Kirishima was curious, "Well if Kiri beats me in our race, maybe I'll tell you guys." she laughed as stepped closer to the water. "You coming or what?"
"Bakugo, you are one lucky dude and I hate you so much right now." Kirishima joined her at water, "No going easy on me just because we're friends."
"Please I don't go easy on my friends, I push them harder." she smiled as Ochaco counted them down.
They both took off once Ochaco gave them the signal, Nico was surprised the Kirishima was keeping up with her. I guess I need to add swimming to my regitamate when I get home. I bet I could get a few of the others to join me. Nico thought as Kirishima pulled ahead of her.
"Come on Nico," some of the girls cheered from the beach. "You can't let him win." hearing her friends spurred her on to go faster. She managed to get to the buoy they had picked as their turn around point and kicked off with all her might.
Kirishima kept pace with her almost the entire way back, but Nico started to run out of steam a few feet from the finish line. "Holy shit that was close." Nico panted as she flopped onto her back, no caring if sand got caught in the fur on her tail. "You hiding gills on us or something?"
"Naw, just could let you win so easily." Kirishima held a hand out for her, "So you're sporting some ink?"
Nico laughed as he pulled her up, "No, it's a birthmark. All of who have a beast form in the family has one that is a mirror of what they look like." she explained shaking the sand and water from her tail. "Not everyone has the features I do, some don't have any while others are more cat like."
"So you guys come in all the flavours of the rainbow, I'd love to see what a gathering look like." Kirishima laughed as Izuku waved them over.
"No you wouldn't, many of the elders are against outsiders knowing any of our secrets so I'd be in really hot water if they ever found out what I've told you guys." Nico said as they went to join the group. She crept up behind Bakugo, making sure he didn't know she was there then pounced on his back. "Looks like the mighty huntress caught her prey." she giggled wrapping her legs around waist.
"Jeez woman, you almost took me out. A little warning next time " he grabbed her knee as he steadied them.
"I wouldn't be a very good hunter if my prey knew I was coming." She smiled. "Now come on, smile for the camera. I want you to look good for the picture." Nico pointed to Izuku as he fought to set up a camera, "This is one memory I never want to forget."
"Just this once and only for you." he that is meant a lot to her so he didn't argue.