"-and I said that there's no way that could be right! Of course a cute little mouse could never- Hey! Ume are you listening?" Nejire broke off her long winded story when she noticed the silver-haired girl next to her yawn widely.
The two were currently perusing a large outdoor market area. The streets were lined with permanent storefronts and restaurants, as well as numerous vendor stalls and food trucks. They had only arrived an hour previous, but Nejire's arms were already loaded with shopping bags.
"Mmhmm," Ume replied, stretching her arms over her head. "A mouse chewing through metal. I was listening. Sorry, I just stayed up kind of late last night."
"Oh!" Nejire said brightly before bringing a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I never pegged you for a night owl!"
"I'm not, usually," Ume mumbled, feeling the telltale burn of a blush starting on her cheeks.
Her friendship with Nejire was still fresh, but she knew the girl well enough to recognize a potential problem. If her friend found out about Ume and Tamaki's late-night text conversations, she would absolutely never hear the end of it. She didn't want Nejire to get the wrong idea; she and Tamaki were just friends. That was all there was between them.
Thankfully, Nejire didn't ask why she had been up so late, simply gave a sympathetic nod before pointing to an outdoor eating area a short distance away. A small grassy area between two stores had been adorned with picnic tables for shopper use.
"Why don't we get some lunch and take a break?" she suggested. "My arms are getting tired from carrying all of this stuff."
"Maybe you shouldn't buy something from every stall we pass," Ume teased as they entered the short line for a nearby food truck. "What do you even need nunchucks for anyways?"
"They're not for me !" Nejire defended herself quickly. "They're for Mirio! I like to do my Christmas shopping early! I got stuff for my parents. The handmade fuzzy socks are for Tamaki—he likes to wear them at home. He'd probably be so embarrassed if he knew I told you that!"
The two girls both erupted into a fit of giggles until it was their turn to order. Ume decided on takoyaki, chocolate mochi to share with Nejire, and treated herself to a soda, while Nejire ordered yakitori and water. Once their orders were paid for and received, they made their way over to a picnic table. Nejire quickly placed her lunch down, then let all of her purchases slide from her arms in a heap before slumping onto the bench with a sigh.
"Ugh. Do you actually like that stuff?" Nejire demanded after watching Ume eat a piece of takoyaki. "I've never been able to get past the idea of tentacles in my mouth ." She shuddered at Ume's nod. "Although, that was a pretty cool idea you had for Tamaki to use them for his quirk! I bet he'll find lots of ways to use them!"
Ume continued eating her lunch while Nejire chattered on about anything that came to mind, giving comments when her classmate had to pause to take a breath, which wasn't often. Once she had finished with her takoyaki and moved on to sharing the mochi with Nejire, she pulled out her phone to check the time and was pleasantly surprised to see she had received a text from Tamaki.
T: Are your ears falling off from listening to Neji yet?
U: We're having fun! She's told me some pretty interesting stuff. Something about a mouse eating through metal and one of her friends really liking fuzzy socks?
T: I told you not to believe anything she says.
U: What's wrong with fuzzy socks? I like fuzzy socks.
"Hey! Hey !" Nejire exclaimed from across the table as she bounced up and down. "What are you smiling about?"
"Oh, uh…" Ume scrambled, feeling her ears burning. "I may have told Tamaki that I know he likes fuzzy socks."
"Wait. He texted you?!" Nejire demanded, leaning across the table with wide eyes.
Ume leaned back, hands holding her phone braced upon the table top and brow furrowed. She knew her face was blazing.
"Um…yeah?"
"Like, texted you without you texting him first?"
"I guess if you want to be technical about it, I texted him first on Friday."
"Oh my god!" Nejire squealed, completely taking Ume by surprise when she reached across and swiped her phone from her hand.
"Hey!" Ume squawked indignantly. "Nejire, don't!"
She got up from her bench and ran around the table with the intention of grabbing her phone back. But Nejire held out her free hand to ward her off while her other scrolled through the lengthy string of messages.
"Aaaaw. You have him saved in your phone as Maki ! That's so cute!" she cooed, still scrolling while expertly fending off Ume one-handed. "Gosh, you guys text a lot !"
"Give it back!" Ume demanded, taking another swing at Nejire's arm. "That's rude!"
"Oooooh, he texted you b—hey!"
Ume had finally managed to dodge Nejire's arm and swipe her phone. She now clutched it close to her chest in a tight grip, cheeks burning.
"You totally like him!" Nejire grinned.
Ume groaned and slumped her shoulders, her chin dropping in an attempt to hide behind her hair. What a disaster! Nejire was sure to tell Tamaki.
He's going to think I'm so creepy! We've only been hanging out for a week!
"Hey! I won't tell him, promise!" Nejire assured, bending down to start picking up her shopping bags. "Can you get the trash?"
Nearly an hour had passed and the pair were still wandering around the market. Thankfully, Nejire had not brought up the uncomfortable subject of her newly discovered crush, which gave Ume time to come to terms with the fact that she was no longer the only person aware of it. She knew that if she continued hanging out with the trio, she would have to tell Tamaki eventually. She had never been skilled in hiding her emotions—perhaps a side effect of her quirk—and she would prefer that he heard it from her , rather than through some verbal blunder from Nejire. No matter how mortifying the idea of telling him was, at least she could say that she'd been brave enough to express her feelings.
"Hey! Hey !" Nejire called from the stall next to Ume's, drawing the empath's attention. "This totally looks like something you would wear!"
She was holding up a hand knitted sweater made of pastel multi-colored yarn. Ume walked over and reached a hand out to feel the sleeve. The yarn was soft and almost silky to the touch.
"I already have so many sweaters," Ume declined after a moment, picturing her closet full of them back home.
"You haven't bought a single thing all day!" Nejire whined, pouting a bit. "What kind of shopping trip is it if you don't buy something?"
Ume shrugged. "I don't need it."
"I bet Maki would think you look super cute in it," the periwinkle-haired girl smirked.
"Nejire!" Ume groaned, bringing her hands up to cover her heated cheeks.
"Buy the sweater and I won't say anything again!" Nejire sang, miming zipping her lips.
Ume snatched the sweater from Nejire, grumbling under her breath as she turned to the vendor and made her transaction. As she watched the woman fold and bag the item, she vowed to herself to hang the sweater in the very back of her closet as soon as she returned home. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Blackmail is illegal, you know," Ume grumbled once she had received her shopping bag and they continued down the street.
Nejire just giggled and grinned at her mischievously, blue eyes wide in faux innocence.
"Listen, Ume. I know I said I wouldn't mention it again, but I just have to say one thing. Please ," Nejire said, unusually calm and quiet.
The two girls were currently sitting on a bench at the train station, each waiting for their respective ride home. Nejire's purchases were mounded at her feet, while Ume held her solitary purchase in her lap.
Ume sighed and nodded her head. She should have known that deal was too good to be true. Now, she didn't have to feel bad about never wearing the sweater Nejire picked out for her.
"I…I think you should know that it would mean a lot to Tamaki to know how you feel," Nejire began, twisting the handles of a shopping bag between her hands. "I'm sure you've already figured it out, but he doesn't have the best confidence. I worry about him sometimes, you know? I just wish he could see himself how we see him."
Ume pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, clutching her shopping bag tighter. She understood Nejire's concern for her friend–if she was honest with herself, Ume wished the same thing. Tamaki was strong, not only for his quirk, but because he pushed through his anxiety every day to try to be better and to become a hero that could help people. It was at the very top of her list of reasons that she liked him.
"Nejire-" Ume sighed, dropping her chin to her chest. "I get where you're coming from, really I do. But I think I just want to be his friend right now. Besides, it's not like he feels the same way," she told the other girl, trying to smile.
"But he-"
"There's my train," Ume cut her off, standing from the bench. "I'll see you at school," she called over her shoulder before entering the train.
"But he does like you," Nejire sighed dejectedly, watching the train leave the station.
T: I told you not to believe anything she says.
Tamaki hit send before dropping his phone onto the couch next to him and thumping his forehead onto his drawn up knees with a groan.
"What's up?" Mirio asked distractedly, eyes never leaving the digital fight on the TV screen in front of him.
"Neji is being embarrassing," Tamaki muttered, bringing his head back to thump it on his knees once more.
Maybe with enough blunt force trauma he could forget that Ume now knew he loved fuzzy socks. Cool guys weren't supposed to like stuff like that, were they? Had she really meant it the other day when she said she looked up to him? Him ? He was a trembling mess most of the time—but knowing that someone like Ume held him in high regard was definitely a confidence boost, and he didn't want to let her down.
"Ooooh. Texting Ume, huh?" Mirio teased once he had won his fight. "What did Neji do this time?" the blond prompted when Tamaki nodded, face still hidden behind his knees.
"S-she told Ume about my fuzzy socks!" Tamaki lamented, arms coming up to curl over his head.
Mirio snorted, trying to hold back his laughter for his friend's sake. They both knew how embarrassing their friend could be.
"If she has a problem with you liking fuzzy socks, your relationship is dead already," he quipped with a chuckle, elbowing the indigo-haired boy beside him playfully.
Tamaki groaned again, hands clutching at his messy hair. Mirio could see the tips of his pointed ears flushing pink.
"Hey, I'm kidding ," he assured him, clapping the other boy on his back. "Ume doesn't seem like the type to judge someone for something like that."
Tamaki's phone buzzed on the cushion between the two boys and Mirio swiped it up before Tamaki could even lift his head from his knees.
" Aha ! Just as I suspected!" Mirio crowed triumphantly, shoving the phone under Tamaki's nose.
U: What's wrong with fuzzy socks? I like fuzzy socks.
He took the phone from Mirio's hand and stared at it for a moment, a small smile creeping onto his face.
She likes them, too. She doesn't think I'm lame.
"Now would be a great time to say 'You know what I like more than fuzzy socks? You!' Girls love stuff like that," Mirio advised sagely.
"I-I can't say something like that !" Tamaki yelped, clutching his phone to his chest tightly.
"Why not?" Mirio shrugged. "It's true."
Tamaki resorted to thumping his head on his knees again. Maybe blunt force trauma was the answer to everything.
"I'm not…I'm not you , Mirio. I can't just…say stuff like that," he finally sighed, feeling his chest tighten as that familiar ball of insecurity grew.
Mirio sighed in response, standing up and facing Tamaki with hands on hips. Not for the first time, Mirio wished his friend had just a touch more confidence in himself. From the outside, it was obvious that there was a connection between his friend and their silver-haired classmate—even if it was fresh and fledgling, it was there. He could tell Tamaki until he was blue in the face that Ume obviously liked him, but it wouldn't mean anything coming from him . He would have to hear it from the girl herself.
"Let's go get some lunch, lover boy. Food makes everything better."
As the duo left Mirio's house, Tamaki finally worked up the courage to text Ume back. Though, he absolutely did not take Mirio's advice.
T: Peak comfort. You get me.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and trudged along beside Mirio, trying to ignore that Ume hadn't texted him back instantly like she usually would. He had to remind himself that she was with Nejire, who was a handful on a good day.
When she still hadn't texted him back thirty minutes later, after they had arrived at the ramen joint closest to Mirio's house and ordered their food, he started to wonder if he had been too bold. He wasn't so presumptuous that he thought Ume actually liked him, but he thought they got along well, and hoped that maybe she at least thought of him as a friend now.
He was considering drowning himself in his noodle bowl to put himself out of his misery when Mirio caught his attention from across the table.
"Are you ok? I said your name like five times."
Tamaki shrugged, finally picking up his chopsticks and picking at his beef ramen. He glanced at his phone, face up on the table next to his bowl. Still nothing .
"I think I said something wrong."
"What? You've barely spoken five words since we left the house," Mirio countered with a confused tilt of his head. "I doubt the cook is that upset you asked him to leave out the corn," he chuckled.
"T-to Ume ," Tamaki clarified, drawing his shoulders up to his ears. "She hasn't texted me back."
"Well, what did you say?"
Tamaki unlocked his phone and slid it across the table, in lieu of saying the embarrassing words out loud. He sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth as he watched for his friend's reaction.
"Dude, that's basically a confession! Good for you!" Mirio whooped, bouncing in his seat in his best imitation of their periwinkle-haired friend. "I wouldn't worry about it. You know how Neji is, always demanding attention," he continued, sliding the phone back across the table before continuing with his meal.
Tamaki let out the breath he had been holding and nodded, more to himself than to Mirio. He was right after all, Nejire demanded attention in every situation.
As the pair finished their lunch, Tamaki was finally able to eat his ramen rather than drown himself inside of it. Mirio's pep talk stuck with him as they fell into a comfortable silence, and the ghost of a smile played at the edges of his lips as he thought about his friend. Mirio never questioned why Tamaki thought the way he did, nor did he ever judge him for it. He simply accepted it and supported him through it. That was one of his most endearing traits.
He had just slipped his phone back into his pocket as they exited the restaurant when it finally buzzed to life.
The first message was just a bunch of heart eyes emojis, and the second offered an explanation for her late reply.
U: Sorry. Nejire was blackmailing me into buying something for myself.
He chuckled and Mirio peered over his shoulder curiously. The blond offered a thumbs up and a grin after reading her reply.
T: Doesn't she know that's illegal?
U: That's what I said!
True to her word, Ume immediately hung up her new sweater in the back of her closet when she arrived home.
Maybe one day. But definitely not today .
She sighed and took a seat at her desk, intending to study for the hero laws test that was scheduled for the following day. She was having a difficult time concentrating on homework, however, when all she could think about were Nejire's earlier words of wisdom. She knew her friend was right; for someone like Tamaki it would mean the world to know that anyone had romantic feelings for him. She had felt that crushing weight of insecurity he lived with in his chest and wondered how it didn't suffocate him on a daily basis.
Ume had never had a crush before—not counting that one time when she was eight years old and had an impromptu fake wedding to a boy who'd shared a table with her in class. Their "wedding" had been under the twisty slide at recess, and after a week of bickering over who got to use the swings first, they decided to go their separate ways. Ume had known that boy for months before that, but she'd only known Tamaki for a week. Was it even normal to develop feelings for someone so quickly?
She dropped her face into her hands, kneading the heels of her hands into her eyes until spots of white bloomed behind her eyelids. She abandoned studying and gave origami a try instead, pulling a sheet of purple paper from her stack.
She had just made her last fold when her phone dinged from the corner of her desk, she reached for it and found a text from Nejire containing nothing but a picture. In the photo, Ume had both arms wound around one of Tamaki's and was slumped over with her head on his chest, her iridescent hair fell in front of her face and shimmered in the flash of the camera. Tamaki looked down at her, purple eyes wide and that cute, ever present flush on his cheeks. Ume immediately saved the photo to her phone before texting Nejire back.
U: You're so embarrassing. Worst friend ever.
She turned back to her desk top to return to her origami. She hadn't really been putting much thought into what she was making, and found herself faced with a paper octopus.
