I don't know if I can do this. I want to tell her how I feel, but every time I think about saying it, my stomach feels like it's being twisted up. His eyes gradually relaxed from their intense expression and he sank lower in the water to hide his smile. To try to hide the redness of his face, even though it spread to the tips of his ears.

It was so rare that he got to see her full face and now that it was right here in front of him, he felt like his heart was going to melt. Every smile, every curious look, every frown. These things that were hidden from him before made him find her that much cuter and it made things that much harder for him.

"Hey, Tamaki. What'd you need the gills for?" Togata asked, flashing him a knowing grin.

He blinked and shifted his eyes away. "I-I'm going underwater for a while and…I just thought maybe…"

"Mind if I go with you? I want to see if I can spot a shark!"

"Mirio, that's…"

"Awww! Come on! You have to admit it would be pretty cool!" Togata looked toward Nejire and Shirayuki. "We're going to go explore for a little while. You'll be okay up here, right?"

"Oh! Yuki, let's go check out the tide pools! Maybe we'll see something cute!" The older girl grabbed Shirayuki's hand and started to lead her toward the beach.

"…tide pools…um…l-like at the aquarium…?"

Amajiki watched them go and frowned to himself, lowering his head. Wishing he could be the one to show Shirayuki her first real tide pool. He could already imagine the look of wonder on her face and it made his heart throb a little.

"So? What's the real reason for the gills?" Togata pried, moving closer in the water.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he turned his attention to his friend. "Th-the gift I'm going to give her tonight. I want it…to be something special. Um…s-something that only I can give her. So I thought…maybe I can…" He winced when cold water splashed at him. "Wh-what?"

"Tamaki! Seriously; I had no idea you were such a romantic! That's the perfect plan! So we're diving to find a present for Yuki." He saw Amajiki nod and his smile spread wider. "Okay! Let's see what we can find!"

Amajiki used his quirk to give himself gills and made his legs into a finned tail from the thighs down. With Togata's help, he was able to collect a few options from the sand beneath the water. They emerged from the water near some rocks off to the side, away from the populated beach. Amajiki pulled himself up and onto a rock before spreading out the things he had collected.

His gills were gone now and he looked over the items with narrowed eyes, frowning. "Wh-which one? Mirio…I don't know which one to give her. Something special. I can't decide which one is the best." His dark indigo eyes lifted to find his friend studying the items closely before the boy displayed a sunny smile.

"I mean, I can't decide, either. You know her better than me, Tamaki. Besides! You want it to be a present that represents your feelings, right? So which one do you think she would like the most?"

Skimming the selection again, his eyes locked onto one piece in particular. Taking it in his hand, a small smile curved his lips. "This one…this is the one."

"Mermaid sighting!" Nejire's voice called from the beach.

"M-mer…?" Amajiki's face went a vibrant shade of red as he realized his legs were still in the form of a finned tail. He quickly lowered his head and fidgeted with the item in his hand as he forced his quirk to stop. Glancing toward the beach again as Togata chuckled. He saw Shirayuki standing on the beach with a faint blush and it made his heart flutter. Yuki…

Shift P.O.V

Swimming in the ocean, exploring the tide pools, hunting for seashells. Shirayuki smiled as she trailed behind her upperclassmen, carrying a bucket of shells that Nejire had collected with her. This is…normal summer stuff, isn't it? I've seen shows where high school students go to the beach during summer break, but I've never gone before. I didn't know it would be so fun.

This was the longest she had ever gone without wearing a mask in front of people outside of her family, but Shirayuki was in too good of a mood to let it bother her. Looking down at the seashells, she imagined how people were going to react to getting these souvenirs. She had enough for her friends, her grandmother, and even grabbed one for Sayuri's daughter.

The room at the inn was big enough for the four of them, had four separate futons, and had a connected bathroom. They took turns using the bathroom to change and her upperclassmen insisted on her going first. Shirayuki, not wanting to make everyone wait, changed as quickly as possible and hurried out into the hallway as Nejire went into the bathroom.

She leaned against the wall in the hallway, outside of their room. A hand lifting and settling over the spot to the left of bellybutton. No one saw it, she assured herself. It's…not a big deal anymore. Still, her blood ran cold at the thought of anyone seeing the scar that was there.

It had been there for years, but she had never been in a situation before where someone might see it. Shirayuki always wore a tank top under her uniform shirt and even wore one under her hero costume so that no one would glimpse the scar while she was changing. It had never been an issue before today. Now, she was afraid of her friends seeing it and getting worried.

The door quietly slid open beside her and a familiar face popped out. "Hey, Yuki. Everything okay?" Togata stepped into the hallway and slid the door closed behind him. "I'm up last to change clothes," he explained with a laugh when he saw her blushing. "So? Everything okay? You seem kind of down."

"…n-no, I just…um…" She fidgeted with the hairband on her wrist and lowered her head. "…I'm not down…I'm…actually really happy…I've never gone on a trip with friends before and…I-I want to thank you for inviting me…even though I'm a f-first year and…" A warm hand settled on her shoulder and she peeked up at him through her dark violet hair.

"We're friends, right? There's no need to thank us! We went on this trip so we could all hang out together before your training camp. I'm really glad we did, too! I got to see Yuki smiles all day!"

Blinking up at him, she could feel a smile curving her mouth. "…Togata-senpai…that's…r-really nice of you…"

"Oh! Looks like dinner is on its way! I better hurry up!" He rushed back into the room as a cart of food was wheeled down the hallway by some of the inn staff. On the other side of the door, Amajiki released a strangled sound of surprise that was accompanied by Nejire's giggle.

Friends. Shirayuki nodded to herself. Friends. I'm…making friends. Just like my father did. And I know he would've liked Togata-senpai for sure. I'm…going to be braver. At least for the rest of this trip. She pulled her hair back from her face and into a ponytail; giving her nothing to hide behind anymore.

At dinner, she pushed herself to try to talk more. It was made a little easier by Togata, who seemed to sense her intentions and was doing his best to keep the conversation about things she could relate to. Of course, she was still shaking a bit. Stumbling over her words slightly and having to push herself to speak louder. The sense of accomplishment was more than worth the effort, though.

When she mentioned that one of the dishes they were eating was something her father would have liked, Amajiki straightened up a little beside her. "C-Calorie Bomb…do you think he would have approved…I-I mean…?" He was mumbling this and glancing over at the girl briefly before heat spread across both of their faces.

"What? Oh!" Nejire took another bite of her food and grinned, nodding.

"I think he would've approved of Yuki's friends," Togata agreed. "What do you think, Yuki? He seemed like a pretty awesome guy! I bet he would've loved to meet Tamaki!"

"…he was…f-friends with Fat Gum, so…a-and he…really liked people with eating quirks…" she answered. Her face felt like it was glowing red. "He would have liked you, Tamaki."

When they finished eating, Togata and Nejire insisted on the group going for a walk on the little trail behind the inn. The sun had set, but Shirayuki was still determined to try to be braver. They walked at the front and she walked beside Amajiki behind them.

It was a narrow sort of trail that forced them to be close together as they walked, but the scenery was magnificent. The trail itself was lit by a series of lanterns and the moon was high overhead. Countless stars twinkled above them when she looked up and all around them, fireflies flickered through the air like living embodiments of starlight.

Shirayuki was looking up at the stars, having never seen them so clearly before in the city. She was so mesmerized by their beauty that when she lowered her head, she realized that Nejire and Togata had gotten so far ahead of them that they were out of sight. "…where…?"

"Yuki…um…h-here." Warm fingers gently took her hand and when she turned to look up at him through her dark violet bangs, Amajiki was staring down at her with intensity. The blush that overtook his face as he bit his lip, struggling to form the right words, was contagious.

Warmth bloomed in her cheeks as she kept her crimson eyes lifted. "…T-Tamaki…did you see where they…?"

"I…ngh…I have to tell you something, but I…" His free hand rubbed at the back of his head as his eyes shifted away. "D-difficult. Why can't I just say it? Why can't I be brave like Mirio and…say how I feel?"

Fireflies danced around them in the night air and Shirayuki could feel her heart beating harder and faster. Seeming to shake her entire frame as she timidly lowered her head to stare down at the ground. I…I should say something, but I don't know what to say. What is this? Like butterflies in my stomach, but…it's stronger than usual.

Amajiki kept walking; gently guiding her along the trail and glancing over every so often. "I-I know I'm bad at this kind of thing…I'm not like Mirio or Nejire. It's…it's hard for me to even talk sometimes so…something like this is…it's difficult." He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as his steps slowed.

Up ahead, the trail got wider to form a sort of clearing that had a bench. He led the way to it and when they sat down, both were rewarded with a beautiful view of the beach and ocean at night. Shirayuki glanced over at him, but kept her head lowered as she tried to identify why she was feeling so anxious; excited, nervous, but with happiness mixed in.

"N-now. Okay. I-I can do this…if I just push myself." He released her hand and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Taking a deep breath of the summery, ocean air before he turned his head so he looked directly at her. "Th-there's something I want to tell you."

Like his blush, his bravery proved equally contagious. Shirayuki lifted her head and turned it so she was looking at him. Her mouth set into a timid, curious frown. "…Tamaki…?"

The boy took both of her hands into his and leaned closer. "You're…really amazing. Every time I'm with you, I just…I can't help but watch you. Because you're trying so hard. And you…push yourself so much. It's…it's something I really admire because it's so difficult and I…know how difficult it is. But being around you makes me want to push myself. Because I-I want to protect you, Yuki. But more than that. I-I want you to be able to rely on me for support. And I want to make you feel special because I…I see you as special. I want you to see how special you are; to me and…and just in general so…so what I'm trying to say is…"

The girl felt like her blush was spreading over her entire body. Her stomach was doing flips, her heart was beating in her throat. She was sure he could feel her pulse in his hands. Her throat started to tighten a little as he moved her hands to just one of his. Amajiki's words sank into her heart like a brand and it flooded her with euphoria. "…T-Tamaki, you're…you're braver than me, though…"

A shy smile drew at his lips and he reached into his pocket with his free hand. "I-I got something for you today. Something special…to show you how special you are to me. Um…could you…close your eyes?" When she obeyed, he leaned in closer and released her hands. His arms went around her neck and there was a quiet click of a clasp. "There. I…I asked for help making it a necklace, but…it's a stone that I got from the ocean. It's a token of my feelings for you, Yuki. I…I like you. As more than a friend."

She opened her eyes and felt him lift the pendant hanging around her neck so she could see it. A small, bluish stone in the shape of a butterfly. Tears blurred her eyes and Shirayuki smiled up at him. "Th-thank you, Tamaki. I…I really like you, too." She felt the butterflies in her stomach increase. Warm, trembling fingers caressed her cheek before he leaned down and lightly brought his lips to hers.