It's been seven hours since I last saw him. The school's gates have shut and locked to signal the end of today's public service, the last of the students have already made their way home, and the afternoon sun is quickly sinking into an evening glow. Rather than wait for him, seek him out, or walk straight home, I spent my time after classes sitting at a nearby park's bench, lost in my own thoughts. These thoughts mostly revolved around him… And what I did to him.
Seeing him go into a mental shock like that scared me. And then watching him carry on with his classes, still in that state… I must have gotten a gray hair from it. It was my fault he ended up that way. Well, Uraraka and I's faults. And now I hate myself for it. Why did I force that on him? Was it because I thought it was the right thing to do? Could I really not read the mood? Was I just impatient? Or was I scared? Did my lack of sleep finally make me snap? These were the questions I drowned myself in for hours, from afternoon sun to evening glow.
I don't know what to expect for tomorrow or the days after, but I at least know that there's nothing left to expect for tonight. He's in no condition to talk things over the night. I'm not expecting a text from him - not even an email. And I won't trouble him with any either. Tonight, he needs to rest.
Tonight, he needs to talk with Ochaco.

That idea makes my heart sink. My eyes moisten. I blink the wetness away and shake my head. There's no need to get depressed over this. It was the only logical conclusion. And besides, it's what I wanted. I wanted him to give her a fair chance. And I'd try in my own way to win him over if things don't work out. That was the plan.
That was how it's supposed to go.
But I…
I sigh and kick my foot at the ground. How many of these thoughts have I stomped out since I got here? Seven? Twelve? More than twenty? I've lost count.

My phone vibrates.
It's probably family, or Mina and the others, or even Habuko. I'm not really in the mood to look at their messages, but… I'm not so foul in mood to be rude. My thumb traces a particular pattern on my phone's screen, 'click'ing it out of its locked state. A symbol in my notification bar tells me that it was, as expected, a text. I swipe down to get a peek at who sent it.

It's Midoriya. He wants to meet me. Tonight.

My mind goes numb, along with my thumb. I don't know how I should respond. I don't know if I should respond. I don't know if I should tell him to go home… or just run to him. For some reason, that's a very likely option for me. But deflating questions plague me before I can act out my decision… Am I the first one he asked to meet? Did he already meet with Uraraka? What is he planning on telling me? What if Uraraka is with him when we meet?
I really shouldn't jump to conclusions like this, I know, but...
I sit back and take a long breath. There's still a few minutes before the sun completely goes, so we shouldn't be shoo'd off if we were to meet outside. It's not like there's anywhere indoors we could afford to go into. Most restaurants around here are pretty expensive during dinner hours. And besides, I'm not hungry. I won't be hungry for hours.

My thumb begins to swipe out words without a thought. I'm only going to scare myself needlessly if I keep thinking over what-ifs. The message fills itself out to read 'Small playground park near U.A. West of the station. In the residential district. I'm already here.'
It's a simple enough text. One that isn't too friendly so as to not pretend like nothing happened. It's plain enough for him to read if he's still not feeling well. And it makes our meeting easier.

Located just a few blocks south of U.A. - this small playground park is tucked away from most visitors' views. With only one tree gracing one of its corners, and equipped lightly with a single slide, two swings, a small jungle gym, and a pitiful-sized sandbox - it's not something you'd expect to find near a fancy, prestigious school. But like the small bar, candy shop, and restaurant nearby: this plain and simple place was here long before U.A. was even built. The old-town features of its design would be in stark contrast to a majority of the modern buildings and shops, if it was out in the open. But it isn't. Walking out of the nearest train station and sliding yourself into the residential area, you'd only run into this park if you zig-zagged your way through its narrow pedestrian-only streets.
Most tourists and out-of-city workers don't know about this place - meaning a majority of people have no idea it exists. But a large handful of U.A. students have become familiar with it. It's the shortcut many of us take to get to the school. Well, it's actually the long way around, but we don't run into main street traffic here. Some of the students even use this area as their hang out spot - which I assume is how this place gets its business. I'm one of these students.
Coming from a smaller, less busy town, the settings of this area is one that I'm more familiar with. After classes, and sometimes before, I make my way here and sit on the only bench of this park, just to relax. On days I'm especially worried over things, I tend to come here and take in the sights; sometimes I watch the local kids play around in the playground - fussing and struggling with the smaller things in life, shouting and screaming without a care in the world. Seeing them, being here, always puts my mind at ease. It reminds me that there's no need to put so much pressure on yourself and the things you do, because when you sit back and think about it: we all started off as kids - not knowing anything at all.
Maybe this place can help him keep things in perspective too. Though I doubt any kids would visit here after-hours. And it's not encouraged for unrelated, older males to stare at children. But still, the place is private enough for anything he wants to talk about.

As the lights of the dingy streetlamps flicker on, and the storefronts begin to switch to their nightly routines… I hear a set of footsteps approaching me. My ears tell me that those footsteps belong to him. I know it's creepy, but I've listened to the way he walks so intently that I know whether it's his footsteps or not. I'm confident it's him. I could just look over my shoulder to be sure… but if his mind is still sensitive from today's events, the last thing I'd want to do is shake his resolve with eye contact.
His steps slow down at a spot right next to me, and the creaking of the bench signals his full arrival. Should I greet him? I think a greeting shouldn't be too much for him. "Midoriya." I say without looking his way. The bench creaks a little, showing that he was a little stunned by the greeting.

"T-Tsuyu…"

I shouldn't tease him right now, but I've been waiting to say this for weeks, "Call me Asui."

"Huh?"

"I'm joking." I smile. "It's just the first time you've ever got my name right while you were nervous."

He gives me a small laugh. It has a sort of melancholy tone to it. Now I feel bad for trying to joke with him. I shouldn't read into it too much, though, otherwise I'll lose what little resolve I have left. "I… um…" he starts, searching hard for words. His mind is still worn out from today… "I want to make sure of something before we talk."

We already are talking. But I won't throw that tease at him. "Hm?"

"You're not… You're not joking about this, are you?"

My smile shrinks away. The facade of my face is beginning break, but I try to hold onto it for just a little longer. Had he asked me this question earlier today, I might have fallen apart. But my time in this park really helped me in readying myself for this kind of conversation - whether it happened sooner or later.
I shake my head smoothly. "I'm not joking." I answer him, "You saw it for yourself when Ochaco got there. She already knew what I was going to tell you, and she ran all around the school to stop me. If she was trying to stop a joke, then she wouldn't have been playing along with it. You know Uraraka and I would never pull a joke like that on you. That would be too terrible, even for my harsh teasings."

"I-I suppose." is his only answer for me, accented with an all too familiar stutter. I hear him stutter so much, I'm beginning to wonder if it's a speech impediment… No, wait, he spoke to me without a stutter at the amusement park. And in class. It's just a nervous reaction then. "So then…" he continues his nervous reaction, "Uraraka wasn't joking either?"

My chest hurts. "… No. She wasn't."

"Why… Um… What is about me that you like?" he laughs, jabbing himself with the question.

… I hate that question. This is the third time it's come up. Mina and the others asked it first when they tried pairing us up. After the mutual rejection, they hounded me as to what I liked about him. At the time, my answers were only repeating what I had said before: that he was 'the only decent one around', compared to my other options. But even at that time, I found their question a little rude. It was essentially asking me "He has so little going for him, so what's there to like?"
Then when Ochaco asked me that question indirectly, with her 'Is that why you like him?' - it irritated me a lot. It was as if I couldn't have possibly thought of another reason to like him. As if she was the only one who saw something special in him, and no one else but her could appreciate those things about him. That assumption may be a bit exaggerated, but there's truth to it. Why else would she ask it?
Is it so hard to believe that I find something attractive or amazing about Midoriya? He has so many great qualities just sitting there for all to see, but no one ever seems to point them out. Maybe I only find those things obvious because I spend all my time watching and listening to him. Maybe I only noticed them because I give him a chance, rather than shoot him down for his weaker qualities. It may be because he's too meek at times, but meekness shouldn't be a negative trait that negates your positives.
Well, maybe now it should. The way he asked this question makes me want to hit him. There was so little confidence in his tone. It's as if he's listened to everyone else's put-downs, heeded everyone else's silence over him, that he never listened to a single thing Ochaco or I have said about him. Even Iida compliments him! Though, he's a little heavy-handed with them, so maybe he's not a good example. But the major problem here is that I know he's heard me… He's heard me tell him every reason why I like him. To his face. So why would he need to ask?

"Did I say something wrong?" He's looking at me with a really worried frown.

I realize now that I'm glaring at him. I quickly blink my eyes to reset their condition, but I feel some humidity getting to them. With a harder blink, I dry them, and try to force a more neutral expression - though it feels near impossible right now. "Midoriya," I tell him with a strained, plain voice, "I've already told you why I like you."

"You have?"

"I tell it to you every day."

"Huh? When?"

"Throughout the day. Every day. A day hasn't passed since our date where I haven't complimented you in some way. I know you've heard me say them. You've responded to me every time. I've… I've said that… you were cool, that you were funny, that you're handsome, you're kind, considerate, brave, clever, quick-witted, interesting, unique, strong, passionate, pure, cute, adorable, and even wonderful!" Ah. I'm starting to yell. I need to lower my volume. And I need to relax my brows again. Come on, relax.

"Tsuyu… I always thought you were teasing me."

My brows immediately furrow. I was trying to my best to calm them down, to seem more approachable, but now I really don't care what he thinks of me. I smack him hard across the face and stand up, glaring over him. "Idiot! I -! You -…! You're such an idiot! I haven't been teasing you, Midoriya! I meant every one of those things from the bottom of my heart!"

"H-How was I supposed to know? I didn't know you -"

"That I liked you? That has nothing to do with this, Midoriya! I can compliment you even without having to like you, you know?! Do you seriously think that I can only think highly of you if I have a crush on you?! Maybe people mistreated you all your life and never gave you a chance to prove yourself! But do you really think I'm one of those people?! Even as just your friend, do you really think that I think little of you?! Wouldn't that mean that I only make friends with people I don't care for? That I compliment people who don't deserve it? Stand by the side of those who aren't worth it? Is that what you think of me?!"

"No! I never said that!"

"Then why can't you just take my compliments?! Why can't you just let me think that you're sweet, and awesome, and hot?!"

"H-H-HOT?!"

"Why do I need to preface everything with 'I'm not joking'?! Or 'I'm being serious'?! Why do I need evidence to prove that I like you?! Can't it just be obvious that I like being around you? Doesn't it show when I go out of my way just to make sure you're okay? When I genuinely laugh and smile around you? When I talk with you differently than how I talk with anyone else? When I take all of your suggestions and opinions to heart? When I try really hard to change how I see things just so I don't hold you back? When I'm willing to give you up because I think Ochaco is a better match for you?! Why can't… Why can't I just -"
Midoriya is holding me in his arms. When did he pull me in? I must have gotten blind in my anger that - … Oh. I'm crying… I'm sobbing? I can't believe I'm sobbing in front of him like this. And now, despite myself, I start to press my face into his chest… and tuck my forearms between us. I really shouldn't be doing this. But this feels really nice. Like I'm going to sink into him. I'd… like that. I don't want to be out here right now, anyways. I'd want to go inside him and never come out. I don't want to face reality right now, or have to face it tomorrow, or the next day. Because… Maybe… after all this… "I won't be able to feel this way for you anymore." I whisper to him.
He holds me closer. I can hear his heart beating. It's fast, and loud. He must be blushing really hard. I can feel the heat of his cheeks. I don't think I've ever seen him hug someone before. To think someone as shy as him would have to hug a girl to comfort her. He's really sweet - but he's trying too hard. He's going to give himself a heart attack at this rate.

"Aren't you being a hypocrite?"

My eyes blink open. "Hm?" I try to push away to look up at him, but he holds me closer. My heart jolts.

"You say that… it's terrible for me… to assume that you think little of me." he says, with an obvious nervousness still in his voice. "That I'm not accepting what you have to say or feel towards me. I'm not letting you… be honest with me. But what about you?"

"I'm not sure I follow, Midoriya."

"And that's another thing… You keep insisting that I call you 'Tsuyu' every time, even when I'm not comfortable with it yet. But why don't you ever call me by my given name?"

"Izuku."
My face is burning hot. I think my whole body might be. Or is that Midoriya's? Whatever the case is, the both of us have stopped talking, and stopped moving. I can't hear his heart beat anymore.

"Say it one more time." he tells me. So bold!

"Izuku…" My chest feels like it's going to burst.

"It's uncomfortable to say, isn't it?" he says with a forced laugh.

"I just said it twice!"

"Say it ten times."

"Izuku, Izuku, Izuku, Izuku… I-Izuku. Izuku Izuku. Izu-z-zuku, Izuku-ku… I-I-I-Izu-!" He's genuinely laughing at me now. "Sh-Shut up! Yes, it is a little embarrassing to say."

"Now you know how I feel."

"You can start calling me 'Asui' from now on then..." my heart sinks the instant I say it. It's sinking a lot lower than I thought it could. I'm starting to sob again. I shouldn't be. It's only proper for him to avoid calling me by my given name after today. It wouldn't be right.

His hand slides across my head, forcing a chill to run through my body - a good kind. I… liked that. I want him to do it again. I should feel ashamed of myself. "Tsuyu." he whispers in my hair. A stronger chill runs through me. My knees feel weak. "What if… What if I liked you?"

"Don't joke about that, Midoriya." I say with a tired laugh.

"Call me Izuku."

"Don't joke about this, Midoriya!" I shove him away, glaring at him. The glare drops instantly…

He's staring back at me with determined eyes. "Tsuyu… I think I like you."

"Y-You think?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just… I never noticed it until I really thought about it." he says as he looks away from me slightly, almost as if he's apologizing for giving me such a serious face earlier, "I was so absorbed by all the events we've been going through, everything that's come up between us - that I never took the time to think about… 'us'. All the things you've done for me- All the things you've said to me- And when we'd stay up texting, or calling each other… I was really grateful to share in those moments with you. I settled with that satisfaction between us, since it was more than I could have asked for by being your friend. And so, I think, I made myself never think about how I really felt for you."

I frown. "And now you have feelings for me?"

"Well - I think… I always have. At least, since our date. The feelings I had for you weren't the same as the ones I felt towards Uraraka, so I just settled with the fact that you were a unique friend. And then when we became more personal with each other, I thought we were just really close friends. In my head, though, I saw you as my best friend."

"You're my best friend… That's one of the things I find attractive about you, Midoriya."

"I… I had that idea reversed in my head. I thought that since you were my best friend, I couldn't think of you in any other way… but just a little while ago, when I started to really sort myself out and think about things between us, I started to realize that there were things that I thought about you that were beyond just a friendship. Thoughts that I casually refused to talk about in our day-to-days. It was already so natural to hang out and talk with you, that I never felt like those thoughts had any place between us."

"What kind of 'thoughts'?"

He coughs. Repeatedly. The question might have been too blunt. "T-Thoughts like…" his voice trails off into murmuring.

I step on his foot. "Don't chicken out on me now. You have me curious."

"T-THOUGHTS LIKE… I find you really cute. And… I really like how you say 'kero' at the end of some of your sentences. And that I like the way you poke fun at me. And that I find your laugh really adorable. And your eyes are beautiful. And your hair. And shoulders. And -"

"STOP!" I yell. My heart's racing, and I'm having a hard time catching my breath. If he keeps going like that, I might be the one having a heart attack. "A - A lot of people can think those things, Midoriya. But it doesn't mean you have to have feelings for me. Those are just normal, everyday thoughts you can have for your friends and acquaintances. Th-They come and go."

"Then what about thoughts like… I think I'm in love with you?"

I stare him in the eyes, and he stares back. If he flinches just once, then he's lying. He has to be lying. But he's staring at me straight on - not blinking - not moving. And his face is getting more serious the longer I stare. But then that would mean… No, he's just -

"You're about to tell me that I could just be mistaken, right?" he says to me in an almost upset tone, "That's why I said earlier that you were being a hypocrite. You want me to accept the fact that you think highly of me, and that it's not weird for you to have feelings for me. But why doesn't that logic apply to you? You pushed Uraraka onto me, thinking that it was obvious that I'd choose her - that I'd choose her over you. You tell me that she's a better match for me. You assume that I can't have strong feelings towards you, that I can't see anything appealing about you. You probably think that our friendship is going to end the instant we walk out of this park. You have it all settled in your mind already, and you won't let anything change it - not even what I have to say!"
He approaches me and reaches for my left hand. Pulling it up by the wrist, he rolls back my arm's sleeve to expose my skin. I instinctively pull away, but his grip tightens. "It's like how you wouldn't let me say that there's nothing wrong with your hands. If you want to think they're big and ugly - that's on you. But why wouldn't you let me think otherwise? I don't think they're ugly. Gigantic. Strange. Or even disproportionate. I think they match you. At times, I think they look strong - and that you look cool with them. Right now, I think they're cute. No, don't pull away. Don't give me that look. I'm not confused. I'm not lying. I really do feel that way, Tsuyu."

"Y-YOU'RE WEIRD!"

"If I'm weird for liking your hands, then I'm fine with that: I'm weird as weird can get. That won't change how I feel about them. You can't change how I feel about them. And nothing you say changes how I feel about you! I… I - I l-l-love you, Tsuyu!"

"Don't force yourself to say it!"

"Don't force yourself to deny it! I'm saying it now because I want to. Can you really say the same when you tell me to stop saying these things? I l-love you. I love your smiles. I love your laughs. I love your straight faces. I love your hands, your hair, your eyes, your mouth, I love - love - love - love everything about you! I love being around you. I want to keep being around you. Every day! And every n-night. Your texts at night cheer me up. Your calls in the morning make me feel warm… I want to hear your voice every morning. I want to see you every day. To tell jokes, to play games, to keep talking, to help each other out, to watch each other's backs, to learn more about each other, to learn new things together!"

"Wh-When did this turn into a proposal?"

He flinches. I take that as my chance to pull away from him. We both take a step back, looking away from each other - our faces burning red. "I-I'm not ready to propose yet."

The word 'yet' echoes in my head. I slap my face to regain composure. "What about Uraraka?" I ask. My hands are shaking. So are my legs. My chest feels like it's chilling. I'm suddenly very aware of how terrifying an answer to this would be. But for the sake of honesty, I have to ask it, "Don't you love her?"

"I think I do."

His answer stabs my heart. There's a sinking feeling inside of me - starting from my head, and crawling down to my toes. I want to… run. No, that's not it. I want to… I don't know. 'Not be here'. But I don't want to run to 'not be here'. I want to stay here, but… I want to disappear. One of my feet lifts itself off the ground… but it remains there, hovering. I can't bring myself to run. Not after everything he's said to me. I want to see where this ends. I need to see it. Even if I want to disappear, I have to be here for what he says next. If these feelings for him die here and now… I need him to be the one that kills them. "Then…" I whisper as I look up at him. My cheeks feel wet. "Then why not her?"

"Because you're the one I can't imagine living my life without."

…

I can't think of anything to say. I can't… think of anything at all. My knees gave out at some point, and now I'm on the floor… sitting up, staring up at him. Drops of something wet is pattering against my clothes. I think I'm crying again. I don't know why I'm crying again. "Izuku…" I whimper, "Why am I crying?"

He reaches his hand towards my face, sliding his thumb across my cheek. Tears are sliding down his own cheeks, far more than mine. "Because our hearts found each other." he says as he pulls me close.

I let out a loud snort. "That's really lame!"

"H-Hey! I - I took the line from a movie!" he defends himself with pouting face, "I thought it sounded cool…"

"You're such a dork, Midoriya!"

"Hey! Call me Izu- !" I hop up and press my lips against his.

My first kiss. Our first kiss.

His tears kept dripping into my eye. My lips had to move over twice because I wasn't sure where to put them. We bumped our foreheads pretty hard at one point. His whole body started shaking because of the half-falling position he was in. I tried tugging him down to lean against me but he wasn't taking the hint. And I was breathing a little too loudly out of my nose for the whole thing.

It was beyond awkward and weird… but I really liked it.

The strange taste/texture of his lips… The heat of his face against mine… His body so close to mine, making my heart race. Then when he started kissing me back… I felt like my whole body was melting. One of his hands cradled the back of my head. His other hand curved around my hip. His body crouching over mine… I lost myself entirely. I felt like I was… his. Claimed by him. And he would never let me go.

I wouldn't mind that at all.

My mind was swimming by the time he pulled away. His eyes were wide, his breaths were heavy, and his entire body was brimming with heat… I had to slip away and put some distance between us. Seeing him like that almost got me too excited.
The two of us retreated back to the bench - catching our breaths, and looking anywhere but at each other.

"Are… we a couple now?" he asks me with a bewildered voice.

I elbow him on the rib. "You think we kissed each other just for fun?"

"N-No." he half-laughed, rubbing his rib. "But… Well… You never said it."

"Never said what?"

"That you love me."

"Would I kiss you if I didn't?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that it feels like you're avoiding saying it."

"Then… I love you… I love you, Izuku…"

He inches his hand towards me - and I place my hand in his.
For some reason, this feels sweeter than our kiss.