And I was runnin' far away
Would I run off the world someday?
Nobody knows, nobody knows
And I was dancing in the rain
I felt alive and I can't complain
-Aurora, Runaway
With their basket now filled with delicious food, Tokoyami and Asui made their way to a nearby park. A few dark clouds were now sparse in the sky, but the park was still filled with people walking about, playing sports, or just hanging out. The two hero students found an open space and Tsu laid out a red gingham blanket along with the different food they had bought: bagels with blackberry jam, two red apples, rice balls, miso butter cookies, and sodas.
They both gave thanks for the food and began to eat. Asui placed the jelly on one bagel and handed it to Tokoyami. He took a bite and widened his eyes. "This is good! It's not too sweet," he said.
Tsu made one for herself and also took a bite. Smiling, she said, "I agree."
Tokoyami took a couple more bites before saying, "By the way, you handled those children well."
"Oh thank you. It was no big deal. They remind me of my siblings when they fight."
"Do you miss them?"
A lump formed in Tsu's throat as she forcefully swallowed another piece of her bagel. "Ribbit, everyday. I know it's been hard on my parents since I can't be home to help take care of them. I can't help but feel a little guilty."
Tokoyami frowned at the now sad girl. "That does sound difficult, but you should know that it's okay to have your own path and do your own thing. I'm sure your family is immensely proud of you."
She peered up at him. "They are. My parents always tell me that they are, but I see the bags under their eyes and hear their tired croaks." Blinking away her tears, she handed Tokoyami an apple. "Anyway, do you have any siblings?"
As he took it from her, he said, "No, it's just me and Dark Shadow. I lived with my mom before moving into the dorms."
As Tokoyami took a bite of his apple, Tsu replied, "I'm glad you have Dark Shadow. You always have someone by your side."
"I'm never alone, that's for sure. I can do without his smart comments, but he is always there for me. By the way, this apple is one of the best apples I have had."
A light crimson crept onto her face. "I'm so glad! I spent so much time picking the best ones," she said, grinning from ear to ear.
Tokoyami smiled back at her. They stared at one another until a drop of water fell on top of the bird boy's head. He rubbed his head as he felt another drop. They stared at each with wide eyes as more raindrops fell. "Oh no, rain!" he said.
Tsu quickly surveyed the area until she found a large tree a few feet from them. "Quick over there!" she said while pointing at the shelter.
The two gathered their picnic as fast as they could and hurried under the tree. Just as they swept everything under the branches full of leaves, it began to pour. The tree has just enough leaves to keep them covered from the storm, say for a few drops here and there. The once sunny atmosphere had transformed into a dark, cloudy afternoon. "Should we go home?" Tokoyami asked.
Asui pulled out a rice ball and a soda. "Can't waste a good meal. Besides at this point we should just wait it out." He nodded as she gave him the goodies.
They ate in silence as they watched the rain fall. Everyone at the park cleared out as soon as they felt drops, so they just had each other's company. The tree was not that wide, so they had to sit rather close to each other. They both made a conscious effort not to get into each other's way. When Tsu finished her rice ball, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I haven't been able to enjoy a good rainstorm in a long time," she said.
Tokoyami stared out into the park, now getting drenched by the storm. "I used to hate the rain," he said. Tsu looked at him surprised as he chuckled. "Blame it on my bird instincts."
"Oh that makes sense."
"However they slowly became his favorite days because of how dark it got without the complete void of night that would enrage Dark Shadow.
"You have gotten good at controlling him now," Tsu pointed out.
"For the most part, yes, with much practice and trust."
They listened to the rain more. "My siblings and I used to splash in the puddles near our home and dance with one another," Tsu said, shivering from the temperature drop.
Taking notice of this, Tokoyami took off his jacket and covered her shoulders. Tsu's entire face turned red at the sight of his arms as she was reminded how close they were. Her heart began to beat so fast she had to turn away. "Is something wrong?" Tokoyami asked.
It's now or never. "Tokoyami, there is something I must admit to you. It was my fault that we failed the test." He opened his mouth to interject, but Tsu held up her hand. "Please let me finish. Seeing you on the ground after Hado got you, my mind went blank. I just acted. If you just flew me up there that wouldn't have happened but…but…" She gripped the jacket. "I was too embarrassed. The thought of being in your arms was too much to bear."
Tokoyami's eyes widened. "Asui, I don't understand."
"Before the match, all the girls were gossiping about how much we all changed in the past year, physically. That turned into more specifically about you boys. I made a comment about how confident you were now and Mina completely used that against me. She pointed out how you bulked up and how tall you are now. She started teasing me about how flustered I was acting. I just had to get out of there. Then I ran into you and….ribbit, this is too much." Asui zipped up the jacket and pulled the hood over her face.
Tokoyami just stared at the girl for a moment as he tried to compute all that she told him. His face got hot as he suddenly realized what she was really trying to tell him. "Asui, do you like me in a romantic way?" he asked.
"I think I do. I mean you have grown so much not only physically but mentally too. I truly believe you could be the number one hero one day. Don't tell Bakugo or Midoriya." Tokoyami chuckled. "You are also so kind, Tokoyami, and brave. You don't get enough credit."
"I can say the same for you, Tsuyu." Tsu peered up from underneath the hood. "I've admired you ever since we teamed up against Ectoplasm our first year. You manage to always impress me, and I love how you tell it how it is. Not to mention," Tokoyami gently pulled the hood down from her face, "you are so lovely Tsuyu, inside and out."
They stared at one another for a moment. Tsu then looked down at his hands and intertwined her fingers with his. "Your hands are so warm, Fumikage. I can call you that now right?"
"Of course, I hope I wasn't too presumptuous to start calling you Tsuyu?"
"Silly I tell everyone to call me Tsu, but I like that you say my whole first name. It sounds right coming from you. When you said it during the test, I was just so caught off guard. Then I figured it out because when you say it, it's different." Tsu's eyes widened and she turned her attention back to the rain. "Anyway, this is a date now?"
Before he could say anything, Dark Shadow popped out of Tokoyami's side and said, "Hell yeah it is!" He turned to face his master. "Give her the necklace!"
"Oh right!" Tokoyami exclaimed as he swiped his hands out of Tsu's as she looked at him with a quizzical look.
"What would you do without me?" Dark Shadow said as he slipped back into his master's body.
"Yeah, yeah," Tokoyami replied as he pulled out the pink water lily necklace from his pants pocket. He held it out in front of her as Tsu placed a hand over her mouth.
"Fumikage! What is this?" she asked.
He gently grabbed her other hand to place it on her palm. "I saw this in the market after we got the jelly. Remember when I said I had to use the restroom? I was actually getting this." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
Tsu held the necklace out in front of her to examine the details. "Oh it's so beautiful." She looked back at the nervous boy. "You didn't have to get me this."
"I wanted to. You see, after the match I thought you no longer trusted me as a fellow hero course student or friend." He stared at his lap. "I wanted to prove that I do care about you and think so highly of you. Plus…" he gulped, "I thought it would look gorgeous on you."
"Oh Fumi," Tsu said as she placed her free hand on one of his. Tokoyami's heart sped up at the use of the new nickname, and he glanced up at her. "Thank you, I love it. I will only take it off when doing hero work. I'm also sorry that I made you feel that way. Now you know the truth, ribbit." She turned her back to him. "Would you put it on?"
"Of course," he replied. Tsu handed him the necklace as he scooted closer to her. She tensed up for a brief second as he placed the new jewelry around her neck but relaxed when he clasped it together.
Asui held the pendant for a second, admiring its beauty once more. "How do I look?" she asked as she turned back around.
She was met with a camera flash and a chuckling Tokoyami. "Got you and you look so beautiful," he said.
Tsu's mouth was agape from the bold camera bomb but it soon turned into a huge giggle fit. "Fumikage! That was so sneaky!" she said.
"A conqueror of the night has to be sneaky, my dear."
Once Tsu settled down, she looked back out in the now light rain. "The rain is letting up. We should head back." As Asui packed up the picnic basket, Tokoyami got an idea and pulled out his phone once again. He scrolled through his music app. "Oh our miso cookies! We'll have to eat those when we get back." Hearing music begin to play, Tsu turned to see Tokoyami holding out his hand. "What are you doing?"
"Dance with me," he said.
"But you'll get wet."
A dashing smile formed on his lips. "Who cares?"
Tsu slowly took his hand as he led her out in the rain. He placed his other hand on her waist as she placed hers on his shoulder. "I don't know how to dance like this," Asui admitted.
"I'll lead," he replied.
They began with simply swaying back and forth with one another before adding steps into the mix. Once she looked more comfortable, Tokoyami spun her around with one hand as raindrops fell around them. The repeating pattern of swaying and twirling continued as the rain slowly came to a stop. As the last drops fell down on them, they too also finished their dance. Silence filled the air as the couple stared into each other's eyes. Tsu glanced at his beak and backed up to him. "Kiss her, you fool!" Dark Shadow screamed in Tokoyami's head.
As they leaned into each other, the sun beamed out of the clouds, catching Tsu's attention. Past Tokoyami, a rainbow appeared. Grabbing his hand, she turned him around to point it out. She leaned into his side. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked.
Tokoyami wrapped an arm around her and while looking at her said, "Yes." She looked back up at him and smiled after realizing he wasn't talking about the rainbow. After watching it for a few moments, Tokoyami glanced back at the picnic basket and tree. "We should get going." He rubbed Tsu's arm up and down a few times. "I can't have you going into hibernation."
Asui chuckled, "Are you going to be this doting from now on?"
Tokoyami leaned down and kissed the top of her forehead. "Until you no longer want me to do so." He chuckled at the frozen, blushing girl. "I'll go get our belongings. I'll be right back."
"Ribbit," was the only thing Asui could muster out. As he walked to the tree, she placed a hand on her forehead and then to her necklace. Despite the cold air around her, all she felt was warmth.
It was now mid-afternoon and the majority of Class 2-A surrounded the dorm living room, eagerly waiting for Asui and Tokoyami to return. Yaoyorozu was making tea in the kitchen to accompany the chiffon cake that Satou made. Bakugo was tutoring Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, Sero and Mineta at the dining room table. The rest of the classmates were playing card games in the living room.
Ashido slammed her pencil on the table and walked towards the couch. "Hey get back here!" Bakugo yelled.
"There are more important matters at hand! What's taking them so long? I'm getting impatient!" Ashido said.
Yaoyorozu, carrying a tray of tea into the living room, shook her head at Ashido. "Give them time, Ashido. I'm sure they will be back any minute now," she said. She handed a cup to the antsy alien queen.
She stomped back to the table. "Ugh, you know I hate waiting!"
Uraraka looked up from her phone on the couch. "Besides, we shouldn't bombarde them when they get back. We don't want to embarrass them," she said.
"You're no fun," Ashido said, laying her head against her book.
Bakugo rolled a piece of homework, preparing to smack Ashido's head with it until Hagakure, who has been by the window this whole time, yelled, "I see them! They're coming!"
The whole class ran up against the window to see the jet black hero and the rainy season hero laughing and walking hand-in-hand. "Oh my god!" Ashido squealed. "They are holding hands!"
"I can't believe it. Tsu actually managed to do it," Jirou added.
"Of course she did, she's Froppy!" Hagakure said.
Yayorozu peered at the pair closer. "Oh my! They look drenched!" she cried.
"He managed to get her wet on the first date? Lucky bastard," Mineta said, immediately followed by Jiro stabbing him with her earphone jack.
"You will stay silent the rest of the day," she said. He nodded compliantly.
"This is unacceptable!" Iida exclaimed. He marched right up to the door and opened it. "What are you two doing? Get inside now!"
The pair jumped at the sound of their class representative chastising them. They hurried inside to see their whole class staring back at them. "Ribbit, hello," Tsu said, as their wet clothes dripped onto the carpet.
Yaoyorozu made her way to them as two towels appeared from her arms. "You two need to go shower and change your clothes before you get sick!" she said.
"And ruin the floor," Sero muttered.
"Our apologies, we'll make our leave now," Tokoyami said as he took Asui's hand. Ashido and Hagakure held each while jumping up and down in excitement.
"Separate showers you two," Kaminari snickered followed by Jiro smacking him in the back of the head.
Before their classmates could see them blushing like crazy, they ran to the elevators. As the doors shut, they both sighed a breath of relief. Tokoyami pressed the button for the fifth floor. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I just want to escort you to your room," he said. "No nefarious intent here, I promise."
Asui smiled at him and said, "I know." She leaned into his shoulder as they rode the elevator up. Tokoyami's smile never left his face as the elevator dinged, and he walked her back to her room. Before she walked into her room, she faced Tokoyami. "Thank you for the wonderful time today, Fumikage," she said.
"I should be the one thanking you. If you did not ask me, none of this would be happening. That is why I must ask," he bowed, "Tsuyu Asui, would you like to go on another date with me?"
She nodded as she placed a kiss on his cheek. A dark crimson color immediately filled his face. "Yes," she giggled. "Come see me before your patrol with Hawks, okay?"
"O-of course," he stammered.
Tsu opened her door and walked into her room. Before she completely closed it, she said, "See you later, Fumi."
He waved her goodbye as she shut the door. It took him a moment before he could move and place his hand where she kissed him.
"Is this what being in love feels like?"Dark Shadow asked internally.
"I don't know my friend, but I cannot wait to find out," Tokoyami replied. He smiled and walked back to the elevator, his thoughts only of Tsuyu Asui.
Tsu leaned against the door and brought the towel close to her face. Her heart was pounding like crazy and a rush of happiness flowed throughout her. She couldn't help herself but dropped the picnic basket by her feet and hopped around her room until she finally landed on her bed, not caring that it would be wet. Without thinking, she reached for her necklace and held onto it. She thought about her whole day and how it was one of the best, if not the best, day ever.
Asui was brought out of her thoughts by her phone vibrating in her dress pocket. She brought it out to see the text messages from the Class 2-A girls group chat.
Tsu, Tsu you gotta give us the details!? How did it go?
Did you guys kiss?
Guys, don't overwhelm her.
Sorry, Ochako, I even need to know the details.
If you want to talk about Tsu, we can meet in my room later.
Yay! Yamomo's comfy bed and boy talk, my two favorite things!
Tsu smiled at her silly friends and was about to reply to them until another message popped up.
I can't wait for more days like today 3
With tears welling up, Asui held her phone close to her chest before replying,
Neither can I 3
A/N: With that the story comes to a close. Thank you for reading!