Summary: A Christmas party. Sitting under a decoration that was Christmas tradition. With someone who just so happened to be a crush of hers.

Hitomi should have seen this coming, because her luck was always like this.

Damn Christmas plant.

A/N: I CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA AS A COMIC WEEKS AGO. DID I DRAW IT? NO, BECAUSE I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, "HEY, I SHOULD BE WORKING ON YOSHIHO'S ORIGIN ART INSTEAD."

And then 4 days before Christmas at 1 am I decide "fuck it let's make it a short one-shot."

If this ends up being another horribly long "short story" let's pray for my sleep schedule ( ;— —)

I haven't written anything from scratch for a somewhat long while now, so sorry if it's a bit rusty!

Also, there's no way this is canon XD I wrote this with everyone as second-years (pretend the PLW arc and its aftermath hasn't happened AAAAAHHHHH-) just 'cause I wanted them to be a bit older (they're 17 in this!) and it made sense to me story-wise. So, yea, not canon. Especially because dynamics and events that would have happened (both in the canon manga and the main fic) do not exist/are not present in this one-shot.

️‼️PLEASE READ‼️ ️

I felt it was important to mention that this story prominently features an OC of mine that has not/will not appear in the main fic, but was introduced on my Instagram account. You won't find any posts about him now though, since I archived his art (because it was old and I didn't like how it looked anymore).

Only the people that were following the Insta account in early 2020 really know this OC, and even then it wasn't much info because I was still developing him at the time, so I apologize if any of this ends up confusing ^^; I finished a one-shot properly introducing him a few months ago now, but it still hasn't been posted since I don't have time to make the art for that yet. I did try to explain it all to the best of my ability in this one-shot, so I hope it'll be a bit easier to understand.

Still, hope y'all enjoy. Merry belated Christmas and happy holidays ❤️

Art - Add /21aat949668x to the DeviantArt Stash URL.

"Hey, you made it!"

Hitomi's head snapped up to Height's Alliance front door, her lips turning up in a small smile at the sight of unruly reddish brown hair. She rose from her seat at the couch, running over to the dorm's entrance.

Her smile widened as she got closer, seeing Sero and Kirishima greeting a tall boy in a fluffy jean jacket. His olive green eyes brightened when he saw her approaching, raising his hand in a nonchalant wave.

"Hey, Hitomi!"

"Tsuyoshi…! You're actually here!" She stopped in front of him, giving him a timid smile. "Well…" she said slowly, extending her hand in a handshake, "welcome to Class 2-A and 2-B's Christmas party!"

Tsuyoshi eyed her hand, smiling at her as he took it. "Come on, Hitomi, don't be a stranger," he laughed.

Hitomi snorted, rolling her eyes playfully before she pulled him in for a hug. Tsuyoshi let out another laugh as he returned the gesture, keeping a hand on her arm once they'd pulled apart.

"Sorry I was so late," he said, glancing around the room and seeing Nari and Yoshiho among the other UA students. There was even Yoshiho's friend from Shiketsu, Keii Soratabi, among them.

"I don't exactly have a quirk to portal me from Tatsuo to UA," he chuckled, giving the portal user a wave over Hitomi's shoulder. "Traffic from school was pretty packed at this hour so it took me a while to get here." Tsuyoshi smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "And it was a bit of a lengthy process trying to get authorization from Hound Dog to enter the campus. He was growling a lot…"

Sero clapped his back, wearing a friendly smile. "No sweat, dude. It was the same for the others. Hound Dog's probably still a bit mad about that prank war happening between 1-C and 1-D."

Tsuyoshi's eyes glinted with mischief. "Prank war?"

The conversation was interrupted as Kaminari exclaimed, "Shiba's here!", other members of the class coming over to greet him. Tsuyoshi got swept up in the crowd, trying to return everyone's greetings and answering their "how are you" questions as he was ushered into the common area. He glanced back at Hitomi with an unsure smile.

"Sorry, Hitomi…! We'll catch up later?"

Hitomi nodded in understanding, gesturing for him to follow the others. "Definitely! Don't worry about me, go mingle!"

Before Tsuyoshi could reply he was pulled away, stumbling after Kaminari to be introduced to those in Class A and B he hadn't met yet.

Hitomi let out a small chuckle as she watched him try to keep up with all the new people he was being introduced to, shaking hands and making small bows left and right.

"You should've stood your ground."

Hitomi jumped, letting out a yelp as she glanced to her right. Bakugou was standing right by her, sipping a cup of hot cider and watching the exchange between Hitomi's childhood classmate and the others.

Hitomi placed her hand on her chest, leaning over and trying to catch her breath. "Jesus Christ, Bakugou…! You could have given me a heart attack!"

Bakugou shrugged, ignoring her gripe. "You're the one who invited him since you wanted to catch up, right? What's the point in having him come all the way here if you don't even get the chance to talk to him?"

Hitomi looked away, blushing slightly. "It doesn't hurt to let him meet everyone."

Bakugou gave another shrug, walking past her towards the kitchen tables covered with food. "Sure it doesn't. Just make sure that's not all he ends up doing here if you actually wanna 'catch up.'"

Hitomi huffed, biting her lip as her gaze returned to her old classmate.

Bakugou was right in that she invited Tsuyoshi so they could catch up on how each other was doing. After seeing each other again by coincidence after 7 years, and exchanging numbers so they could keep in touch since they went to different boarding schools, winter break was a perfect chance to meet up again. It was the perfect chance to meet up with all her friends from outside UA, which is why she had invited Nari and Yoshiho as well. And while Hitomi wasn't really close to Yoshiho's friend Keii, the girl was pleasant company nonetheless.

With Tsuyoshi however, it was a bit harder to see him in person compared to Nari and Yoshiho. Nari lived only one train stop away from UA, and Yoshiho had the convenience of Keii's Portal Gun quirk, which allowed her to travel instantaneously. And while Tsuyoshi's high school Tatsuo was also in Musutafu, it was a longer travel than Nari's, and Tsuyoshi just wasn't as available as her childhood friend.

Ever since their reunion back in the fall of their first year, Tsuyoshi had been trying a lot harder in school, which resulted in studying for longer than he was used to. They hadn't found many chances to meet or talk as much once their second year had started, since by then he had made it his personal goal to act more responsibly in school.

So when Class 2-A and 2-B had decided to host a Christmas party, Hitomi saw it as the perfect chance to see all her friends, Tsuyoshi included.

Still… it doesn't hurt to let him get to know the others. I'll get to spend time with him later!

…Hopefully.

…

Hitomi admired that Tsuyoshi was so outgoing and able to get along with other people so well.

But… jeez, maybe there was such a thing as being too approachable!

Tsuyoshi had been surrounded by Hitomi's peers for the last hour and a half, conversing and laughing as if they'd known each other for forever. Honestly, it was impressive that he got along with everyone so easily.

Hitomi leaned back against the sofa armrest with a sigh, barely even flinching when there was a tug against her hair.

"Don't move so much!" Nari scolded, combing her fingers through Hitomi's blue hair. "You'll make the braid end up uneven."

"Sorry," Hitomi said sheepishly, trying to keep still. She tapped her fingers against her knee absentmindedly as Nari worked, continuing to watch as Tsuyoshi was roped in to another conversation.

Watching him reminded her a lot of grade school, where she'd watch him from afar as he was surrounded by others. People always seemed to gravitate towards him (which was kind of fitting, since he had a magnet quirk and all). Whenever she saw how easily he was able to get along with a crowd, she couldn't help but feel a little envious. She wished she could light up the room like he did, but she had always leaned a bit too much on the socially awkward side of the scale.

Hitomi noticed that she always seemed to be drawn to people with traits she desired. She'd been crushing on Bakugou for the past year now, constantly admiring his fiery spirit and drive to improve.

She had noticed it was the same with Tsuyoshi, too. There were still the lingering feelings of her elementary school crush whenever she talked to him, and even looking back on when they were younger she'd always looked up to his confidence and ability to make people happy.

"Done!"

Hitomi blinked, snapping out of her thoughts as Nari held her phone out in front of her. She saw herself in the camera, two large braids going down the sides of her head to form a low ponytail at the back.

"Oh… it's really cute!"

"Thanks! And thanks for letting me try it out on you, too. Are you gonna wear it like that for the rest of the party?"

Hitomi handed Nari's phone back, running her fingers along one of the braids. "Yeah, I guess so. Don't wanna let your hard work go to waste," she laughed.

Nari laughed with her, giving her a small hug before the blonde left the couch, saying she needed to go to the bathroom. Hitomi stayed in the common area for a little longer after that, talking with Yoshiho and some of their other friends.

The next time Hitomi glanced at the clock on her phone, it had been a whole other hour since the last time she checked.

Meaning it had been two and a half hours since Tsuyoshi had arrived. And she still hadn't gotten to talk with him.

Hitomi excused herself from her friends, making her way to the dorm's entrance. When she reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder, staring at Tsuyoshi who was in the kitchen with Sato and Yaoyorozu. She bit her lip, lingering there for another moment before she stepped outside with a sigh, the door closing softly behind her.

She leaned back against it, her eyebrows furrowing. As she breathed out into the winter air, her eyes caught sight of a motorcycle parked by the building's stairs.

It's Tsuyoshi's motorcycle.

She walked over to it, running her hand along the metal. It was a Suzuki GW250 model, sleek and navy blue in color. Hitomi had only gotten a close look at his motorcycle maybe one or two times before. She remembered the first time she discovered he could drive one, she nearly fainted on the spot. Reuniting with a childhood crush was one thing, but paired with the fact she found him especially handsome after all these years and that he could drive a motorcycle?

That had almost killed her.

Hitomi fiddled with one of the mirrors, turning it up so she could see herself in the reflection. At the sight of her face, she sighed, her hand falling to her side.

She had invited Tsuyoshi to come all the way here so she could spend time with him. It had been a long time since they'd seen each other or heck, even talked through texts or messages. Even if they weren't as close when compared to her other friendships, Hitomi had missed him. She missed the way he made her laugh.

Even so, there was nothing wrong with him meeting and making friends with her classmates and Class B. There really, really wasn't!

"So why do I feel so dejected…?" she mumbled.

An answer had weaseled its way into her mind almost immediately after.

Because he'd told her he still liked her after she'd accidentally blabbed about her childhood crush on him when they'd first reunited.

Hitomi sucked in a breath at the obnoxious thought, slapping her cheeks with a yelp.

Stupid intrusive thoughts!

She began pacing back and forth right next to Tsuyoshi's motorcycle as she mumbled to herself, trying to deny the idea. "That's just ridiculous to feel dejected about!" she whispered, running her fingers through her hair.

Seriously, what did it matter?! He'd told her he still liked after so many years, and yet it had changed virtually nothing even after all this time. If anything, she often tried not to think about it whenever she saw him.

Especially when she was still massively crushing on Bakugou! She couldn't be juggling her own feelings for the angry Pomeranian while knowing the guy she liked in grade school had apparently liked her back and that made her confused on how she felt about Tsuyoshi.

She didn't know if she still liked him the same way she did when she was younger. Being attracted to someone was one thing, but having actual feelings for them was something else entirely. And she didn't want to lead Tsuyoshi on if she couldn't even figure out how she felt about him. Not just because he was genuinely a sweet guy, but because he was also her friend.

And Hitomi never, ever wanted to be the reason a friend was hurt.

"I'm being silly," Hitomi sighed, cradling her head. "Tsuyoshi is allowed to spend time with the others instead of me…! After all, this is a gathering… Of course the others would wanna meet him. I'll get my chance to spend time with him later."

But will the time be enough before he eventually has to go home?

Hitomi leaned against the seat cushion of Tsuyoshi's motorcycle with a groan, staring down at her shoes.

She was jealous.

Hitomi had to laugh, letting out tired giggles as she shook her head. She just wanted to spend some time with him, but he was busy with the others so that made her feel left out as a result.

It was an easy scenario to recognize, especially when she considered that Nari had confessed about feeling similarly a few months back. About how Hitomi had gotten so swept up in hanging out with her UA classmates that the time she spent with Nari was less and less.

Hitomi's thoughts were interrupted when the front door swung open, bathing her in yellow light. She looked up to see Tsuyoshi closing the door behind him, jogging down the steps.

His eyes widened when he saw her, slowing down to a walk as he approached. "Oh… hey."

Hitomi finally returned the wave he'd given her when he first arrived, wearing a small smile. "Hey."

Tsuyoshi stared at his motorcycle, making Hitomi jump off his seat hurriedly. "Sorry!" she exclaimed. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly, trying to laugh it off. "I was, uh… just checking it out."

"It's fine." Tsuyoshi laughed with her, walking over to the compartment in the back.

Hitomi felt her heart fall as he opened it, her mouth settling into a frown. "Are you leaving already…?"

The boy blinked, staring at her in surprise before shaking his head rapidly. "Oh, no, definitely not…! I've still got a good hour or two before I have to go back to Tatsuo…"

Hitomi breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's good. So… what are you doing out here, then?"

Tsuyoshi held up his phone, the screen casting a soft glow on his face. "I forgot my phone in here," he chuckled, swiping his finger across the screen. His eyes scanned his phone for any missed calls or new messages, putting it away when he found nothing of immediate importance. He tapped his finger against the compartment box, staring at her.

"…So what were you doing out here?"

Hitomi stiffened, feeling her face heat up. She fiddled with her hands, looking every which way as she tried to come up with a fib. "Um… nothing really! I just wanted to get some fresh air, that's all. You know, with everyone inside it was getting pretty stuffy and everything…!"

Tsuyoshi leaned against the box, raising a brow as he smirked. "You sure it's not because you secretly wanted to hijack my motorcycle and take it out for a joyride?" he laughed.

"No…!" Hitomi exclaimed, her blush deepening. "I don't even know how to ride…"

Tsuyoshi tilted his head. "It's not as hard as people think. If you already know how to ride a bike, then that makes the learning process a lot easier."

Hitomi's embarrassment slowly shifted to curiosity, staring at him in disbelief. "There's no way it's that easy."

"I'm being serious!" he protested, feigning offense at her words. "C'mon, how do you think I was able to learn in less than four months? Y'know what, come here."

He grabbed her hand, Hitomi's cheeks turning from pink to full blown red as he guided her to the seat. Tsuyoshi had her swing her leg over, placing both her feet on the footrests while her hands gripped the handlebars.

"Tsuyoshi…" Hitomi mumbled, blushing at the close proximity. He was leaning right up against her, with his hand on her shoulder.

"Well?" he asked, scanning her face. "How does it feel?"

"Like I'm trying too hard to be cool," Hitomi said flatly.

Tsuyoshi flinched, clutching his chest. "Ouch! Is that how you see me?"

"No! Noooo," she shot back almost immediately, realizing how her response had sounded. "I- I just meant that I felt out of place on it…!" She was cringing, wanting to slap herself in the face. Stupid mouth working before her brain!

"I feel weird sitting on this," Hitomi spluttered, glancing back and forth between the vehicle and her friend. "You- You actually look cool on this, I swear! A motorcycle really fits you!"

Tsuyoshi squinted at her. "I can't tell if you're being serious."

Hitomi wanted to dig herself a hole and never crawl out. "I am! I promise you I am!"

"…You sure?"

"I'm sure! Seriously, Tsuyoshi, you really do genuinely look cool riding on this! Like- it's a natural fit! Definitely not like you're trying too hard, I swear-"

He burst out laughing, his hand hovering over his mouth. "Hitomi, I'm teasing…! Relax."

Hitomi's mouth snapped shut, blushing profusely now as she kept her eyes trained on the handlebars. Her lips had pursed into a pout, her embarrassment back twice as strong.

Tsuyoshi snickered, nudging her gently with his shoulder. "Hey. Wanna learn how it works?"

Hitomi huffed in response, unable to stay mad. She just couldn't with him. "…Sure."

…

"So you trying out a new hairstyle or something?"

After showing Hitomi the mechanisms and workings of his motorcycle (in which Hitomi was flustered the whole time because of the close contact and proximity; Tsuyoshi had had his arm wrapped around her and everything…!), the two were seated on Heights Alliance's front steps, surrounded by the atmosphere of nighttime.

"No," Hitomi laughed in response to his question, running her hand along the braids in her hair. "Nari just saw it online earlier and she wanted to try out."

"Ah," Tsuyoshi nodded. "I think it looks good on you. It's cute!"

Hitomi found herself blushing again, pulling her knees to her chest. "…Thanks."

They could hear crickets chirping nearby as a bout of silence settled between them. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't exactly comfortable either.

If anything, it felt a bit tense.

Eventually, Tsuyoshi sighed, brushing his fingers through his messy hair. "Hey… Hitomi?"

"Hm?"

"I'm, uh… I'm sorry."

The girl blinked, looking up from the stairs. "Eh? Why? You didn't do anything wrong, so you don't need to be apologizing…"

"But I feel like I should." Tsuyoshi scratched his cheek, his voice somewhat timid. "It kinda felt like I was ignoring you…"

At that Hitomi's eyes widened. "No no, it didn't feel that way to me!" She paused, biting her lip and cringing at her immediate response to deny what she was feeling. …Again.

She'd been getting better at letting go of that habit, but every so often it would pop up again at the wrong time.

"Hitomi, be honest. Were you really out here just to look at my motorcycle?"

The bluenette took a deep breath, holding her hands up in defeat. "…Okay, okay, you got me," she sighed. "I did feel a bit… dejected. But… it was a given that you would get to know everyone else here and all that. Really, there's no need to be apologizing!"

"I still feel bad." He glanced at her sheepishly, wearing a wobbly smile. "I mean, in the end, I came here to see you. 'Cause I missed you, y'know. The last time we talked was back in the summer."

Hitomi was now acutely aware of her heartbeat. "…I missed you too," she said slowly, turning away. It felt like there were butterflies in her stomach. She gulped, trying to keep her voice even. "S-Speaking of which-!"

Relax, Hitomi!

"How's your sister…?" she asked, trying to move the topic along. "And your parents? Have you been able to visit them yet during break…?"

Tsuyoshi's eyes lit up at the mention of his family, leaning forward. "Yeah, actually! I went earlier this week. We visited this winter festival down in Takodana. It was pretty packed, but luckily we still got to check out most of it."

Hitomi nodded along, feeling her nerves were calming down. "Sounds like it was fun," she laughed.

"Definitely. And it was just nice to see them again, you know…? Especially after this past year, with… everything that I told them. And not having to worry about it in my head."

Hitomi placed her hand on top of his in a gesture of comfort, smiling reassuringly at him. She knew exactly what he was talking about, especially since she had tried to give him advice about it.

Tsuyoshi had been experiencing a rough patch with his parents before he and Hitomi had even reunited last year, causing trouble at Tatsuo with outlandish pranks and tricks in attempts to get himself expelled. He had been doing it because his parents had been placing high expectations on him due to what they expected from his older sister, and as a result, he had been feeling a lot of pressure to be just like her and it had made him feel awful.

Hitomi had told him to talk to them about how he felt, especially given her own experience with pent-up feelings, and when he had finally taken her advice, Tsuyoshi's relationship with his family had been doing a lot better and gotten a lot more honest.

"I'm happy for you, Tsuyoshi," Hitomi said softly. "Really."

Tsuyoshi smiled back at her, before looking down at their hands. "Your hand's really warm," he laughed.

Hitomi snorted, covering her mouth with her other hand. "Well yeah, that's my quirk. I'm literally a human heating unit. It keeps me warm in winter."

They both laughed, the tense and serious atmosphere fading away. It wasn't until Hitomi felt several vibrations in her pocket that their giggles began to subside, the bluenette reaching for her phone to see several texts from Nari.

Nari: hey where r u?
Nari: wait nvm I found you
Nari: OMG WAIT-
Nari: HITOMI
Nari: HOLY SHIT ADHSGKSLAJF
Nari: GIRL
Nari: LOOK UP

Hitomi's head snapped up in concern, worried that Nari spotted something serious. She caught sight of round, thin green leaves wrapped together in a red bow, her heart dropping as she realized what she and Tsuyoshi were sitting directly under.

Mistletoe.

"Oh shit."

Tsuyoshi blinked, raising a brow. "Something wrong?"

Her gaze snapped back to him immediately. "It's nothing!"

"You sure?"

Shit shit shit. Please do not look up. Please do not-

Against her wishes, Tsuyoshi leaned his head back, curiosity in his eyes. "You seemed kind of…" His eyes widened and Hitomi blushed, pulling her hands into her lap stiffly as he realized what was above their heads. "…oh."

She was gonna kill whoever had the bright idea of hanging that stupid plant over the stairs to the entrance.

They were both quiet as Tsuyoshi pulled his gaze away from the mistletoe, the two of them staring blankly at the brick pathway. Hitomi could still hear the cricket chirps coming from the bushes.

She was a jittery mess all over again, her heart beating so fast and loud she could practically hear it. Tsuyoshi wasn't doing much better, awkwardly fiddling with a stray piece of string sticking out of his jacket.

After several seconds, he spoke quietly.

"You know… we don't have to do it." Gone was his normally outgoing and confident demeanor.

Hitomi bit her lip, hugging her arms. "Well, it's tradition…"

"Do you want to?" he asked. Hitomi could feel Tsuyoshi's eyes on her, her blush deepening.

"I mean…" She glanced at him briefly, only to look away when she saw his bashful expression. She'd always thought he was cute, but damn it, he had pink cheeks and this timid look in his eyes and she just thought his face was adorable! She could barely think looking at him right now. "Kind of. Well- I don't know… I just- um-"

As she tried to stutter and stumble her words out, Tsuyoshi let out an affectionate huff, scooting closer to her. "Hey." He nudged her shoulder, halting her mumbles.

Hitomi looked up at him, feeling like her heart was about to stop as he grabbed her shoulder and leaned in. She held her breath, her face on fire and closing her eyes in anticipation until she felt his lips against her cheek.

It was brief, and Hitomi barely had time to understand what was happening before Tsuyoshi pulled away, shrugging nonchalantly with a small smile.

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to. And a cheek kiss still counts as a kiss, right? That way we won't get bad luck."

Hitomi blinked at him several times, still processing the action. She traced her fingers across the spot his lips had touched, feeling how warm her cheeks had gotten.

She wasn't satisfied with that.

Hitomi leaned forward. "Do you want to?"

Tsuyoshi blinked, thrown off by her response. "Eh…? "

Hitomi could feel her blush getting worse, but she'd already asked, so she didn't want to take it back now. "I'm asking you. Do you… want to kiss me?"

It was Tsuyoshi's turn to become a flustered mess. His cheeks turned from pink to red as he leaned back, trying to put some distance between their faces. "…What? I already… Why are you suddenly…" He trailed off at the sight of Hitomi's determined expression.

She wasn't going to back down until she got an answer, whether it was the one she wanted or not.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuyoshi nodded slowly, his eyes locked with hers.

Hitomi was so flustered she was worried her quirk would make heat waves. She leaned back to give him space, breathing out a quiet sigh of relief. A few seconds were needed to ready herself.

"Then…"

She gripped the collar of his jacket, trying to psyche herself up. She could feel Tsuyoshi's stare, waiting for her, trying to ready himself too.

The crickets were still chirping as Hitomi pulled him towards her and kissed him.

It was brief, just like Tsuyoshi's kiss on her cheek, tasting vaguely of chocolate and peppermint. As she pulled away, her heart just about ready to burst, Hitomi couldn't stop staring at him.

She liked him.

Not in the same way as before, where they were kids and things were simpler.

But she liked him, liked the person he was now, the one who was just like him all those years ago and yet different. She liked Tsuyoshi Shiba, the boy who'd grown up to be a sweet guy who could light up the room with one joke, the one who had struggled with his relationship with his family but was now working on making it better, the one who never failed to make her laugh.

She liked Tsuyoshi. Meaning she liked him and Bakugou both.

Hitomi would have started worrying about that thought immediately, had Tsuyoshi not said something to interrupt it.

"You think those crickets are shocked we actually did it? I can't hear them anymore." He had this nervous smile on his face, staring her intently.

Hitomi snorted, biting her lip to try and hold back her smile. She knew if she didn't, she would probably be grinning like a complete dork right now. They both finally turned away from each other, both still blushing and dazed from the kiss.

She liked Tsuyoshi too.

That might make things complicated. Liking two people at the same time. But at the very least, she wasn't confused about her feelings for Tsuyoshi anymore. What mattered now was what she did with them, and the thing Hitomi cared about most was being a good friend to them both, romantic feelings be damned.

She didn't know if that simple kiss would lead to anything between her and Tsuyoshi. If anything, she doubted it, since they barely had enough time to talk these days.

But… the kiss had been nice, though.

Hitomi pressed her finger against her lips, side-eyeing the brunette. He was concentrating on his shoes, clearly trying to maintain his composure.

They were both silent for a few moments longer, Hitomi finally hearing the crickets begin to chirp again.

"Hey… Tsuyoshi?"

"Hm?" He glanced at her, wearing a wobbly smile.

"Did you have peppermint hot chocolate or something earlier?"

The brunette blinked, a little surprised by the random question. "…Yeah, Sato gave me some earlier. Why do you ask?"

Hitomi gestured to her lips, making the implication clear. Tsuyoshi's eyes widened and he turned away, leaning forward and holding his hands together at the back of his head. His shoulders then started to tremble, Hitomi staring at him in concern before snickers could be heard.

"Duh," Tsuyoshi laughed, letting out a huff as he sat up straight. He shot her another smile, more relaxed this time. "Sorry, I'm still just a bit… y'know."

Hitomi couldn't help but smile back, elbowing him lightly. "Merry Christmas, Tsuyoshi."

"Merry Christmas, Hitomi."

- end -

A/N: AHHAHAAAAAAAAA dies

Yeah no I think this one-shot has some major pacing issues since I stayed up till 5 a.m. TWO nights in a row (and it's 2 a.m. as I'm writing this note in advance) trying to rush this out in time for Christmas, and yet it's still a whole two days late :,) Since I was trying so hard to get this out while it was still the Christmas-y season the pacing kind of suffered, some scenes could have had better transitions and others could have just been written better TvT

BUT I hoped you guys liked this! TvT I know this was probably out of the blue for a lot of you, especially since I have not properly introduced Tsuyoshi and a lot of old content of him is no longer public.

Even so, I still hope you guys enjoyed this ship and this fic! This may or may not be a bit surprising to you guys but I happen to love them together! Tsuyoshi's special one-shot delves a lot more into his and Hitomi's relationship during their childhood, their reunion, and him as a character, and he even gets a few mentions in future chapters for the main fic (no appearances tho), so I've kind of developed a soft spot for them.

But I wanna mention again, this is NOT CANON. So the kiss and Hitomi having serious feelings for Bakugou and Tsuyoshi at the same time will not be in the main story ^^;

Still though, at the very least, I hope this story makes you look forward to Tsuyoshi's proper introduction one-shot! I don't know when I'll post it since I still have to post Yoshiho's origin first, as well as reach his one-shot's place in the main story's timeline, but the stuff in Tsuyoshi's special chapter will help this one make more sense. And it better explores Tsuyoshi and Hitomi's dynamic, so if you happened to like them in here, there'll be plenty of tsuyotomi interactions in his special one-shot u.u

P.S. the school that Tsuyoshi mentions/attends belongs to an artist over on Instagram, kanpacca_ ^-^

Anyways, this author's note has gotten long enough, so I just wanted to say that I hope everyone had a merry Christmas/is enjoying the holidays. Let's hope 2022 will be a better year, and I'll see ya around ❤️❤️❤️