Izuku lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He found himself in the same position as the morning before, staring blankly at the white canvas. Except it was in the night. He should have been sleeping to rest before the big day later today, but he wasn't.

Izuku let out a miserable, but quiet sigh. Nejire was sleeping next to him, so it was imperative he didn't wake her.

The rest of the day had gone peacefully. They ate lunch and returned to ski. Then they enjoyed the rest of the evening with a fancy dinner and watched two cheesy romance movies before they slept. A few cheap scenes helped the two of them laugh, but a couple of moments were analogous to his moments with Nejire.

It was interesting.

But when the clock struck late into the night and they settled into the master bed together, Izuku couldn't shake the racing thoughts from overwhelming him. This was paired with the thought of sleeping in the same bed as Nejire, but that was currently the least of his problems. It contrasted with the victorious moment when he asked Nejire out.

However, everything finally collapsed on him when he found a peaceful moment. He kept reliving the moment he asked her out. It was the best thing to occur in his life, but it all felt convenient.

All the countless moments in his life where the other shoe dropped and situations worsened were a staple in his life. So why was it not happening here? Why was Nejire not telling him this was a joke and she had a boyfriend he didn't know about?

The thought of Bakugo rose into his mind.

Izuku knew it had something to do with him because of the trauma he suffered in the past, but this time should have been different. Nejire wasn't Bakugo. So why didn't it feel different? It wasn't like Nejire had the same personality as Bakugo.

It was far on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Then there was the contemplation on how he should function as a boyfriend. It wasn't like there was a guide on how to be the perfect boyfriend. Or maybe he didn't search hard enough for one online. Simultaneously, it felt unauthentic to do so.

Izuku sighed again and laid an arm over his head. It was all the overthinking persuading him to write his signature on the contract of insomnia.

If he could stop the thoughts in a snap, then Izuku was sure he would fall asleep in a couple of minutes. Yet when he closed his eyes, waves of thoughts saturated his brain until he opened them and stared at the monotonous tone of the drywall for the millionth time.

Izuku stared at Nejire. His eyes traced her peaceful expression. Izuku pinched himself to ensure he was alive and witnessing her next to him.

Nejire was beautiful.

Izuku found a sense of calm invade his heart. Sure, he told himself he would take things one step at a time, but he was human and prone to stumbling over doubts and negativity.

Izuku moved with silent intentions as he sat on the edge of the bed. He slid off the bed and stood on his feet. The wooden floor zapped his feet with icy sensations, sending shivers through his legs and spine.

He put his feet into a pair of slippers and stared at Nejire. She was still fast asleep.

He tiptoed across the room and bumbled around for a minute before he reached the end of the hallway. He entered the other side of the condo and reached the end of the room to sit on the storage bench. With a peek through the curtains, Izuku studied the scenery to occupy his mind with distractions.

It was dead quiet. The world was a dark and vacant region, devoid of human presence. It was a stark distinction to the morning when he witnessed the excitement daylight brought. It was like an apocalypse had swept across the ski resort and left everything untouched and pristine except for humans.

Izuku perked up when he heard footsteps behind him. His cat ears flickered back and forth several times, alerting him to the noise like a radar. Pierced with a guilty feeling, Izuku turned and observed as Nejire sleepily walked toward him.

"Uh, sorry, Nejire... Did I wake you up?" Izuku asked.

"Hmm...?" Nejire mumbled but shook her head when the question registered in her mind. "No, you didn't. Sometimes I wake up randomly throughout the night. Tonight is one of those nights. And when I woke up, I noticed you weren't beside me, so I figured something was wrong... Is there anything wrong?"

Izuku couldn't tell if Nejire was creating a flawless excuse or not, but he didn't press any further.

"No, not at all. I was just..." Izuku stopped. How could he express himself to Nejire without offending her? "Well... I was just thinking. Thinking about how the rest of the trip is going to go."

Nejire stared at him before laughing at his answer. "You know, I can tell when you're lying. Though it's just at this moment. But it's fine if you don't want to say anything. I understand."

Izuku opened his mouth but faltered. Not even the brain cells he possessed helped him with his situation, so he opted to shut his mouth instead. Which was probably the best option he could do instead of saying something he would regret.

Still, ironic she saw through his lie easily while he couldn't.

"Hey, what do you say we get some hot chocolate and sit on the benches outside? Maybe that'll help take your mind off the things you're thinking about," Nejire asked.

She twirled a strand of her hair with a finger and eagerly waited for his answer.

"Is... Is this because you want to drink some hot chocolate?"

Nejire opened her mouth but closed it. Then she pouted by puffing her cheeks out. "Hey, hey. How did you know? Was I right when I guessed you had a quirk that could read minds?"

"N-No, it was just the way you looked at me! I promise!"

Nejire considered his statement and continued to play with her hair. "But what's your answer?"

"Um... Isn't it bad to consume sugar before we go back to bed?"

"Not if you're on vacation. Didn't you know our bodies are immune to calories and cavities when we celebrate holidays?"

"Eh? Is that true?"

Nejire giggled, grabbing Izuku's hand. "Of course not, silly! Now come on, let's indulge in something sweet before we go back to bed."

Izuku allowed her to take the lead. They went to the kitchen to grab some of the complimentary snacks the ski resort offered. Nejire turned the dim kitchen night lights on with the help of her phone's flashlight. She grabbed a half-gallon bottle of milk from the fridge and poured it into two paper cups. Then she placed them in the microwave. While she waited for the microwave to do its job, Izuku sought to find their jackets.

When the microwave beeped, Nejire popped the door open and retrieved the two cups. She poured a packet of hot chocolate mix into each cup and stirred it with a plastic spoon. Once they were ready for consumption, Nejire hummed to herself in satisfaction. Izuku met her in the kitchen with their jackets in his hands.

Nejire turned to face him with their hot chocolate in her hands. She smiled and stuck her hand out, which held his portion of hot chocolate. "Want to trade?"

Izuku nodded his head and maneuvered his hand gingerly to accept the cup. Once he did, Nejire took her jacket from his hand. Together, they walked out of the condo, down the hallway, and into the elevator. When the doors opened, Izuku stepped inside with Nejire.

Nejire situated her cup on the railing, establishing its balance before wearing her jacket. Izuku stared at her while she did so. He was aware his eyes shifted in her direction more often than not, but he couldn't help it.

After Nejire finished wearing her jacket, she turned to meet his gaze. Izuku looked elsewhere, his eyes wandering the floor of the moving elevator. When he dared to look at her, a smile was present on her features.

Nejire inched closer to him, extending her hand to grab his cup of hot chocolate. "Do you want me to hold that for you while you put your jacket on?"

"Hmm...? Ah, no. I'm..." Izuku stopped himself mid-sentence.

What was he trying to prove by denying her act of kindness?

Hesitantly, Izuku handed her his cup and wore his jacket. Doubts about the authenticity of their relationship resurfaced in his mind. It was a construct of his mind, yet he couldn't stop the nagging feeling from tugging at the strings in his chest.

It felt like Nejire was going to pull the rug from under his feet and leave him in a desolate position. Izuku had done nothing to truly earn her love. He felt like he had to do something monumental to capture a maiden's heart.

At least, from his perspective.

Izuku's train of thought broke when the elevator bell rang. The door opened, revealing the lobby. Nejire grabbed her cup of hot chocolate and took a sip. She looked behind and beckoned for him to follow her.

When they exited the building, the quiet but calm atmosphere of the night hit them. The absence of humanity, the cloudless skies, and the stars winking at them enhanced the sequence of walking around the ski resort like a surreal dream.

Upon finding a bench with a perfect view of the mountain, they took a seat and made themselves comfortable. However, it was difficult, considering the cold seeped through their clothes.

Izuku fiddled with his cup of hot chocolate, his mind steeped in thoughts. Was it the perfect moment to say something to her?

"Is the hot chocolate not to your liking?" Nejire asked.

"I didn't taste it... I was, um, ignoring it until now," Izuku said.

Izuku peered inside the cup. Vapor rose from the cup and blended with the air until it disappeared. He took a sip of the hot chocolate, tasting its contents. But something didn't feel right. Like it was too sweet, causing it to be bitter. Just like his thoughts.

"Well? How is it?" Nejire asked, taking another sip of hers.

"Well… I don't want to lie. It's not that good."

Nejire giggled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I figured you would say something like that. If I spend that much money on a nice condo, I also expect some nice amenities! At least that's the only bad thing about this expensive place."

"I offered to pay for half of the rent..."

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that, Izuku! There's no need to feel guilty. I hope you didn't take my joke in that way. How about this? When we plan for another trip together, we can run through the financials of it and split the pay evenly, so you don't feel left out?"

Izuku nodded his head. "I… I like the sound of that."

Nejire grinned and returned to sipping hot chocolate.

Silence whisked its way into their conversation.

Izuku broke it.

"Nejire... Can I say something?"

Nejire faced him, staring into his eyes. Was she trying to read his expression before he spoke? A second later, she nodded her head, anticipating his question.

"Actually, never mind."

Nejire tilted her head in confusion and leaned toward him. "Then let's do it like this. Me taking a guess at what your predicament is."

"Okay."

"Does this have something to do with you being afraid of me being your girlfriend? That other people at your school are going to bully you?"

Izuku shook his head. Nejire hummed to herself as she contemplated her next thought.

"Do you want me to tell you?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, I can't read minds like you."

Izuku smiled at her joke.

"Um… How should I say this...? I guess I can make it short. I'm just afraid… Afraid that this is all fake... I'm sorry to word it like that, but I just want to know if I'm right. If this relationship has meaning and it's all real. But don't take offense, please! I don't want to hurt your feelings. And now I'm rambling…"

Nejire giggled. "Well... I think this relationship is real. Is there something specific I should do to show you it's real?"

"Ah, n-no... But I just don't think I'm... Worthy?"

Nejire stayed quiet. Her eyes averted his gaze and wandered the surface of the Earth, searching for something. With the guilt swelling in his heart, Izuku looked elsewhere by staring into the cup of hot chocolate.

"Then would you believe you were worthy if I did this?"

"Did what-"

Izuku didn't finish his sentence before he felt Nejire's soft fingers tilt his face in her direction. Nejire leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. Shock rippled through Izuku's brain as he processed what was occurring, but the warm sensation of her lips upon his forced his mind to shut down and flow with the moment.

When he accepted her invitation to the ski vacation, he didn't have kissing on his bucket list, but here he was. It was magical. Maybe because he was doing it with someone as special as her.

Izuku didn't know how long the moment lasted, but when she pulled away, he felt himself longing for her warmth again.

Izuku stared at Nejire in a daze. All the delayed emotions he should have felt during their kiss came rushing in. His cheeks burned and adopted a shade of red. Izuku lifted his arm to hide his face from Nejire's perspective.

Nejire smiled. "Your lips taste like hot chocolate." She noted.

"I-It does? I-I guess it would." Izuku said, his cheeks burning hotter.

Nejire giggled and continued to drink the rest of her hot chocolate. After a minute, Izuku lowered his arm when he gained control of his emotions.

A very long and difficult minute.

Izuku lifted his cup to his lips but stopped himself. The sweet, but bitter flavor didn't match the sweetness of the kiss he tasted. Instead, he swirled it inside the cup, staring at the mesmerizing motions as his thoughts ran rampant. His mind replayed the kiss repeatedly.

Nejire kissed him. Straight on the lips, too.

Did people kiss each other on the lips as a joke? Izuku didn't think so. And for such a long moment? Izuku truly didn't think so. If not, then he was convinced Nejire would not drop the other shoe on him.

Hopefully, his doubts were convinced, too.

Izuku reached over and tapped Nejire on the shoulder, garnering her attention. "S-Should we head back inside? I have a big day ahead of me today."

"Oh, right! You have to hit the mountain later when the sun comes up... Yeah, let's go back inside and sleep." Nejire stood and stretched before she extended a hand to him. "Come on, Izuku."

Izuku smiled and took her hand. She lifted him to his feet and intertwined her fingers with his. She mouthed something to him, but because it wasn't audible, he didn't understand what she mouthed. With a giggle, Nejire playfully bumped into him. Together, they strolled back to their condo, where they would prepare for the morning by sleeping.

Author's Note: Oh my God! Okay, it's happening! Everybody stay calm! They kissed! I repeat! They kissed!

Anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't post the chapter last week! Was sick, but feeling better now! Anyway again, I hope you enjoyed the part where they kissed and the entirety of the chapter!

With lovey dovey love from your favorite writer, Out4Lunch!