The week after the ski vacation, Izuku's return to U.A. High School was seamless as if the ski vacation was a relic of the past. Classes continued like normal, training to be a hero continued like normal, and life in the dorm continued like normal.
It was all a little too normal.
At some point, Izuku wondered if the vacation had ever occurred or if it had been a figment of his imagination. But it was proven false.
Throughout the week, he saw her in the hallways of U.A. High School. Whenever they locked eyes, Nejire waved at him with the same warm smile he was used to. And it only confirmed their special moments together, making his heart flutter with nostalgia for what was before he was whisked away to his next task.
When night invaded their side of the world on a Thursday evening and Izuku had a chance to breathe, he lay on his bed. He stared at the ceiling, the thought of the ski trip invading his head without permission. What should have been a moment of his happiest days prompted his spirits to sink into a sorrowful trajectory.
There were occasions he experienced in his life so special it was difficult to replicate. Like receiving the One For All quirk from All Might or when he was accepted into U.A. High School. However, the ski trip was in its own lockbox, stored to reopen whenever the time was convenient. Or not, since he was thinking of it constantly without realizing it.
Why wouldn't it? After all, he had spent it with the most important person in his life at the perfect location.
And he wanted to re-experience it all over again.
Izuku sighed and turned in his bed, embracing his pillow. He could taste the magic of the kisses, her warm embraces, their lovely dance together, her unexpected belly rub, and his confession to her.
It was still vivid.
Other people had to have experienced the same feelings, right? It wasn't like he was the only one indecisive on how to move forward from the highs he gathered, lifting him to heaven. But with every high, a low had to come. But why was it somewhat painful?
Izuku rubbed his hands on his face and let out a groan. For a second, he remembered the morning they packed their belongings and left the ski resort. The fear she wouldn't love him anymore because of the lack of magical moments encroached on his heart.
He was such an emotional creature, jumping from one fear to another.
Izuku stayed in the same position for a few seconds, processing the emotions he felt one by one. He would be lying if he said he didn't want to taste freedom. To pull his anchor and drift into the ocean with a semblance of peace in his heart.
With a sigh, Izuku buried his head in his pillow as he sunk deeper into his pit of desperation. Desperation for a time when nothing could go wrong. A moment in time where everything was a brief taste of heaven.
What was he supposed to do when nothing magical transpired every day of his life? Would things resort to normality between the two of them and was that okay? Was it okay that they didn't do something special every day of their lives? Did it have to be so magical to where every day was a high for him?
It wasn't possible, but sometimes he wished it was.
Sometimes, Izuku wished nothing would change, and yet everything would change. It was a conflict fighting for dominance in his mind. If nothing changed, then life would be monotonous; the same things playing repeatedly. However, if everything changed, the security of his preferences would be replaced by constant novelty.
And he didn't know which one he liked better. He supposed a bit of both, but life never gave him the option to pick.
Izuku looked at his phone and poked it with his finger in interest until an idea collided with him. What was stopping him from visiting her?
He stood from his bed and gazed at the door to his dorm room. He walked to the door when an epiphany hit him.
"Wait, can't I just sneak out from my balcony? It's an easy way to avoid my classmates…" Izuku muttered to himself.
And so, Izuku obliged to his mutterings. He wore the appropriate winter clothes and fixated the winter cat hat on his head, ensuring his cat ears fit comfortably. With a smile, Izuku opened the balcony door and jumped. Izuku softly landed on the ground, the thud diminished by the cushion the dirt provided.
Izuku put his hands in his jacket pockets and sprinted to the Class 3-A dorm. Once he neared the vicinity, he slowed his pace until he halted in place. Izuku sent a text to Nejire to alert her to his nearby presence.
Izuku glanced around himself before he relied on the nearby shrubbery to hide from any of her wandering classmates, who appeared through the windows occasionally. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long as he heard the door open. He perked up and peeked around the bushes to observe Nejire surveying her environment, undoubtedly searching for him.
For a second, Izuku opted to stare at her. It still felt surreal to be dating someone like her.
For a couple of seconds, she looked around, then back at her phone, confused by the lack of his presence. Izuku stepped out, so when Nejire looked up, he was in front of her. Izuku lifted his hand to greet her with a nervous smile.
Nejire beamed when their eyes met. Her excitement was visible from the way she used her quirk to float through the air and... Wait, was she going to crash into him?
"Gah!" Izuku yelped.
He fell on his back as Nejire wrapped her arms around him. With quick thinking, Nejire slowed their impact by using her quirk to prevent any damage. But there wasn't a hint of regret in her eyes as she lay on top of him.
"Izuku! I missed you so much! It's been a while since we saw each other!" Nejire exclaimed.
Izuku was about to respond but opted to return her embrace as a way of speaking. With action.
It wasn't like everything needed to be relayed with words. When she released her arms from him, he imitated her, but what he didn't expect was for their eyes to lock. Together, amid the silent, frigid air, they stared into each other's eyes until Nejire broke it with a smile.
In a sense, it was almost like nothing had changed between the two of them since their vacation.
"Did you wanna come up to my dorm room?" Nejire asked.
Izuku nodded his head. "Yes, please. It's freezing outside."
Nejire giggled and stood on her feet. She extended her hand to him, which he accepted. With a smirk, Nejire scooped him in her arms. It caused a surge of nervousness in his heart.
"Since I don't want to force attention on you, we're going to sneak into my dorm room through my balcony. This way we can keep our relationship between us," Nejire said, lifting them into the air.
"Right... I forgot we didn't want the entire school to know we're officially dating."
"Well, if you don't mind it, we can share the news with people."
"Ah, n-no thank you! I'd prefer to keep our life private without everyone prying into it!"
"Well, hopefully, we can maintain the secret for the rest of the year until I graduate."
"I don't know if that's possible. I mean, some of my classmates already think we're dating…"
"Oooh, introduce me to them sometime!"
"N-No thank you for that too."
Nejire laughed and set him on the balcony. She walked to the door and opened it for Izuku to enter. Izuku entered her room for the first time. He glanced around, taking time to absorb the intricacy of the interior. While the design choices of a girl's room fascinated him, Nejire nudged him forward by playfully slapping him on the back multiple times with her hands.
As she took the lead to her bed, he noticed a large TV mounted on the wall across from their position. After she removed her jacket, Nejire hopped into bed. With a sheepish grin, she looked at herself and then at Izuku. "Yeah, I know... Pajamas underneath the jacket. But I was comfy before you texted me and I didn't see the harm in wearing my jacket over them." She said, cuddling with the blankets.
"No, I think that's smart... Maybe I should have sprinted here with my pajamas so I could be comfortable." Izuku said, studying his clothes.
It wasn't nearly as comfortable as hers, but the hoodie and sweatpants he wore were equivalent to something snug.
"Well, you have me. I can make you comfortable~." Nejire said, raising her arms to offer him another embrace. "Unless you got fed up with how much we hugged during our ski vacation?"
"Wha-? No, of course not!" Izuku exclaimed.
A drop of sweat rolled down the back of Izuku's head when he realized he had to relent and commit to her invitation for a hug. Before he conceded, he took his jacket off and draped it over a chair.
Izuku climbed onto the bed, attempting to situate himself comfortably on her bed. But before he could relax, Nejire reached and tugged on the collar of his hoodie to pull him in.
"Ah! Wait!" Izuku squeaked, unprepared for her sudden movement.
Before Izuku knew it, he found himself pressed against Nejire's body. He didn't struggle as much as he thought he would. Instead, it felt nice. He didn't realize how much he missed her warmth.
After a second, Izuku felt a giggle bubble from the way she shook. He looked at her and watched as she smiled at him. Nejire patted him on the head and played with his cat ears by pressing on them. Izuku closed his eyes as his cat ears flickered against her contact. When she released him, it elicited a frown from him, though he knew they couldn't stay in an embrace for the rest of their lives.
"Hey, hey. What movie did you want to watch? Or did you have a TV show in mind?" Nejire asked.
She reached to grab her remote from the nightstand and leaned on the headboard of her bed, using one of her pillows as a cushion. Izuku watched the TV flicker to life by emitting an artificial glow. Izuku shuffled and imitated her by using her other pillow.
"I'm not sure... Do you have anything in mind?" Izuku said.
Nejire grinned and used her remote to flip through several subscription services to find her desired watch. "Don't you worry, I have just the movie for you! Not really, but you get the idea!"
Nejire clicked on a trending sci-fi movie. As the opening credits rolled past, Izuku noticed Nejire leaning toward him with her head. Willing to accommodate her proximity, Izuku unfurled his arm and placed his hand on her shoulder to pull her closer to him. It was safe to say his heart was suffering from irregular heartbeats.
Nejire glanced at him and then at his hand. With a smile, she yielded to his touch and leaned on his shoulder.
Throughout the film, they stayed silent despite the many times they conversed during the other movies they viewed in the past. Izuku glanced at Nejire, praying she wasn't upset with something he had done. Why wasn't she talking as much?
When Nejire broke the silence, the tension was cut.
"Hey, Izuku..."
Izuku perked up when he heard Nejire's voice pierce through his head. It sounded dreamy. He was distant from the fabric of reality because of his thoughts. Once again.
Izuku reeled himself to reality and looked at her.
"Hmm?"
"Do you wish we were still back there?" Nejire asked, her eyes still on the screen in introspection.
"Well, I..." Izuku stopped himself. For a moment, he was in their rented condo, but when he blinked, it dissipated. Izuku snapped from his stupor and nodded his head. "Yeah, I do... Why?"
Nejire snuggled closer to him. "It's probably wrong to live in the past, but I'm glad it makes the two of us. I know I said it wasn't the end when we were packing our stuff to leave, and we'll be together in the future, but there was something purely magical about the ski resort. Maybe because you were there, hehe~. Yet I wish I could turn back time to be there once more."
"I think I'm inclined to agree..." Izuku said.
"Yeah, I miss waking up every day to see your face. It's difficult to do it when we're here because of the fear of being caught… Maybe when I find my own place, we can cuddle more."
"I'd like that," Izuku said, nodding his head.
Silence entered their conversation, leaving the atmosphere unsatisfactory for Izuku. So he opened his mouth.
"Hey, Nejire? I, um, have a question." Izuku said.
"Shoot away."
"Do you... Do you think our love at the vacation was a spur of the moment? That our love for each other was only because we experienced magical moments there?"
"That was two questions, but..." Nejire cut herself off and giggled at her little joke before she looked at him. "Hmm... I don't think so. Let me turn this around and ask you a question. Is that okay?"
Izuku nodded.
"Do you feel any less love for me?"
Izuku averted her gaze as his eyes flickered around. In the background, the movie continued playing. "No?"
"Then what are you worrying about?" Nejire asked, tapping him on the nose to attract his gaze to her. "I don't feel any less love for you, either. In fact, I want to be closer to you after this entire vacation. Don't overthink it, Izuku. I'm not gonna leave you unless you cheat on me... Which I hope you don't do."
"N-No, of course not!"
"Then we both have nothing to worry about." Nejire flashed him a warm smile and cuddled again before she said something else.
However, because she pressed her face against his chest, her words were muffled.
"Nejire?"
Nejire lifted her face from his chest. "I said I love you, Izuku."
"Oh, I see..."
Nejire playfully slapped him on the chest multiple times. "Hey, hey! Say it back! Say it back!"
"Ah! Okay, okay! I love you! I love you too, Nejire!" Izuku exclaimed.
Nejire stopped slapping him when she heard those words. Together, the two of them stared into each other's eyes until a smirk crossed Nejire's lips. Nejire giggled and rested her head on his chest once again.
"Izuku, I'll love you no matter what. I think you know this, even if your brain struggles to understand it. I've loved you ever since we first met. Even if your cat ears disappear or you don't trust me enough. Even if you think this is all a dream or you don't think you're worthy enough. Through all your doubts or fears, I'll be there to be the anchor in your life because I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Izuku opened his mouth but closed it. He was a fool for overthinking everything and succumbing to his doubts. He knew it, but it was difficult to stop it.
However, it didn't mean he was going to do nothing about it. He was going to strive to change for the better.
Izuku tenderly wrapped his arms around Nejire, still afraid he would hurt her if he held her too tightly. He snuggled closer to her, reciprocating her affection. Together, they cherished each other's warmth until the movie ended. When Izuku looked at her, he found her fast asleep in his arms. With a content sigh, Izuku shifted, settling into the most comfortable position he could manage while holding her. Once he was satisfied with his placement, Izuku closed his eyes.
He dreamed of something sweet that night. Something sweet that would last forever.
Author's Note: Yes, they slept with the lights and TV on, haha! It wasn't a mistake because I never make mistakes!
Jk, so don't hold me to that, heh.
With that being said, this is the second to last chapter! I'm going to miss all of you when this ends, so thanks once again for sticking around everyone! The last chapter is going to be exciting, so be on the lookout when it drops next week!
With warm love from your favorite writer, Out4Lunch!