Another summer had cast its warming rays over Japan, and Deku and Todoroki were taking advantage of the season in a most interesting way: camping. More precisely, they were going to Besupin National Park, just outside of the Musutafu city limits, and they lucked out as they had gotten a nice campsite at the edge of Lake Besupin. As soon as Todoroki parked her Oldsmobile there, her and Deku got out and proceeded to set up the tent…or at least tried to:

"Gosh, this is so difficult!" said Todoroki. "How am I supposed to get Tab A into Slot B when the tent won't cooperate with me?"

Deku smiled. "Hey, if it's that much trouble for you, then why don't we just throw Tent A into Lake B?"

"But why would we waste a perfectly good tent that way?"

Deku laughed. "What? I'm only making a joke!"

Todoroki giggled. "Just come over here and help me set up the tent, lover!"

With some assistance from Deku, Todoroki managed to get the tent set up.

"So, what should we do now that we're camping?" asked Deku.

"I don't know about you, but I worked up a sweat trying to set up that tent. Why don't we go swimming?"

Deku smiled. "Considering you have such a nice body, I'll go swimming with you any time!"

Todoroki laughed and ruffled Deku's hair. "Oh, shut up!"

After changing into their swimsuits and putting on sunscreen, Deku and Todoroki jumped into the lake for some swimming. While not one to go swimming on a regular basis, Deku did indeed enjoy a good swim, and going on one with Todoroki was no exception. The water felt that much cooler and more refreshing with her accompanying him. Plus, being out here in the wilderness, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, he was less apt to think about stuff related to heroes and villains and more focused on how much fun he was having on this camping trip. Eventually, when they'd had their fill of swimming, Deku and Todoroki headed for shore and lied down on a towel, where they snuggled with each other.

"You know, I've done my fair share of camping before, but this has to be my favorite camping trip so far," said Deku.

"You and me both, Deku. I never got to go on any camping trips when I was younger, so this is a fresh new experience for me."

"Glad you're having a good time!"

"I always have a good time when I hang out with you, but this…this is on another level."

"I know, right? Nothing like…"

Deku's thought pattern was interrupted when he heard what he thought sounded like a loud buzzing sound. He looked towards the sound, only to get a nasty shock when he saw an Asian giant hornet buzzing about. He screamed bloody murder and broke free of Todoroki's grasp in a mad attempt to escape the murderous insect.

"Deku, what's wrong!?"

Unsure of why Deku had freaked out and broken away from her all of a sudden, Todoroki beat her feet as quickly as possible while calling out for her green bean repeatedly. While an impressive runner, she had a bit of trouble keeping up with him, so she used her ice surfing to give her a boost, and she caught up to him, albeit not without a struggle:

"Deku, please, tell me what's wrong!"

Deku thrashed about in tears. "Shoko, please…don't let that thing kill me!"

"What thing!?"

"That wasp, it was so huge! It's gonna kill me!"

"You…you were scared by a wasp?"

Deku's thrashing became less pronounced. "I'm scared to death of wasps, especially the Asian giant hornet!"

"Oh Deku, I…I'm so sorry!"

After thrashing around for so much, Deku buried his face in Todoroki's shoulder and cried while giving her a big hug, which she gladly returned. Knowing that he was so scared of wasps not only caused her great pain, but also caused her to rethink this whole camping trip. On the other hand, she didn't want the entire trip to be ruined just because of one bad incident, and she vowed that she would do whatever she could in order to ensure that this wouldn't happen again.

As for Deku, even if the hornet had frightened the living crap out of him, he was at least grateful that Todoroki had taken sympathy on him. She'd been really good for that ever since she revealed her true colors, and it still meant so much to him that she cared about his feelings. He could never leave her be after this. As he always did, Deku continued to hold on to Todoroki even after he stopped crying, finding her soft touch to be very comforting, though he eventually let go when he was feeling good enough.

"Shoko, I'm sorry I freaked out on you like that. I looked pretty stupid being afraid of a hornet even though I have the most powerful Quirk, huh?"

Todoroki smiled and put her hands on Deku's cheeks. "Deku, you're not stupid! Everyone has things they're afraid of, like me; I'm afraid of flying in airplanes."

Deku blinked. "Really? Then how did you manage to survive the Otheon mission?"

"It wasn't easy, but thinking about you kissing me really helped."

Deku smiled. "Well, I'm glad I could be such a positive influence!" He then frowned. "I hope I didn't ruin the trip for us, though…"

Todoroki leaned in a bit closer to Deku. "Here's the thing: I promise I'll use my Quirk to stop any wasps that get too close to you, but I want you to promise that you'll try to have as good a time as possible on this trip, OK?"

Deku nodded and smiled. "I promise!"

"Good boy!"

Todoroki kissed Deku, who couldn't help but wrap her arms around her. While the newness of this gesture had worn off by now, he still got a charge out of feeling her lips against his, as did she.

"Well, what now?" asked Deku.

"You look pretty tense. Why don't I give you a relaxing massage?"

Deku gave a thumbs up. "OK!"

"But first, why don't you dry your eyes and nose?

After returning to the towel that Todoroki laid down as well as blowing his nose and drying his eyes, Deku lied down on his stomach, while Todoroki cracked open a bottle of her favorite massage oil and proceeded to give Deku a massage. While he loved her soft yet firm touch regardless, feeling the sun beaming its warm golden rays onto his skin really enhanced the experience. Then again, a beautiful girl was touching him, so what more did he need?

"Shoko, thanks. This always feels good."

Todoroki giggled. "You're welcome! You've been so good to me, so I'm happy to do this for you whenever you need it!"

Todoroki continued to massage Deku. Knowing what he'd been through earlier, it made the experience that much better for her. There weren't really any other wasps to deal with, but she kept an eye out just in case.

"Shoko, I'm good now, so you can stop whenever you want."

Soon enough, Todoroki stopped massaging Deku.

"So, what else would you like to do?" asked Todoroki.

"I don't know about you, but I'd like to keep snuggling."

"Sure, we can do that!"

And so, Deku and Todoroki continued to snuggle. However, their little snuggle session was interrupted by a grumbling noise.

"Something wrong?" asked Deku.

"I'm getting hungry. Why don't we cook something?"

"OK."

After setting up a portable fire pit in addition to some folding chairs, Deku and Todoroki put in some wood and lit a fire.

"So, what's on the menu for today?" asked Deku.

"Well, aside from my usual soba, I've never tried cooking katsudon over a fire pit before, so I'll be making that as well."

Deku smiled. "Nice! I've never had katsudon cooked that way, so this should be interesting!"

"You can help out too if you'd like."

Deku gave a thumbs up. "Then I will!"

Once the fire was going, Todoroki opened up a cooler she'd brought and gathered the ingredients she'd need to make soba, while Deku grabbed the stuff for the katsudon. That was another thing he'd liked about her: ever since she revealed her true gender identity, she'd become a lot more cooperative with others. Already, he could tell that cooking with her was going to be just as enjoyable as – if not more so than – other activities he'd done with her. Granted, he worried about how long it was going to take to cook katsudon over a campfire as opposed to cooking over a stove as he was used to, but he decided to steel his nerves and do his best. Judging by the fact that the food wasn't on fire, he seemed to be doing a satisfactory job thus far. At one point, he looked over to see how Todoroki was doing, and without intending to, he locked eyes with her, and she smiled at him, so he just couldn't help but smile back at her. After all, he did think she had the prettiest smile of all the girls in Class 1-A. Eventually, both parties had finished cooking their respective meals.

"Wanna try some?" asked Todoroki.

Deku smiled. "Only if you'll try some of mine!"

"Gladly!"

After grabbing a couple of paper plates, Deku and Todoroki served each other some of their respective dishes before serving themselves. Then, they prepared to eat. Almost immediately, Todoroki's eyes widened when she took a bite of the katsudon.

"Deku, this stuff is FANTASTIC! It might just be the best katsudon I've ever had!"

Deku slurped a soba noodle. "Really?"

"Absolutely! I'm so glad you helped out!"

"Always a pleasure! I mean, isn't that part of a healthy relationship?"

Todoroki smiled. "That is a good point."

After finishing up their meals, Deku and Todoroki put their plates into a portable garbage can that Todoroki had brought along, while Todoroki grabbed two bottles of Ramuné from the cooler, giving one to Deku before holding hers out to him.

"What do you want to toast to this time?" asked Deku.

"To many more years of happiness and health!"

"OK!"

Deku and Todoroki toasted, and after popping the marbles out of each of their bottles, they drank up. After they'd consumed their drinks and properly disposed of the bottles, Deku grabbed a box of graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows and some Hershey bars, which Todoroki eyed curiously.

"What's all that for?"

Deku grabbed two thin metal rods, each with a grip on one end. "You've never had s'mores before?"

Todoroki put her index finger on her cheek. "What's a 's'more'?"

Deku cracked open the graham crackers, marshmallows and Hershey bars. "So basically, it's a sweet treat consisting of a marshmallow and a chocolate bar sandwiched between two graham crackers." He put a marshmallow on one of the metal rods before handing it to Todoroki along with half a Hershey bar and two graham crackers. "You hold the marshmallow over the fire using this stick until it gets mushy enough to put between the graham crackers, but be careful not to burn it."

Deku and Todoroki proceeded to roast their marshmallows over the fire. So far, things were going well except for…

"Shoko, I said don't burn it!"

"But I like them burned!"

Deku laughed, which got Todoroki laughing as well. She did, however, blow out her burning marshmallow before it got too burnt, and then she proceeded to smoosh it between the Hershey bar and graham crackers, just as Deku had instructed, whereupon she took a bite. Having never experienced the tripartite of graham crackers, Hershey bars and marshmallows, her eyes widened at the crunchy sweetness of the s'more.

"Deku, this is SO GOOD!"

"I know, right? Nothing says summer quite like s'mores! Well…except maybe Del's Lemonade…"

Having had their fair share of s'mores, Deku and Todoroki proceeded to just sit around the campfire. By now, the sun was beginning to retreat to the safety of the world below the horizon.

"So, what should we do next?" asked Todoroki.

"Hmmm…" Deku stroked his chin. "Why don't we talk about some of the things we're grateful for?"

Todoroki smiled. "A good idea! You want to know what I'm grateful for?"

"Besides being with me?"

Todoroki giggled. "Oh, you're so charming! Seriously, though, one thing I'm especially grateful for is being able to visit my mother in the hospital. Even if it was her who gave me this…" Todoroki pointed to the scar over her left eye. "…I feel much closer to her now than I ever did."

"It must be nice to be able to bond with one of your fellow women, huh?"

"Indeed. I mean, I've grown closer to Fuyumi as well, but there's nothing like having support from my mother, too."

Deku frowned. "You're lucky."

Todoroki frowned as well. "Is something wrong, Deku?"

Deku averted his gaze. "I'm sorry, I…well…my own mother hasn't exactly been the most supportive person in the world. I mean, she's gotten better recently, but…"

"It's OK. I'm here for you."

Todoroki got up from her chair and walked over to Deku, who got up as she approached and gladly accepted the hug she gave him. Naturally, he couldn't help but smile.

"Shoko, where have you been all my life?"

"What are you talking about? I went to a different middle school."

Deku giggled. "It's a joke! I'm just telling you how happy I am to have met you and how much you mean to me!"

Todoroki giggled. "Oh, Deku!"

Todoroki gave Deku another kiss.

"That's one thing I'm grateful for, too:" said Deku. "Being able to go up against you in the Sports Festival and helping you to break out of your shell."

"Speak for yourself, honey! Not a day goes by when I don't think about how happy I am that you said those words to me!"

"Oh real…wait, did you just call me 'honey'?"

"I did. Why?"

Deku put his index finger up to his chin. "I mean, I know you love me and all, but I never expected you to call me that."

"I know, but I heard Yaoyorozu call me that once, and I liked it, so I decided that my favorite boy ever was worthy of the nickname."

Deku chuckled. "Fair enough! By the way, do you mind if we watch the sunset with each other?"

Todoroki smiled. "Not at all! I was hoping you'd ask me that!"

And so, Deku and Todoroki returned to the towel, sat down and wrapped an arm around each other as they watched the sunset. As Deku watched yellows and oranges give way to red, he reflected not only on how much fun he'd had today, but also how grateful and happy he was that Todoroki brought him out here to share it with him. It was another moment in a series of happy times that he'd had with her. Similarly, Todoroki felt as though coming out here was one of the best decisions she'd made. Even if she was still feeling somewhat sorry for the hornet incident, she decided that her dear Deku was probably having a good enough time that he'd forgive her for it. Considering how tightly he'd wrapped his strong, manly arm around her, he probably did. Even after the last gasp of green gave way to dark blue and black, Deku and Todoroki continued watching the sky, hoping to get a glimpse of the moon or at least see the stars. Fortunately for them, the moon was fuller than a mug of beer, and there were stars aplenty. Best of all, being away from the light pollution of the city, they were better able to enjoy the sight. They couldn't enjoy it forever though, as evidenced by Deku's yawn.

"Tired?" asked Todoroki.

"Uh-huh." Deku nodded.

"Well, then let's brush our teeth and go to bed."

After brushing their teeth using a portable washbasin that Todoroki had brought, the two young lovers stripped naked and got into the tent, where they snuggled in the same sleeping bag.

"Shoko, I'm so glad we got to do this! This was probably one of my favorite days I've ever spent with you!"

"I'm glad we got to do it, too! Granted, I still feel kind of bad about the hornet, but other than that, I'll gladly do this with you again!"

Deku put a hand on Todoroki's cheek. "Don't feel bad! It wasn't your fault; you just didn't know."

""I know; it's just…you're my little green bean, and I care about you."

Deku laughed. "OK, where did you get the whole 'green bean' thing from?"

"I mean, isn't your hair green? Aren't beans cute?"

Deku laughed some more, "Good night, Shoko!"

Even Todoroki laughed a bit. "Good night, Deku!"

Deku and Todoroki closed their eyes and let the comforting caress of sleep take them over. Both of them dreamed that night, and though neither one could particularly remember what they dreamed about, they felt that being with each other was a dream come true in and of itself.

The next morning, Deku awoke, only to discover that not only had Todoroki awoken before him, but she was now nibbling on his neck. He gasped and blushed when he became aware of this.

"Sh-Shoko…!?"

Todoroki stopped nibbling Deku's neck and smiled. "Good morning to you too, Deku."

"Don't get me wrong, I love when you do that to me, but do you have to wake me up like that?"

"Well, how else am I gonna get you to wake up for what I wanted to show you this morning?"

"Oh? What did you want to show me?"

"Why don't we get dressed first and I'll show you?"

After Deku and Todoroki put on their clothes, she led him outside and sat down on the towel with him. Just like last night, they were watching the sun, only they were watching the sunrise instead of the sunset.

"You got me up for this?" Deku smiled. "Shoko, you're so romantic! One question, though…"

"Yes?"

"May I lie down in your lap?"

Todoroki smiled. "Go ahead!"

Deku lied down in Todoroki's lap and watched the sunrise, while Todoroki gently ruffled Deku's hair. For the two lovers, this wasn't just the start of a new day; it was also the start of some exciting new possibilities, the start of things to look forward to, and also a chance to wipe away the mistakes of yesterday and possibly do better. If this wasn't heaven, they didn't know what was. However, even heaven couldn't last forever…

"Deku, as romantic as this is, I'd like to cook breakfast before we head out."

"Awww, but I was having so much fun!"

"Me too, but I have some things to take care of at home, too."

"OK, fair enough."

After breakfast and freshening up, Deku and Todoroki took one last dip in the lake before packing up their camping gear and heading out.

"Shoko, thanks again for planning this trip! I'll remember it as long as I live!"

"So will I! Having you to come along with made it that much more worth it!"

"Speak for yourself! Before I met you, I was content to just stay at home, but hanging out with you makes me feel more alive!"

Todoroki giggled. Even if there were a few occasions when they needed space, she would always enjoy a good outing with her dear Deku.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.