After sending Eri off along with Mr. Aizawa and Togata who were dropping her, me and Izu walked back to the dorms.
"you've changed a lot ever since we came to U.A" Izu said serenely while we walking back. I had my hands behind my back as we walked, "not in a bad way of course! In a good way" he said immediately.
"hmm..." I'd have liked to ask how but then again I also think it's true, "isn't it the same for both of us? So much has happened" I said.
"True" Izu said nodding with a smile and a bit energetically.
"I got this one for you too" I said bringing out an All Might keychain from behind me. It wasn't anything special but it was still an All Might one from the school festival with U.A written on it.
"Whoa thanks! I must have missed it! But I didn't get anything for you" he said guiltily and then hitting his head in frustration.
"No wait it's okay! Um, do you have extra candy apples left?" I asked quickly remembering only that.
"oh uh yeah" he said.
"Then I'll have that! You've never cooked before on your own, I want to see how it turned out. Eri was really lucky, she tasted Deku's first cooking" I said.
"Of course you can taste some, it is still my first um solo cooking!" he said frantically thinking that I was envious about it.
"I was kidding" I said with a grin and then yawned, well it was time for me to sleep, "I think I'll sleep after going home, man I'm gonna sleep till 9 tomorrow after tomorrow!"
"yeah... wait, 9?!" Izu exclaimed.
"Yeah, tomorrow's my last day remember?"
He sighed, "oh right of course, it's just that you always wake up so early all the time. You deserve all that sleep, you must have worked really hard. Do you want to train together again day after? I want to try out my wind blasts again like today!" Izu asked.
"That'll work for me too" I said smiling gladly, "I can practice with my quirk that way"
When we got back, the entire class was downstairs, grapes was running behind Kaminari for some reason and everyone sat around the couches either talking or some were in the kitchen while Yao-momo made some tea for everyone.
"Oh Deku you're here! Did they leave?" Ura asked coming over.
Izu nodded with a hum as Tsu walked over too, "Oh Rin, Todoroki went up. He told us to inform you for some reason when you came back."
"Do you know why he said that?" Izu asked and Tsu nodded too.
"oh.. ok? Well, I don't know why..." I said confused, why would he do that. Did he want me to go look for him for something?
"Oh didn't you leave your bunny with him?" Ura reminded.
"Oh right! I forgot, he should have just said that. I'll go get it. I'm tired anyways, tell Yao-momo that I won't be able to get the tea and also thank her will you. I'll go to sleep right after getting my stuffed bunny" I said going away.
"Stuffed bunny?" Izu asked as I went away and their voices faded as Ura answered him and he oh'ed with a bright smile. But they would wonder why I wouldn't even come for dinner, or maybe I forgot as Ura reminded.
I went up to our floor and first decided to change into more comfortable clothing. I was really tired and I meant it when I said that I was going to sleep right after getting the bunny. I changed into some pajama shorts and a mustard asymmetric off shoulder tee that had the outline of a red wingspan.
It was one of those random merch shirts I found online, I even had All Might, and a blue best jeanist one. There was an Endeavor one too which was completely red and looked like it was engulfed in orange flames with a faint silluoette of endeavor. It all came as a set but I don't usually wear Endeavor's because of the silhouette. Maybe I might have if endeavor's outline wasn't there because the flames design was actually quite awesome.
Izu didn't have the All Might version (which was a white t shirt and the two signature blonde antennas in the centre) in boys version so he was pretty sad. But I had it, so it was fine as long as one of us could wear it.
He buys quite a lot of other girl All Might merchandise for me on my birthdays with the hidden intention of indirectly collecting them which was cute. I remember when he insisted on buying a body pillow once. I love All Might too but I refused firmly on that matter unless he wanted that. I can't handle a half naked All Might body pillow beside me on bed, it gave me the queases.
I don't get why they even make such merchandise of the heroes, it's creepy and shiver inducing. To think I might be a part of all that sometime in the future, I'd want to burn it all if I could, no, I'd never let it happen in the first place. If there were any, I'm gonna label it as black merchandise, honestly.
I went to Shoto's room and knocked on the door. He opened it, "Rin. Come in" he said going inside, "let me wash my face"
I nodded walking in, I saw the bunny plush on top of the cabinet, lying down on its tummy and the one not sitting up was much cuter in my opinion.
I took it down and held in my arms like I was holding a real rabbit with a small sweet happy smile. I really did love this bunny plush, it was so cute and the first gift Shoto gave me. It warmed me up on the inside just looking at it.
When Shoto came out of the washroom with a towel around his neck and wiping his face with it on the side. I looked up and saw some of the strands of his hair that fell on his face moist at the ends. It was hard to get used to the scene, he looked handsome from whichever angle you looked at it, and charming too but that was something that was true 24/7.
I don't know if it was only in my eyes, but it made me blush or get my heart running wildly when I think that we could be together.
His eyes widened for some reason when he looked at me lifting my head and then went back to normal. Hm? What was that about? Well anyways, I lifted my hand to pick at the end of one of his red locks that had a drop of water hanging at the edge of it. He looked up following my hand and then stared down at me.
I was trying hard to hold in a blush, he had such a straight and innocent face at the moment that I just wanna kiss it.
"Well, I was planning to go to sleep right after this, thanks for taking care of this when I forgot to take it back after that noodles contest. And um, thanks for giving this to me too," I looked up in thought with a finger to my chin, thinking of everything I wanted to say before going, "I really love it, I won't have any trouble sleeping if it's beside me" I said with a warm grateful smile while looking at him.
He just stared at me normally while I spoke, "Then... I'll get going,... good night" I said turning around to leave reaching for the door, I got what I came for so I should probably leave.
I felt a tingle on my wrist instinctively right before Shoto caught my hand that was reaching for the door handle. I flinched involuntarily turning around. Damn my reflexes, they're even sharper when I'm on edge. But this time it was not in a bad way.
After catching my wrist, his hand slipped into mine, I looked at him with startled round eyes. He took a few steps forward coming closer, I backed away automatically my heart starting to slowly beat loudly in my chest from strange anticipation along with confusion.
Somehow he had the same straight face as he did that and I couldn't get what he wanted to do until I remembered my words from today earlier,
"it's ok if it's later?" he asked with his eyebrows still raised, now in curiosity.
"you decide that!"
My face burst into a fully embarrassed red, I did say that back then but this initiative was not something I expected and I had completely forgotten about what I had said at that time.
A sliver of a smile, "you did say it's okay if it was later" We stood really close. Almost as if he did that on purpose. I still could see it in his eyes that even though he wanted to, he was still willing to stop and would understand if I changed my mind last minute because we weren't dating yet and it was his fault that he was holding me back from us dating.
"I did say it was up to you" I said keeping the eye contact, my ears feeling warm.
He bent down slightly on his legs to match my height and tilted his head to his left not before mumbling, "It's been so long", connecting our lips, his heart was beating loudly and he actually seemed glad that I was ok with it.
It's been so long and we had only kissed twice, as if we both had the same thoughts on our minds.
At this moment it felt like everything and my heart burst with each beat and I closed my eyes. I was against the door with both my hands down on either side and one holding the plush from above with my fingers though that was also slipping. "Yeah"
I was glad that he didn't choose the other option, I actually might have been disappointed if he did. We were taking all the due and advance of the 3 months that we had to hold back during with this one kiss.
It was sweet and warm and I didn't want to pull back at all and just wanted to continue, no matter how embarrassing the thought was, but we had to in the end, "I wanted to kiss you before too when you dressed up so cutely in that dress, but it doesn't matter, anything's more than fine for me" he said with a hand on my cheek, and another small peck as if stealing another due and it was almost possessive, which gave me even more butterflies with his face this close to mine. There was that warm smile again that he rarely showed elsewhere that always got me falling over him.
He said such a cheesy line but I doubt he even knew it was considering how he never watched any movies or shows, nor were his parents close enough to set an example. Being inside his house all that time when he was little, neither could he see real couples who were in love.
It was as if he was just a natural at this which was almost scary and uplifting all in itself because he was saying something that he really meant and not influenced by anything, which made it all the more sweeter than how it already sounded. It's just hard to believe sometimes that he's so good at catching my heart to the point I feel like maybe I'm just being biased of everything and nothing he does would ever be something I hate or don't overly love. No, maybe it's supposed to be like that.
I blushed, cuz even I never thought of myself that way.
"Isn't that the same for you too?" I said with a smile, "What am I even saying, it's way more than me."
He stood up, "I've wanted to say it before too, how could that be true, sometimes I even wonde-" he said lifting his hand to his scar, I can't let him finish that sentence.
I caught his hand pulling it down firmly telling him to stop through my grip when he looked at me in slight startlement. Even if he wanted to, he doesn't have to cuz I know what he wants to say without him needing to say it, I showed that in my eyes.
I gave him the plushy in my left hand to hold with his right which made him look down. I stood up on my toes with closed eyes kissing his left eye gently while holding his face lightly with care closer to his jaw as if I was holding something preciously fragile, expressing my feelings through it. He closed both eyes surprised and not expecting that all of a sudden. It was so cute, him being startled and having his eyes closed.
But it wasn't the time to laugh, I got back down with a small smile and my eyes still closed as I spoke with my hand on his left cheek, he had opened his to look at me as I spoke "I like you, and everything that comes with you, that scar makes you who you are. Even if it's a symbol of suffering and maybe ugly to you, it's something that's a part of the Shoto I like and I find it just as beautiful as you. It's a symbol of your strength, how you survived through it all till you finally got out of it. None of your suffering will ever be something I wouldn't welcome for myself, just like how I cried that day for you when you forgot your own tears. I just hope it doesn't hurt anymore." I opened my eyes, "I should be the one to be insecure, looking so ordinary and having such a beautiful person return my feelings. To be honest, it's kind of hilarious that I can't at all not like anything you do." I said with a joking smile.
But I didn't actually feel that insecure, I took things as they were and I knew I loved him, there was no doubt about it and I trust him and his feelings. Maybe when the time comes to it, I might begin to feel insecure, I wouldn't deny that I might feel like that one day, but for now I didn't have any of those negative thoughts.
I was surprised when I thought he looked like he was about to cry, was it too much? He hugged me burying his face in my neck and possibly hiding his expression. I didn't feel like there were any tears after a few moments and relaxed hugging him back, "Shoto?"
He turned his head facing my neck, and probably to somewhat face me, his breath against my neck was somewhat unnerving, "You're too good to me, you're not ordinary, I'm the one who's lucky to be able to hear that gentle voice that's only for me"
I chuckled lightly, "my gentle voice that's only for you? How is that?" this is so strange, but funnily.
"You know what I mean" he said a little deeply.
"Oh that I'm yours, well I suppose that's true" I said with a smile.
He put his head back to face and nuzzle into my shoulder, "is that a doubt?" he said a little miffed.
"no no ofcourse not, I'm yours" I said unable to help giggling, "Shoto, it kind of tickles."
He pulled back, "does it?"
I nodded, "Well, I'd like to stay, but I have to leave now at least" I said smiling warmly while still in his hug and looking at him by leaning back a bit.
After pulling back I was gonna leave again when he hugged me from behind while swiping my hair to the side and kissed the back of my neck. Shivers went down my spine at that my face turning all around red again, my neck and my shoulder feeling warm all of a sudden too, probably completely red, "Sh-shoto" I said startled.
I could sense his smile from behind, as he left the hug, "let's go, I was gonna go down anyways" he said opening the door for the both of us and from behind me and holding my hand. I stood straight and almost stiff.
I just nodded as we left together, my face now red all over again when it's already so hard for the blush to die down.
Just as we were at the lift and he was about to head inside though I still stood outside, "Aren't you going to eat dinner? You should eat something before going to sleep" he said through our interlocked hands.
I forgot about it completely, I really should eat something. I could also have something at the training centre, surprisingly there's a kitchen there, for water and beverages and also cup noodles and instant and canned foods, apparently most of them were because Neruda liked cup noodles. So, I didn't really pay much attention to having dinner.
But it'd be suspicious if I didn't eat anything right now and Iida would probably shout about how a student should always have their proper meals and contribute to finishing their portion of the meal that the class collaborated to prepare or something. And Izu would naturally be worried too.
If in case they just wanted me to eat something, even later, they might come to my room. I'd rather not have that disturbance while I might be training.
"I'll drop by in a bit then, I didn't remember because of all the food I ate at the festival and was not hungry yet" I said.
Shoto nodded as the lift closed, our hands parting and I went to my room.
I really needed some time. Forget about everything else,... I blushed again remembering the feeling of him kissing the back of my neck and the kiss earlier, just what was that? My hand went to the back of my neck at that spot.
Just somehow getting me flustered again, and him hugging me tightly burying his face in my neck. All of those things and he was also behaving really differently, as if desperate for attention and almost... needy. Not that I didn't like it but it still took me sometime to cool off before going out to go down for dinner with a calmer disposition. If I had gone down at that time, then I would have still been in an overwhelmed staring into space state while not being able to talk or think.
It was another beautiful feast, that would finish the day today splendidly.
All of us had fun eating and talking about our day and as soon as I was done with my food I headed back to my room.
"These days Rin's going back to her room quite a lot, is there any reason to do that? You're even beating Bakagou at 'who sleeps early' " Kaminari said while sitting on the sofa as I was passing by towards the lift after putting my dishes. He was leaning back against the couch with his arms folded behind his head.
"yeah" Mina mumbled through the straw in her mouth from the juice box she was sipping from.
"Why would I care about who sleeps first, it isn't a competition" Katsuki grunted surprisingly.
"Besides, there's nothing wrong in sleeping early, as they say early to bed, early to rise" -Iida
"Hey, I didn't say anything was wrong with it, it's just surprising" Kaminari defended.
"It's ok, plus it's more of an early to bed and late to rise in my case Iida, I haven't woken up early for almost a month" I said with a smile.
"Ah yes, well I suppose that is the case" Iida replied.
"But why are you sleeping early and waking up late Rin? We've been wondering. Since you always woke up earlier than any of us. Did you become a night person already?" Kirishima asked coming up and then grinned.
"I've actually been working out till around 9 or so and then sleeping so I can sleep easier, since I had trouble sleeping." I said looking up with an index to my chin, "and nowadays I've started to feel like I'm able to sleep again, so I want to try waking up early once again sometime soon? Afterall I find it much better and convenient to wake up early for a workout."
"Whatever, that doesn't even make sense in the first place" -Katsuki.
"Yeah! You start to feel tired after exercising and want to sleep right after, I do the same each night and you can also relax your muscles easily" Toru said brightly.
I nodded, "Well, then I gotta go, see you guys tomorrow" I said turning to leave and waving while wishing good night and them replying with one as well.