“Do you plan on spending the night?” You asked aloud, looking over at Shoji as he opened the freezer with an outstretched arm. The both of you were in the kitchen getting bowls of ice cream. He had gotten you Neapolitan awhile ago, not very sure of what flavor you really liked. You appreciated his gesture, but never actually got around to eating any. Now it was time for the two of you to pig out, to have a little bit of fun -- the both of you could definitely use it.
The man thought for a second, his ink-hued eyes meeting your’s. “I didn’t think about that. I wouldn’t want to be a bother.” He places the tub on the counter as you pull a metal scoop out of a drawer beside the fridge. The bowls you both had were pale blue, being perfect half cylinders with a small, flat, and circular bottom.
You huff, crossing your arms. “Why would you be a bother to me? I love you.” The temperature of your face rises, the color changing, too.
He presses a hand on your shoulder, them being cool from the ice cream pail. The sensation sinks through the fabric of your thin top, hitting your hot shoulder with a slight sting. “And I love you too, but I’ll most likely have to go back to the dorms.”
As you fill the bowl with (f/flavor), Shoji takes a mixture of all three. He quickly puts the pail back in the freezer once the both of you complete your large portions. Once that is done, the pale-haired man walks over to the coffee table, setting his bowl down next to his phone, which seemed to be vibrating.
From what you can see, the screen was glowing blue, a few buttons on it to signify that someone was making an attempt to call him. “Oh, excuse me, (Y/n). I have to take this.” It was a call from his homeroom teacher.
Aizawa had made all of the students save his school number as an emergency contact. In return, he would have to keep his student’s numbers saved in that same phone, sort of like a “just in case” precaution.
You watched as Shoji stepped into the bathroom, putting the phone next to his head. Though he had no distinct ears, he could still hear. “Yes, Sir?” The boy said into the phone, wondering if he was going to get scolded for being away for so long.
The ravenette on the other end was silent for a moment, as if looking for a way to phrase what he wanted to say. “I need you to know something.” The seriousness of his voice took the student by surprise. “Please, find a spot where (L/n) will not hear you and we can carry out this conversation in a private manner.”
“She’s not near me, Sir, you’re clear to speak.” Shoji’s voice was just barely shaking.
A sigh could be heard from Aizawa’s end. “Sea View wasn’t just robbed as some coincidence. Two villains went there with the intent of finding (L/n). What they planned to do after that, the pros don’t seem to have a clue.” He paused, the sound of papers being looked through sounded through the phone. “I want you to stay there with her tonight. The police will be patrolling her street, but we’re not sure if we want to tell her about this just yet. If we do, we’re nervous of what might happen--”
Before he could continue, Shoji spoke. “What do you mean, ‘what might happen’?” In a sense, he sounded almost offended.
Yet again, another pause. “The police and some of the pros who are working on this case think that if she found out villains were looking for her, she might go looking for them. I’m just letting you know all of this so you can understand the situation better. This is a serious issue, and we need to keep it on the low. Understand?”
A lot of thoughts rush through the boy’s mind. What happened if he slipped up and said something? What would happen then? Are these villains that are trying to find you really all that dangerous? He wanted to ask these questions, but knew his teacher had only told him what he needed to know. “Yes Sir, I understand.”
“Thank you, Shoji. I appreciate it more than you may think.” There was the sound of papers rustling again, followed by a long sigh. “Please stay with her inside the apartment. If she asks you any questions about this call, I’m sure you can make something up. Both of you, get some rest.” Aizawa doesn’t give his student any time to speak before hanging up.
Slightly confused, he pulls the phone from his head and looks at it. Did he really have to make something up just to keep the call a secret? His thoughts run quickly as he emerges from the bathroom, seeing you quickly look over at him with concern. “Hey, is everything alright? That sounded important.”
“It’s alright. Mr. Aizawa was informing me of a villain that had been spotted in this location and wants me to stay here with you, just in case.” He says, calmly taking a seat on the couch.
You tilt your head slightly, grabbing your bowl of ice cream. “That explains the cop car parked in the parking lot.” A laugh rattles its way through you as you begin to snack on the frozen treat.
Shoji seems to do the same, both of you watching some game show that just so happened to be on TV. Once again, you were both engulfed in a comfortable silence. You wanted to think of something to say to make an attempt to lessen the lack of sound, but it was too comforting. In the back of your mind, something told you that it would be times like this that made you fall deeper in love with the dupli-armed boy. Knowing that the both of you could just stay quiet made you feel like the love he gave was different, in some odd definition of the word. It was genuine and special.
“I love you.” You say, mixing the dessert in your bowl. It had just rolled off your tongue, and it felt so nice to say.
Your lover turns his head slightly in your direction. “I can guarantee I love you more.” Though the mask was covering it, a small glint in his eyes showed off a cocky grin.
Deciding it would be best to humor him, you retort. “Oh, really? But that’s not even possible. Lying is a sin, you know.”
“Forgive me, but I would never lie to you. Maybe you’re the liar?” By the sound of his voice, you could tell that his smile had grown.
Your hand flies to your chest as you set the bowl of ice cream on the coffee table, Shoji doing the same. “How dare you accuse me of lying. I would never!”
“You accused me first--”
“I would never!” You repeated, barely able to contain your laughter.
He laughs softly, covering his face with his hands. An idea pops into your mind, though you’re not so sure how he’d respond to it. With his face being covered, that would be a perfect opportunity to get closer to him; kiss him, cuddle next to him, straddle his hips -- the possibilities are almost endless.
However, when his hands fall back down to his lap, the idea of doing anything like that dissipates. “You crack me up.” He says, that smile still on his face. Your only response is to laugh, though it seems to come out a little forced. Quickly, Shoji takes note of this, looking down to meet your eyes. “Are you alright?”
A little surprised that he caught that, you nod. “Yeah, I’m just thinking of things.”
“What things?” Without much thought, your fingers intertwined with his.
“It’s just…” You pause before letting out a long sigh. “Do you ever really want to do something, but don’t know if the other person is ready for it? Like, I know that I’m ready to do some stuff, but I don’t know how you’d feel if I just made a move, or tried something new.”
“You think you’re ready.” He corrects.
You tilt your head. “What?”
“If you’re ready for something, it means you know that the other person wants it to happen, too. If you’re truly ready to try something new, then you’ve already consulted to see if the other person wants it as well. It’s not a guessing game.” His charcoal eyes meet your (e/c) ones, something in them shining with hope. “Why, did you want to do something with me, Darling?” Hearing the pet name roll off his own tongue caused his face to heat slightly. He liked it, though.
Your ears grew hot, any confidence you had leaving your body instantly. “I-I don’t know.” As a reflex, your hands cover your face, trying to cover the growing blush that began to become obvious.
You could hear Shoji laugh as he places a hand on your knee, trying to comfort you. “Don’t be nervous around me, (Y/n). Remember that I love you. Through everything you’ve told me so far, nothing has scared me off. What could one simple action do?”
Through the spaces between your fingers, you could just barely see the way he was looking at you. The look in his onyx eyes was so genuine. It was almost like he resonated love and good energy. The way his eyes squinted just slightly told you he was smiling under that blue mask of his. Warmth overcame your chest as you smiled back at him, removing your hands from your face. “You mean that?”
“Wholeheartedly.” He breathes, patting your knee softly before resting his hands in his lap.
“I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” You say to yourself, looking over at Shoji. As much as you wanted to hide your bright red cheeks, you willed yourself not to. “Close your eyes. Having you stare at me makes me nervous.”
From the hymn of his mask, a blush was burning. “Wh-What?”
“You heard me. Unless you don’t want me to do anything.” You trail off, biting the inside of your cheek.
Shoji huffs, his eyes falling closed as he looks forward. After a moment, he then raises his hands to his face, placing his rough fingers over his eyelids gently. “Better?” He seems to stutter out.
With his eyes closed, the boy seems almost vulnerable. Though, you could see an ear that has formed on his left side, having it twitch every time the apartment creaks because of neighbors or house noises. “Yes, thank you.”
Now, even though his eyes were just closed, it felt as though he wasn’t really present in the room. His breathing was slowed and quiet, as if he was trying to make as little noise as possible. With him in this position, it was a great opportunity to test some things out. The moment your body shifts, you could see him grow tense.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Love.” You say softly, crawling over his legs. The moment you come in contact with him, he seems to relax a bit. Your fingers ran themselves up his chest, to his shoulders. They rest there as your legs and hips get into position. Now, you straddle him, your knees bent on either side of his thighs. The heat resonating from his body was immense, almost nerve-wracking. “You can open your eyes, if you’d like.” Your voice is filled with confidence.
Against his skin, your fingers were cold. They rested just under the loose folds of the boy’s mask, gently massaging the muscles of his lower neck. From that spot, you could feel his pulse just faintly. It was rapid, beating a little faster than you would’ve liked.
Soon, he swallows hard before removing his hands and opening his eyes. He blinks a few times, taking in the scene that lay before him. You were straddling him, seemingly very comfortable with the high ground. Though, your eyes were just about level with his.
“Where do I…” He trails off, moving his true set of hands hesitantly. Instinctively, he was going to rest them on your hips, then your sides, before contemplating your thighs. He ended up dropping his hands to your knees, looking up at you with an awkward glint in his eyes.
A sudden surge of regret passes through you. “Oh, I can get off if I’m making you uncomfortable--” You start, before Shoji interrupts.
“No, no, you’re fine. I just don’t want to place my hands somewhere and make you feel uncomfortable.” He admits, holding up his hands slightly.
You pull your fingers from his neck, intertwining them with the boy’s. A smile forms behind his mask, though it falters when you shift your arms. Gently, you place his hands along the top of your legs, right before the hip. You make sure you hold them there for a moment, showing him that you’re not uncomfortable.
After that, the two of you look into each other’s eyes for a long while. A part of you wants to start going further, the other half wants to just cuddle underneath a blanket. It was hard not to just make a move, given than one of the most attractive and mysterious boys was sitting right in front of you. More than anything, you wanted to kiss him.
“Don’t tease me if this is awkward.” You say, not giving the boy any time to react before acting. Your chest presses against his as you lean forward, wrapping your arms around the boys neck. The movement causes your hips to shift over his, and his hands to run along your backside to the small of your back. However, you didn’t care, nor did you barely feel what had just happened. You had pressed your lips against where his should be behind his mask. It wasn’t an aggressive kiss, just to test and see how he would react. When you pull away, his eyes are wide with surprise. “I-I’m sorry, I got a little carried away.” You go to push yourself away from him, though find yourself unable to.
Shoji’s true set of hands were holding onto the fabric of your top tightly, showing no signs of letting go. “Don’t apologize, (Y/n).” He seems to bring his arms up, the webbing of them creating a small envelope for the both of you. It was dark, and you could barely see his face. “Let’s try that again, but let’s do it right this time, okay?” His voice wavers slightly.
“What do you mean?” Your body temperature seemed to sky rocket.
There’s a pause before you can hear him chuckle softly. “I want to kiss you the right way, Love."