"Oh," I staggered back on my seat, taken by surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here, (n/n)."

I hoped that she didn't notice my blush. I couldn't help it around her, nor had I been able to for a long time. I twirled one of my ear jacks around my finger.

"Well I hope it wasn't too bad of a surprise." She said, voice wavering. I tilted my head and examined her more closely.

She was fidgeting with her hands, her eyes were trained to the ground, and her feet shuffled side to side. Is she-

"Nervous about something?" I asked, brows knitted with concern.

"No!" She exclaimed, then her voice quieted. "Well, yes. But nothing you should be worried about. I just have to do something."

"Oh, am I holding you up? You can go do whatever you have to, I'll see you at school Monday anyway."

Her face turned towards me quickly.

"No, it can't wait that long."

"What can't wait that long?" I was beginning to get worried. Of course (n/n) must be an anxious person with everything that's happened to her, but this awkward murmuring sounded more akin to Midoriya's speech. I hoped nothing had happened to her.

Oh god, what if something has happened to her.

I began to panic, almost forgetting that she was there. I looked down to the guitar still in my hands and let my mind run rampant with all of the horrible things that could have happened to her to make her act unlike herself.

I plucked at the strings nervously and then just set the guitar down on the floor and placed my hands on my thighs, staring at them, brows knitted.

Then suddenly another pair of hands appeared over my own. A little (Smaller/Larger), (paler/darker), and softer. Fingers not calloused from the life of a musician and nails short and clean, unlike mine which had grown out longer than I liked, and on which was painted black nail polish that should have been redone or scrubbed off long ago.

Then the hands moved to my face, still downward cast. They cupped my cheeks gently and hesitantly. Warm.

Next, something touched my nose. Someone else's, if I were to guess.

And finally, lips, red and just a little chapped. Divots here and there from anxious chewing, not unlike my own. And the breath from which I could feel only slightly intermixing with my own.

"Uh-"

"Can I kiss you?" She asked quietly.

No more breath. Breath gone. Breath has left the chat. Buh bye.

I could only nod.

I turned my head up to meet hers, the lights of the shop illuminating little dust particles flying through space and landing daintily in her hair. Music still played softly in the background. My favorite song, from my favorite band. Fitting, seeing as here I was with my favorite person.

I felt our lips touch, and then meet. In perfect sweetness and harmony.

Regrettably, we pulled apart after a few moments. If it'd been up to me we would've never pulled apart, stayed like that for an eternity, but the worrying factor that was my inability to tell if either of us had taken a breath the whole time got in the way of that fantasy.

She leaned back onto her stool, face matching the giddy grin that was likely formed by mine, cheeks flushed, and the corners of her eyes crinkling in genuine joy.

"I think-" Kyouka began.

"You think?"

"I know." She clarified, then paused.

Impatient with excitement, nervousness, and anticipation I stirred her forward.

"You know.. what?" I spoke quietly. She looked up and into my eyes, and just as the song playing in the background sang it's last chord, she leaned forward.

"I love you, (y/n)."

An odd little squeak was all that I could manage at first, then,

"And I love you, Kyouka."

This time she was the one to kiss me, her hands on my waist, then in my hair. I smiled on her lips, amazed at everything that was unfolding here in this tiny little music shop.

Suddenly I heard a squeal sound from behind Kyouka and suddenly the girl toppled off her stool and onto me.

"Ouch." She muttered.

"I concur with that statement." I choked hoarsely, partially crushed by, not just Kyouka, but also the small girl who had launched herself onto her, knocking her over.

"Sorry," A gruff voice came from the side. "The little gremlin wasn't supposed to blow our cover." Shota approached and lifted Eri off of the both of us by her shirt, placing her back down next to him. The small cat we had adopted not an hour before meowed from it's perch on his shoulder.

Kyouka mouthed an apology and crawled off of me, allowing the both of us to stand.

When we were able to, Eri was released and ran to embrace me.

"I'm so happy for you Sis!" She said, grinning. I laughed and smiled.

"I'm glad," Then looked over to meet Kyouka's eyes. "I am as well."

"Yeah, yeah, aren't we all," Shota rolled his eyes. "But we have to get home. I have papers to grade and food to make." He concluded rather nonchalantly, though I swore I could see a glimmer of enthusiasm or pride in his eyes. Something he seemed to be purposefully hiding very awfully. "One more thing though," Shota said before leaving for the door. "You two had better keep it PG and appropriate during class. I don't want to see any of that making out in my classroom."

"Yes, sir." Kyouka said, smirking, giving away that perhaps her intentions were quite the opposite of her words.

After informing me that I had 42 seconds to wrap things up, Shota and Eri walked out the door and left us be.

"Soo," Kyouka turned to me. "What time works for you for that date?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"What date?"

"Well I assume the whole 'I love you' thing means you wouldn't mind going to get ice cream with me."

"Oh it's ice cream? Then no, I wouldn't mind." I smiled lopsidedly.

"Perfect. 6:00 tomorrow, then?" She asked.

"Works for me."

"Mhm. Mhm. Good," Kyouka bit her lip. "Just wondering though. Hypothetically, were there not ice cream.. would you still want to go out?"

"Let's not get into the hypotheticals." I teased.

"Okay, but-"

I kissed her, then embraced her in a quick but warm hug. "See you later!" I giggled, running off to the front of the store and leaving her laughing. "Love you!" I yelled as I reached the door.

"That sounded too casual!!" She yelled back.

"Oh, sorry," I stopped and cleared my throat. "I loOve you." I sang in the best vibrato British accent I could muster. If that was a thing. If not, I had just created it and believe I put it to good use.

I could still hear her laughing as I closed the door behind me and jogged to catch up with Eri and Shota. I really did like that sound. I still couldn't believe our other classmates thought of her as serious, she was always laughing around me.

Maybe I was just funny looking.

Hmm.

A small price to pay to hear her joy expressed through that wonderful laugh.

It wasn't until after we'd already arrived at the apartment that I realized I'd forgotten to get a gift for her.

"Oh well." I sighed as I walked into the foyer.

Bakugo was still there, on the couch. I had half expected him to be gone when we got home. He raised a hand in half hearted greeting and then went back to the book he was reading.

I didn't peg him for a reader, I wondered what book it was.

Eri went to our room and Shota left for the kitchen as I flopped down next to him on the couch and tried to catch a glimpse of the title. He pulled it away before I could see.

"Don't you have better things to do than annoy me?" He growled. "Like maybe working up enough of that chicken courage of yours to actually ask out your girl."

"First of all," I began, smiling. "She's not anyone's 'girl'. And second of all, that won't be an issue anymore."

That caught his attention, and he turned towards me, eyebrow cocked.

"Wait, did you actually ask her out?"

"Well technically I didn't, she did." I clarified.

"Haha." He pointed and grinned mockingly, as if it was my loss for getting asked out and the outcome wasn't the same either way.

"Though if I remember correctly, I was the one to kiss her." I smirked, tapping my chin. He gaped.

"Where'd you get the confidence to do that?"

"Confidence? No. I simply wanted to do it, and she gave me her consent, so I did. I wasn't confident at all."

He looked as though lost in thought for a moment, almost as if he was soaking in this information as advice. I wondered if he meant to apply it to anything in his own life anytime soon.

"Huh. Well, consider me impressed I guess. And I promise you I don't get impressed often or for long, so I suggest leaving me alone on a good note. Like, now."

I nodded, not wanting to press my luck, and walked back towards me and Eri's room where she'd inevitably be playing with the kitten. Playing with a tiny soft animal sounded pretty good right about now. Especially while I still felt all fuzzy inside from the kiss.

Kyouka.

What a miracle it was to have met her.

"Please stop." I begged my parents as they continued to happy dance hours after I had told them about (n/n).

"Nuh uh! We're getting a daughter in law!" My mom cheered.

"We're not engaged!"

"Yet." My dad grinned.

I groaned and slunk away to my room where I face planted on my bed, hiding a sweet smile in my pillow.

(y/n).

Thank you for today.

😎