Archive of Our Own ^beta

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They met each other so many times before this day came, but they were very oblivious about it, too busy in their respective bubbles. Since Aiko moved to Musutafu, she attended at three specific places: the market, the café and the library, since she's new in Musutafu and there's no one she knows, but that changes when she visited the library to borrow one book that she was looking for some years, and after she asks for permission to the librarian, Aiko goes for it. When she arrived at the specific sector that she knows where the book is, she sees a very tall and blond man standing between two shelfs and see that he's reading or checking one book that is in his hands. Aiko stopped looking at him to not be rude and sneaks at the shelf that he's not facing, looking for the book, she wanted, and once she finds it, she took it and leave.
Toshinori, in those minutes that he was checking the book in his hand, turned around to search the other one that he wanted to read, but then he realized that it wasn't there. He moves his eyes and head, reading the titles, but it wasn't there and it makes him wonder if someone took it when he was reading. Either way, despite that Toshinori couldn't take the book he wanted, he goes with the one he was checking and thinks about how unusual is that someone wanted the same book as him in the same day at this exact hour.
Days passed from that situation in the library and Toshinori was busy enough with his work and such, but today it was of those days that he can go to the café and relax for a bit. Or keep figuring how to be a better teacher. The blond man goes and sit on a table, taking a glare to all the people that are there, there wasn’t many customers in this moment, but it glad him how many are. Then, his eyes focused on a book cover, reading the main titlr makes him notice that it was the same book he was looking for during this passed days. He looks up and see a young woman reading it in one table not so far from his, and he got into a dilemma, go where she is or let it pass his curiosity. In the next second he was leaving his table to aproach at the stranger, leaning just a bit to no invade her and avoid to speak louder.

— Sorry… — He started with an apologetic smile, seeing how the young woman stops reading to look up at him, and Toshinori sees that she looks a bit surprised — Hi, sorry for  interrupting you, but—um, is there any chance that you’re reading “A unknown place” from Matsumoto Seicho?

The brunette’s eyes sparkle slightly at his question.

— Yeah! I started reading it a few days ago, but I got busy to finish it. I’m not used to read like I did years ago.

Toshinori feels glad that he didn’t creep her out to came out of nowhere to ask that, besides, the way she reacted and talked to him felt quite nice. She seems friendly.
On the other hand, Aiko wanted to say that she saw him in the library when she went at the library, but she didn’t want to sound like a creep, so, she keep going.

— It’s very good, honestly, I thought I would get bored or don’t be able to undertand it since this genre it kinda falls on complicated terms. I recommend it if you like suspense.

— Ah, yeah, I was looking for it in the library, but someone was faster than me and take it — he chuckles and Aiko open her eyes wide open.

— Which library?

— “Furuya’s little house” — he said, a little curious for her question and sees how her expression changed, forming a subtle smile.

— Maybe I’m the one who took it.

If Toshinori was surprised, that only increased more after some seconds when she told him that she actually saw him there, thinking how unusual can be the events from one day to another. They speak for a little longer until she had to go, but before leaving, Aiko asked for his number to keep on touch and to recommend books, only if it wasn’t uncomfortable to him. Toshinori agreed and share his contact to her since that little moment they share it was too nice. And he can’t say “no” when someone asks for something so nicely.

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Aiko looks around the livingroom to visually check that everything was there. Chips in a bowl, water (because Toshinori “obligates” her to drink it often), the remote, a mattress and some pillows.

— Toshiiii, are you sure you don’t want to eat anything? — Aiko shouts from her position, still looking around before leaning to grab the remote.

— No, no, don’t worry.

Toshinori approaches where Aiko is standing, suddenly smiling at the sight of her occupied right hand gesturing him to lay down, which he does and Aiko follow him, accommodating her body against him. He feels and sees how she’s nuzzling her back against his chest in a subtle manner, guessing that she did it that way to not hurt him. Once she stopped moving, his arm rest above her and see how her right hand setting the movie that he suggested some weeks ago.
The movie starts playing in the background as their eyes were glued on the TV’s screen, too immersed in what is happening there, but when Aiko shifted a bit, Toshinori’s blue eyes looks down to her and now his focus is on her instead the movie. He looks at her head, noticing some baby gray hairs that are poking there, until his eyes move and stagnated at her sleeve from her left arm that was empty, so, it was falling to the side of the couch. Toshinori didn’t want to think about it since it passed months from the war, but the guilt started to creep at the back of his neck and chest, increasing at the sight of the shape of her residual limb through her sleeve. Even if he’s almost hyperfixating on that, Aiko felt something’s up, and she moved her head to look at him.

— Are you okay? — She asked softly.

The sight of her eyes on his almost makes him want to cry, but he smiles subtly at her as he responded.

— Yeah, I’m good.

Toshinori sees how she keeps looking at him for a little longer, not convinced with his answer, but she gets back at her previous position to keep watching the movie. Aiko, after some seconds of not being able to concentrate, she put the remote on the floor and shift her right hand to reach Toshinori’s hand; she holds it, guide it in the middle of her torso to hold his arm between her chest and arm. Toshinori almost, almost, cry there, but he swallows his lump on his throat and squeeze her slightly in silence. Now either of them can’t focus on the movie or move, concentrating on support and reach comfort in each other in complete silence.

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Toshinori rented a house with a fireplace for a few days, a short vacation from teaching, since Aiko mentioned him that she always wanted to experience how it’s like to “own” a fireplace. She was so grateful that she spread kisses all over his face for two whole minutes, grateful with him at how he does things she said a year ago.
When the night comes, which it was quickly by how entertained they’re with their presences, they start the fire. It was a bit difficult, but they did it. Toshinori got busy preparing dinner, shooing Aiko when she attempted to help him, and got back when he finished.

— Aiko, dinner is a... — He stopped talking when he arrived at the livingroom, staring at how Aiko is glaring the fire so close. His body moved before he can think and rest a hand on her shoulder to prevent her to keep leaning forward, which makes her to inhale quickly from her nose in surprise. He sees how she looks up and give to him an apologetic smile as she slides back a little bit, but he notices the way her eyes focused on the flames again —. Hey... are you... What are you thinking?

The brunette takes her time to speak, and she does after swallowing.

— I want to be better — she states first —, I want to be able to do things that I never did before.

Her eyes goes to her left arm, seeing her prosthetic arm as her fingers moved a bit, and Toshinori felt bad for her and guilty for the lack of skills from back then, but he only sits down besides her and watch the fire for a couple of seconds before moving an arm to put it around her shoulders.

— I know you’ll get better — he pauses, still looking at the flames —, you did it back then, it isn’t going to be different. Just… don’t pressure yourself so much, Aiko.

Toshinori looks down at her and she looks up.

— It will be nice if you relax now that we’re here, don’t you think? We’ll keep progressing back home.

She doesn’t know what affected her, if his words, the way he said them or his presence, but she felt a warm rush coming from her chest. Aiko leans over his side and Toshinori just holds her as they watch the fire in front of them.

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Sometimes, Toshinori doesn’t know how he ended in this situation. At times, he thinks that he died in the battle when he sees his pretty girlfriend moving around, taking care of him like he’s her entire world, it’s just… too wonderful to be true, but at the other hand, it’s exhausting. Not because he’s bothered with her presence or anything, he would never think that of her, it’s because he isn’t used to this treatment. Besides that he feels that way, he can’t stop the urge to tell her that he’s fine, but he also doesn’t want her to stop taking care of him by how good she is with this.
Aiko can’t stop moving around, just fixing things and making sure that Toshinori has everything he needs after she take the temperature of his body, tucking him in bed and check that he doesn’t need to do something too important. Now she’s making a tea with ginger, leaving Toshinori alone with his thoughts for a couple of minutes, only to get into his room with a mug in her left hand and that sight was enough to make him to slide his body from his mattress to sit and reach the mug when she got closer.

— Thank you, Aiko.

She sits down and look at him drinking the tea she made, not expecting anything from him, but only having the urge to see him and he notice.

— You know that you hadn’t do this for me.

It was the fifth time he said the same phrase since she came at his huge home, making her feel exhausted at hearing it. She didn’t gat mad or reproach him to stop saying that, which she did a few times with politeness, Aiko just grab the mug from his hand with her right one, moving it away from him and get forward to steal a kiss on his lips, making his to jump on his position and quickly hold her shoulders to stop her and he immediately squeezes softly her shoulders when he perceived that he was rough when he reacted like that.

— Aiko! — He reprimanded her before he sniffed — You can’t do that, you’ll catch a cold.

— If you keep saying that I had to stop doing what I’m doing, I’ll catch that cold on purpose — she leans forward again, smiling at how Toshinori keep holding her in place by her shoulders, earning a soft groan coming from him.

— Noooo, Aiko---.

— Let me take care of you, Toshiiiii.

— Okay! Okay, I’ll let you, only if you stop reaching my cold!

The brunette chuckles when he said that, moving away from him as she handled him the mug again and he takes it to resume his drinking, having her watching him more pleased.

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Toshinori is a man with such a rich state, but it was funny how he doesn’t look like someone that’s filthy rich. Like, he’s so humble that makes Aiko forget that he’s practically a millionaire, only remembering that fact when she goes at his place. So, when he mentions that he wants to buy new dress shirt, she thought that he’ll buy one online, but now she’s walking with him in the aisle from one specific shop that he apparently likes the most. Aiko was staring and commenting things when Toshinori brings her a dress shirt to know what she thinks, which she approves everything he’s holding and dressing since he looks good in anything he wears. At some moment, she get near to him, smiling and whispering.

— This… — she buttons the shirt as she speaks — will look good tonight.

The mention of tonight makes him grin and blush a bit, talking softly to not catch anyone’s attention.

— Do I have to buy a few more? — He asks, slightly joking, and Aiko is confused.

— W… Why a few more?

— Oh, eh, y-you know. — He shrugs a bit, avoiding her eyes for his nervousness — If you… — he lowers his voice, almost mumbling — want to rip those off too…

Aiko’s face passed from confused to shocked, then she looks deeply embarrassed at the internal image of her ripping his dress shirt once some weeks ago. She felt bold and a bit savage that night, now she’s ashamed and with her face all red, making Toshinori laughs and hugs her when she cover her face with both hands. The only thing that relieves her, besides Toshinori’s arms around her, it’s the coldness from her left hand on her heated face.

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Aiko told Toshinori how hard it was for her to get some sleep, even if she didn’t take naps, it was hard to sleep at night on thsi passed days, which Toshinori offered her to sleep at his place if she wanted, thinking that, maybe, it could help her. At first she rejected his proposal, not because she didn’t want to spend time with him in his place, since she didn’t want to bother him with something so trivial like that. After two days she accepted and spend her time there, but she keeps having troubles with her sleep.
Tonight she hopes to fell asleep as soon as she can, getting tired of not being able to do such a easy thing as sleeping.
Now that they were in bed ready to sleep, all tucked with Toshinori’s blankets, it didn’t take her ten minutes to start shifting subtly against him, which he noticed.

— Aiko… — he speaks with a raspy voice — what is it?

She feels terrible by the fact to not let him rest.

— Nothin’, did I wake you up?

— No…

And for some reason they stopped talking, trying to get at their previous business.
Even if Aiko didn’t move at all, Toshinori couldn’t sleep at sensing her still up, and he had no choice but try to find a reason at her lack of tiredness. She told him what she did today, which it was a lot. She spend her entire day out from her house because of work, to train her quirk a little bit, to visit a friend of hers until she came here to spend time with him. Maybe something was bothering her, but according at her transparent nature, she didn’t show any sign of discomfort.
Then something came at his mind, remembering a fact about her that she told him months ago.
Without warning, Toshinori shifted their current position, investing them at the other side of the bed. Aiko didn’t get it since it wasn’t something to expect, but she let him be.
When they get at this new position, he accommodates her body against his chest as he started to caress Aiko’s scalp, making her immediately shut her eyes and relax over him. After some minutes, Aiko fell asleep and when Toshinori noticed that, it surprise him that it actually worked, then a rush of tenderness invaded him at what she told him back then.

“My dad told me when my sisters and I couldn’t sleep when we were babies, they invested our positions and we fell asleep right away. It seems like it keep working nowaday.”

It was funny how right she was.

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Aiko is a person that she tends to get along with anyone she met, including people that she doesn’t like. So, at social events, she isn’t the one who starts a conversation, but once you talk to her it was easy for her to get included at social circles and such. She can adapt at any situation, but there are things that she can’t take control or handle since she isn’t a huge fan of being the center of attention, even if she speaks and do some stuff in front of so many people that she can count, but what it pressures her the most is… karaoke.
She can’t undertand why so many persons loves karaoke, and she never will, but she enjoys other’s happiness. She likes that part the most, but she always prays that no one notice her in those cabinets every few times she asists at this specific scenario. Toshinori is aware of this fact about her when they started their friendship, only because Hizashi dragged them to a karaoke and Aiko couldn’t stop drinking and laughing at everything to survive at that day. He thought that she just liked drinking until Hizashi almost obligated her to sing something and she almost burst in embarrassment, then Toshinori got that she was shy.

One time he heard her sing when they had a few months of dating, and he was mesmerized at how passionate she sounded singing that love song, until she saw him and get all embarrassed and shy as she tried to mask all of that with a smile and some soft laughs, not returning at her singing session at all, changing the topic by asking him what he was going to do that day.
Toshinori never thought he would listen her to sing ever again, and he’s fine with that since it’s her personality, even if she sounded good according to himself. He doesn’t even expect anything when they get invited at the karaoke, seeing her more calmed than two years ago, but when he sees her leaving his side from the couch to grab the mic that Hizashi offered her when he setted a song called “Is This Love” from Whitesnake, his eyes got wide open and get wider when she hears her start singing at the time of the lyrics.
Aiko singed with a smile, reading the words passing by even if she knew the lyrics from that song that she was caughted by Toshinori those months ago. As the song passed by, there are some sentences that she glances at Toshinori as her lips trembled slightly by her nervousness, euphorism and those few glasses she drank before this, but saying those line with confidence.

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒎 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈?

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓?

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒎 𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈?

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆

'𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒆

𝑨 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒆

As the song keep going and the other are cheering and laughing by happiness, Toshinori can’t stop looking at her with his heart at the edge of his throat as Aiko started to look at him back at the end of the guitar’s solo and the beggining of the lyrics again, singing directly to him.

𝑪𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒐𝒓

𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏

𝑺𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒂--.

Her voice falters at that part, bursting in tears and Toshinori feels his heart dropping at the sigh as he immediately lifts from his sit and goes to her, surrounding her shoulders with an arm as his free hand holds the mic that it was about to get dropped.

— Baby, are you okay? What happened? — He asks louder by the music surrounding them, but not at the point of yelling, trying to reassure her with his presence.

As the song passed by with the instrumental, she swallows and feels her tears keep coming.

— It’s just… t-that I love you so much, Toshi…

If he wasn’t so in love with her already, this only increases his feelings for her even more. In a way that it almost hurt.
The song keeps going, but it was almost there that the lyrics started appearing in the screen. He sensed that she wouldn’t like to make a scene more than this already is, so, with his hand holding and moving the mic a little bit, he lifted it at the height of his lips and starts singing.

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒎 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈?

Aiko lifts her head when he started singing, not knowing if keep crying for this gesture or stay in awe.

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓?

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆... 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒎 𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈?

As Toshinori singed, holding her against him, it makes her stays mesmerized looking at him as some tears keep sliding over her cheeks, but she was feeling so calmed compared to minutes ago and starts sing along with him as her hands glued on his dress shirt.

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓?

𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 (𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆?) 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒎 𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈?

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There's been days from the last time they sent messages and weeks from the last time they hang out. At first it was alright knowing how busy is Toshinori with his teaching and other things he must have to do in a daily basis, but then she started to get worried when he stopped answering her messages, not knowing what to do since she doesn't know where he works or live, never being able to ask that type of personal questions even if they were friends for some months.
One day as she works in her job of cleaning a restaurant, she glances at the TV they had in there and she sees how All Might is fighting against All For One. She mopped slower as more she looks at the TV, but everyone in the restaurant is watching the fight with tension and euphorism. Aiko just wishes All Might defeat that man, but as minites passed, it seemed very difficult and that worries her.
The fight keep going and comments comes and goes with the customers until they see how All Might's appearance changed with a smoke coming out from him. Aiko's mop dropped against the floor as her eyes wide as much as they can when she sees Toshinori standing there, injured and with All Might's hero costume. Her heart stopped at the sight and her throat feels so tight as her mind can't process this moment, the fact that she's been friends with All Might all this time, but what affected her the most is that he's deeply injured. When he keeps fighting, she started to shout with the cutomers, begging him to win the battle with tears in her eyes.
And when he does and hit All Might's iconic pose, Aiko started to sob like a child, being a while since the last memorable time she cried like this. Then, after some seconds of letting out the tension she experienced seeing that fight, her body moved at the fact that how injured he seemed on the TV and leaves immediately her job, not hearing anything around her as she runs to take a bus or anything to get at where he is.
A few things happened in the travel, like she taking a cab when any transport wasn't functioning for this previous event, and she ended to get into the hospital he mentioned he usually goes. Aiko didn't thought that she would be in the right place, but, of course, the nurses didn't let her pass for being a stranger. Everything feels unreal as she tries to call a cab to get back home, since the restaurant must be closed at this hour, but at the same time, everything started to make sense to her at how he disappeared, his schedule were so complicated for being a teacher, how extremely polite he is and the way he stays positive, even if there are times he spitted blood from his mouth.

At the next day, when Aiko asists at the restaurant to accomplish her tasks for the day, the boss calls her to his office. She keeps feeling so many things from yesterday, that much that she didn't sleep well, but she goes and enters at the office.

— Good morning, Yamamoto.

He didn't even look at her, not even greeting her.

— Today is a busy day, as you know, which means I can't deal with irresponsible workers that leaves their position without saying a word to anyone. To me.

Aiko couldn't protest or say anything at all, besides that he was right, she's too shocked that she's getting fired in this bare moment.
Yamamoto explained her when she's going to get paid at some day she can't recall, but she heard it, and now she has to get home and start looking for another job. None of that mattered to her, if it was right or wrong how she reacted, this only proves to her how much Toshinori means to her. The only thing that she can't stop thinking is when she could visit him.

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Aiko is cooking something for herself, too immersed on her own world thinking about a few things like her family and the things she did earlier now that she's back at her first home, but her cellphone ringing makes her stop what she's doing and goes to see who was it. Toshinori's name on her screen it surprises her and she attended the call.

— Hi, Toshinori-san. — She greets with a smile, can't helping it.

— Hi, Aiko.

She didn't see him, but she senses his relieve at his tone.

— What brings your wonderful and telephonical presence? — Aiko is nervous at how bold she's being with those simple words, since they're just friends, but she misses him after leaving Musutafu after three months since the intervention of her family at that accident.

Toshinori chuckles at the other side of the phone, cheerful.

— I ended my shift in school and I wonder if you're busy.

— Oh, no. No, no, I was cooking something for myself. — Something occurred at her mind.— I'll take you with me.

That only phrase makes him grin very widely as he imagined how Aiko is "taking" him to her kitchen.

— I'll put you here — it sounded her phone being rested at some place, a corner, as other sounds came at his ear —, and you'll be obligated to hear me cooking. So fun to hear. — She jokes and makes Toshinori laughs softly.

— What are you cooking?

His question makes her smile, passing the wood spoone over her frying pan.

— Some vegetables to eat them with noodles.

— That sounds great, are you going to drink...?

— Mmm... I think I have grape juice.

They keep talking about dinner and what they're going to do at the ending of the day, not being able to notice the calmed atmosphere they're creating with this casual but attentive conversation, too distracted with each other presence, even if it was by this phone call.

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This day was being rough with the snowfall and the coldness around all the city, but it wasn't enough to stop Toshinori and Aiko to hang out at "Furuya's little house" after not seeing each other for a whole year. Even if they hang out a few weeks ago when she gifted him that fantasy "yard" of tulips made of her quirk, they organized this hang out in the library after that.
Toshinori arrived, shivering a bit as he takes off his coat as his eyes moves around to see if Aiko was here. Maybe he got earlier than her, and when he's about to check his phone to see the hour, he seems someone coming where he is.

— Toshinori! — Aiko shouts softly when she's near and she immediately hugs him, taking him by surprise with this gesture, but he reciprocated it with slight shyness. When she separates from him, she looks up at him with a smile on her lips. — I reserved us a corner. — She says and start walking.

Toshinori follows Aiko without saying anything, feeling some butterflies on his stomach at that previous warm hug. When he sees the table, he takes a look at the books that are already there and take a seat. His eyes follows Aiko's hands sliding a specific book, and he grabs it to read the title and see that it's the book he wanted to read.

— I went ahead and took some books for us — she explained in a lower voice, smiling —, I couldn't stay still.

— I appreciate it, Aiko, thank you. — He thanked softly, glaring at her until she started reading and he does the same.

After that short chat, they stays in silence as they read their respective books. Well, at least Aiko did, Toshinori couldn't pass the first page thanks to his mind and his heartbeats, not being able to concentrate at all. He wanted to read, but his eyes moved at some sentence and keep moving until they fixated on Aiko's face, staying there for some seconds until he looks at the book again, reprimanding himself for being a damn creep. That repeated over and over again until an hour passed by, never being able to finish even a chapter. Toshinori can't stop thinking of how pretty Aiko looks right now, like the time he saw her again when she came back in town, so radiant and with that new haircut that suits her so right, it was so distracting in any way and he feels like a creep by wanting to stare at her more than usual. If that wasn't enough, he just limits to listen to her as he thinks that he'll take the book he tried to read and actually reading it when he was alone.

Which he will fail miserably, since he'll remember Aiko at everyword from the book.

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Aiko isn’t the type of person that she tends to cook, only because she has to eat something, and baking? That’s out of terms.
The only thing that makes her step out from her comfort zone it was Toshinori, from how she views life, how to accept her quirk and now that she’s baking some brownies for him. They aren’t dating, she wishes that is the case, but she’s too coward to say something about it. Besides, why he would want to date someone of twenty-six years old? That’s something out of term too, but she can’t undone the brownies at the oven.
When she finished cleaning her kitchen, she take out the brownies and put it aside as she returns with cleaning something else before cutting the brownies in squares, setting them to a white paper bag and leaves the house to meet him in the library. In the whole travel she can’t stop thinking if he’s gonna like them or if he even likes chocolate. That makes her want to face palm herself by never asking him such a basic thing, even if it could ruin the surprise.
Aiko arrives at the library and waits for him outside, which it didn’t pass three minutes since he came, approaching to her with a smile that makes her do the same thing.

— Good evening, Toshinori.

— Good evening, Aiko.

Then, they speak at the same time and lift something.

— I bring you someth--.

Toshinori and Aiko look at the bag the other are holding in their hands, and then they lifted their eyes to look at each other before smiling and chuckling, feeling a bit silly and surprised at the conection.

— What did you bring? — Aiko asks.

— I baked cookies — that answer makes Aiko’s heart melt —, and you?

— I baked brownies — Toshinori feels very flattered that she baked for him —, I never asked if you liked chocolate — she remarks with slight embarrassment, but still smiling.

— I do — Toshinori scratched his neck with his fingertips —, I really like it.

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— Toshiiiii. — Aiko shouted from his room and sees how Toshinori appeared at the entrance of the door.

— Yes, sweetheart? — His eyes focused on Aiko when he spots her in the room, seeing that she’s wearing his UA’s sport uniform. He sees the folds from her arms and legs, looking very tiny in his clothes.

— Mh… — Her smile grows. — Can you wear my clothes for a bit?

That… was an odd request, and Toshinori wonders why she wanted that. He gets inside to the room, getting closer to her as his eyes keeps looking at her.

— But they won’t fit. — He says with a soft smile, confusion present in his eyes.

— It will — she says —, because I didn’t get rid off all of my old closet! — Enthusiastic, she turns around to start searching into his closet, trying to find something.

Toshinori limited himself to watch her searching who knows what, and then she takes out an oversize yellow shirt with a pair of blue sweat pants. Toshinori looks at her with such a doubt in his eyes, but the ilusion in her eyes convinced him to get dress in her stuff, but in the bathroom. When he’s done, he gets back to his room and see that she changed her clothes again and it was another outfit of his; one orange v-neck t-shirt and some pants that he stopped using because he thought he lost them. It was… a really nice view, noticing that the UA’s clothes were folded on a corner of his bed. Aiko, at the other hand, squeal at the sight of him in her clothes.

— See?! I knew it would fit! — She gets closer to him with her phone in her right hand. — My God, you look so pretty in my clothes.

That sudden flatter makes Toshinori feels a bit silly, very endeared with that too, and at the next second he was being photographed by Aiko’s phone with her all cheerfuly, saying that she doesn’t know what photo she would set it on her phone’s wallpaper. That makes him blush.

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Aiko and Toshinori were enthusiastic when it comes to any type of holidays, since they live in Japan, there’s plenty of them and they always wanted to go to all of them if it wasn’t of their busy schedules.

Their favorite holiday is Christmas since the festivity is all around the town, becoming so bright and cheerful, that makes them very happy at their own. Besides sharing time together, their favorite part is to prepare the gift, recalling information that they heard from the other throughout the year. It was funny and endearing how they do the same thing to make a gift.

The other thing that happened in Christmas it was how Aiko managed her schedule to share time with her family and with Toshinori when they started dating. The first Christmas was chaotic for that, but then her father suggested her to invite him when she was about to ask the exact same thing, and after talking with her sisters, she brings him to her home and share the holiday with all her family. Toshinori wasn’t expecting to be so welcome to her family, even if all of them shared previous hangs out, this felt very different. He was being part of Aiko’s family, officially, and that’s why he’s very fond about this specific day.

There are other holidays that they like, Mito Plum Blossom Festival, the Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival, Yunishigawa Kamakura Festival and Gion Matsuri, but this last one is Toshinori’s likes.

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They share a lost of things in common despite their age gap, but what they differentiate from each other, except some opinions, it was how they show each other affection. Yes, they cuddle and reach for physical touch in bed by who’s spooning at night, or how their hands search for the other hand, fingers, clothes, face and body when they felt touchy or when they need comfort.

Aiko is more touchy than Toshinori, always wanting to grab him and play silly with her hands on him, usually using her right hand than her left one since she keeps feeling insecure about her prosthetic arm; she can’t get rid off the idea of hurting him.

The kind of love she express the most is her acts of service. She’s been always like this with everyone, even when she was four years old and despite everything she passed through, Aiko keeps being like that over the years. When she started dating Toshinori that only increases, not only because she almost lost him in the war, but because he’s her first boyfriend ever. She asks him about how he’s doing, making him favors like fold his clothes when she stays at night in his apartment, taking care of him by wiping his blood from his mouth, always reassuring him when it happens like one time when they were making out and Toshinori couldn’t stop his sudden coughing, making a mess between them and almost fainting in embarrassment at seeing Aiko’s mouth covered in his blood, but she swallowed the drops that were on her mouth and help cleaning him before her. That earns his heart more than it already was, not only for that specific moment, but how she always remember everything about things he told her and the way she always accompanies him to everywhere he suggested or needed to go. That’s thanks to her relationship with his father and nothing else.

At the other hand, Toshinori leaded his affection at words of affirmation, always reminding her how beautiful, precious, fantastic, intelligent and important she is to him. He always validates her feelings, even if they can’t be at the same page at times, he never dares to let her feel less than him, that’s never an option in his mind and much less when it comes to Aiko. There are moments when he can’t believe that he’s dating her, those thoughts comes when he looks at her when she’s distracted with something she’s doing, too concentrate, too immersed on what she loves doing, and sometimes when she’s rambling about what she did in her training. When he sees her so satisfied with something she achieved is when he has this urge to hug her and never let her go, but instead of doing that and, maybe, ruining her mood or what she’s saying, he flatters her like he didn’t do it an hour ago, and that’s enough for her to act silly about his words.

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There is a place that no one knows, so far away from the town, almost hidden in the woods. There, a young and tired woman, lives alone helping injured animals and missing kids that get lost in there, but she refuses to live in town again at all costs. This makes her get grumpier, but she doesn’t care as long as they leave her alone; she’s too sensitive to trust in people in general. One day, an adult get lost in the forest by asking indications in town, and the folks in there suggested him to get inside of the woods to obtain what he needed, but he couldn’t make it since the object he was searching for it wasn’t there and now he lost track from where he came. Luckily, a young woman came from nowhere he could guess, offering him to lead his way back to home.

Toshinori makes a small conversation with her, only being able to know her name, Aiko. He didn’t want to be rude with all his questions, since she doesn’t speak too much, but it worries the idea of her being all alone in that lonely forest when she says that she lives on her own without any human contact. From now on, Toshinori will make some time to pass by her place to bring her some company, always giving her a basket with food that he cooks, since he didn’t want to look like a harasser.

Time passes by where, at first, Aiko always gives him a strange and distrusted glare when he visits her, but that changed when she got used to his presence since he never pushed her to leave her place or dig in her personal life, making her let her guard down. This means that she started to talk a little more, commenting him that she was abandoned by her parents at the age of ten and never received any help from the people of the town, which it leads her to stay in the forest as she learned how to use her magic, building a house and how to understand animals to not get ate by them. That information makes Toshinori empathize with her, only increasing his desire to keep coming.

There’ll be a point that Toshinori wants her to go to the town and prove her that not everyone is bad like some few people can be. At first she resisted at that idea, but since she met him, she started to miss their conversations when he’s gone, so, she agreed. She was a novelty when they arrived at the town, a young woman that the citizens didn’t know, which makes her adaptation at the town a little less problematic. Toshinori is happy at the sight of her getting along with some persons as days passed by, until one time he saw how a young man makes her laugh. It’s not like he didn’t make her laugh before, but seeing her doing it with a man around her age it makes him feel… weird. Really, really weird. Like some funny sensation on his chest, but it was very uncomfortable; well, he’s glad that she’s having a good time for once with another person that isn’t him, but there’s was something itching at the back of his head that he decides to ignore. Aiko, on the other hand, when she sees Toshinori having a good time with other woman it doesn’t make her feel jealousy, since she is aware that he had a life among people, adding that she thinks she’s nothing compared to other people. This thoughts makes Aiko wonder, what makes her know that she has a crush on him? Because she doesn’t feel attracted to anyone in that town except of him, even if she met a lot of women and men that makes her see how wonderful they can be, she feels nothing towards them like she feels with Toshinori.

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It's been a while since they saw a movie, but before he could assume that it was going to be at home as they usually do, Aiko suggested him to go to the cinema and he agrees happily.

They decided to watch a movie that everyone talked about this past week, so, they give it a try. Of course, Toshinori buy the tickets, the sodas and the popcorn, even if Aiko tried to persuade him to make her pay something, he rejected her politely and talks to her how cinema looked like when he was a teen to distract her, knowing very well how entertained she gets when he talks. They walked for a bit before the movie started, and when the time came, they got inside of the hall to search for their seats. Aiko sits down and sees Toshinori sitting on her left side, resuming their conversation in a softer tone to not disturb as the trailers pass by.

The movie begins and they immediately stop talking, getting involved in the intro, but in the middle of the movie they were getting bored and none of them said anything, not verbally. Toshinori glances over his right, seeing that Aiko stopped eating popcorn, which he takes the opportunity to search for her hand and hold it after his face turns at the gigantic screen before them. Aiko didn’t notice the hold, only realizing of it when she moves her face down and see his big hand holding her prosthetic hand, making her eyes got wide at the fact that she can’t feel anything at all, even if that was an obvious state. She can’t stay now that Toshinori is holding her hand and she’s not able to feel anything, so, she leans to his side and speaks softly as the sound was very louder.

— Can we switch places?

The blond man didn’t get it at first, leaning his head down and hears Aiko’s voice right into his ear repeating what she just asked. A bit confused, he just agrees and wonders why she wanted to change seats all of a sudden. Once they switch seats, apologizing with the people that are around them, Aiko didn’t waste time searching for Toshinori’s hand and she felt so relieved at the palpable touch. When he feels the average size of Aiko’s hand grabbing to his, he immediately looks at her and gets lost at the sight of her pleased smile, making him think that she wanted to feel his hand. That explained why she didn’t hold his hand back when they were previously seated, and that fact was enough to make his heartbeats get a bit faster, finding it endearing.

The movie was lame, and both couldn’t concentrate on the plot for their hands holding each other as the movie keeps playing. There’s something about sensing the differences and the warmness that makes their brain to stop being able to pay attention to the dialogues from the characters, since it was more entertaining to move their thumbs against the different softness from each hand.

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Aiko gets the courage to finally show Toshinori something she doesn’t show to anybody, only a few people that she was friends with years ago and there are no longer important people from her life.

Her first attempt was when Toshinori was busy correcting some exams from his class, Aiko was coming behind him until she was closer to his chair.

— Toshi, I want to show you something — she says, smiling and looking down to his hand moving over the paper, remarking on a phrase.

— I can’t now, honey, I’m busy.

For some reason, she regretted the idea and murmured a soft “okay” before changing the subject.

— Do you want some help with that?

His question makes him smile, finding it endearing her willingness for help.

— No, sweety, thanks anyway.

Her second attempt was at night when both were lying down in bed, tucked and about to sleep, but Aiko keeps trying to stay awake as Toshinori were holding her close to his body, making it difficult to not succumb at her tiredness.

— Toshi...

— Mh? — He answers, half asleep.

— I’ve to show you something...

— Okay... let me see. — Toshinori open his eyes and shifts a bit to look at her, but she never responded him. — Aiko?

She didn’t respond either, so deep in dream, and Toshinori just accommodates again and tries to fall asleep too.

Her third and final attempt to show what she wanted him to see was some afternoon when she got back from hanging out with her sisters. This makes her feel confident to finally do what she wanted to do on this passed days.

Aiko washed her hands, changed her clothes and went to meet him in the kitchen, hugging him and receiving a kiss from him that made her smile against his lips.

— Hi. — He greets, barely pulling apart as he smiles tenderly towards her.

— Hi. — She responded with the same word, melting by his presence. — Toshi, I’ve to tell you something.

— Tell me. — Toshinori moves slightly up to take a good look at her, waiting for what she has to say.

— I’ve a secret that I never told you.

— Uh, okay — he huffs a bit of air from his nostrils, still smiling —, what is it?

— You have a bald girlfriend.

This makes Toshinori’s brain stop functioning for a couple of seconds.

— What?

Before speaking, Aiko suppressed the urge to laugh at his reaction and keep going.

— That I’m bald, your girlfriend is bald.

Toshinori is speechless, not knowing if she was joking or if she was honest. His eyes checked her hair, not being subtle, and wondered when wigs became so realistic.

— I can show you — she suggested.

— Uh… — his eyes flicks and blinks, then he makes a subtle move with his head — yeah, sure, sure.

Aiko moves her hands from his back to move them up and Toshinori was very focused on her moves. When she didn’t touch her hairline, questions come to his mind, but he didn’t speak and only observes, until her fingers started to dig in a spot of her head, moving aside her hair until there was a tiny spot without hair. Then again, Toshinori is out of words and thoughts.

— There is my baldness — she joked and smiles —. That’s my birthmark. It’s funny ‘cause I’m the only one who inherited it from all my sisters, and it’s from my mother, so, huh, lucky meee — she ended the sentence with irony and put her hands on his chest to fidgeting her fingers on his clothes.

Toshinori heard her rambling, noticing how nervous she must be, and he didn’t say anything as one of his hands moves up and rests his palm over her head, searching for the spot where her birthmark is. When he finds it, he stares at it as he imagines how could she look like with it when she was a baby, and that makes him smile softly. Besides, he’s aware of the weight she must carry on her mind at the fact that she’s having her mother’s birthmark, and be the only one who has it.

— It’s cute — he states, caressing it with his thumb in a very soft manner —, I really like it.

It wasn’t only his words, but how he touched it and how it feels, strangely nice. Aiko feels her entire face getting warm, and she hides her face against his chest to stop feeling his thumb over her birthmark, never feeling so vulnerable and flustered in her entire existence.

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I'm not good at drawing, but this is my attempt of doing it hehe✨️

The context is when Toshinori wants to do a reckless and heroic thing

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DVExeMQCO40DvNoDaelGJs6BBEsijmEb

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Aiko and Toshinori had a lot of car drives, from the bare beginning when he offered her to give her a ride to get back home, when she had to drive with his car at the hospital when he got injured, the time that Aiko stays in his car to calm herself by how bad she felt about her mother, and so many more moments passed by through years. This time were of those specific moments in the car where they came back from buying some things for their first anniversary as a couple, but they discussed a silly thing that turns out like this, not talking to each other as Toshinori drove to her place. He could be a bit pissed, but he would never abandon her.

Aiko was looking through the passenger window with crossed arms, still feeling bad about the whole situation, but as a few minutes passed, she moves her head to glance at the blond man, seeing his serious face, his clothes, the long of his arms and the shape of his hand holding the gear shift. She thinks and remembers something she said to him when he had his last fight.

— Can you stop the car?

Her question comes out of nowhere, but he didn’t hesitate on parking the car and stays still, gripping on the steering wheel with one hand as the other stays on the gear shift, looking down. Aiko takes off the seat belt and rests her hand over his, the coldness of the material makes him look at her and sees how she’s looking at him in silence for a couple of seconds before speaking.

— I’m sorry, Toshi.

Aiko just moves where he is and stops some inches from his face to look at him, like she’s asking for permission. Toshinori cut the distance and kissed her. Seconds passed and each one of them melted and relaxed in that kiss, until Aiko moved away to speak again, but Toshinori did it first.

— I’m sorry, Ai — he says, very softly —, I shouldn’t snap at you like that.

That simple apology was enough to break her composed demeanor, leaning a bit down to rest her face on his neck, and she feels how he hugs her. It didn’t matter how much time it passed, she always reacts like this whenever she has an argument with someone she cares, and Toshinori never minded her sensitivity at all.

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Hiiiii✨️ I couldn't imagine anything with this prompt, sorry! ;;

See you in the next chapter!

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They just came out from Hizashi’s place, where Toshinori is holding Aiko’s body against him since she’s a little drunk. It’s not like she drink everything that was on the table, since she doesn’t like alcohol that much, but there was sweet drinks and she’s a little weak for that, being the big reason that now she’s giggling and being a bit goofy with him.

When they get into his car, she keeps giggling and talking to him about tonight’s event, how everyone was so cheery for being a new year , but then she went silence in the middle of the road, staring at the window without opening her mouth. This makes Toshinori glances at her and see how melancholic she looks.

— Honey, are you okay? — He asks softly, returning his gaze at the road and waits for her answer.
Aiko inhaled deeply from her nose, his voice making her to stop thinking.

— Yeah, yeah — she looks at him with a lazy smile —, I was thinking.

— Thinking about what?

— Hum… about so many things… — she murmured, wondering if it was that or a specific thing in a huge amount of time.

Toshinori isn’t sure about her answer, but he decided to not push about that.

They arrived at his place, knowing very well how she likes to spend the night in his home than hers. He helps her to not stumble against anything, hearing again her giggles, but now it sounded softer than an hour before. The moment they passed the door, and when it got closed, Aiko grabbed his tie and pulled it down to kiss him in the lips. Toshinori is surprised, but he immediately kisses her back, putting his hands on her hips as he thinks that he’s only going to kiss her and nothing else, not liking the idea of intercourse with her when she’s in this state. They kissed softly, some pecks and everything in the middle as she guides them to his room, stumbles against some furniture that makes her laugh and keeps going until they are close to the bed. Aiko pushed him and he made a sound when his back touched his bed, and she got on top of him. He expected her to lay down to keep kissing him, but he sees how she stares at him and how her right hand rested on his cheek. Her thumb caresses his cheek for a couple of seconds in silence before talking very softly, which makes him stare at him in awe as she does that.

— Thanks for staying with me for another year.

The way she says those words makes his heartbeat increase the rhythm, not knowing how to respond to such softness coming from her. He swallowed to calm himself down, always falling for her when she gets like this.
His hands move to put them on her hips, holding her softly but slightly tight at the same time.

— You don’t have to thank me, Aiko — he speaks in the same tone as her —, I should be the one thanking you for loving me, despite everything I put you in.

Aiko stares at him in silence for other seconds before laying down against him, making Toshinori getting tense for how she makes him feel when she lays her weight on him. His hands slide over her back, hugging her as he ignores the physical effect he has for her, and Aiko was about to say “I love you” for what he said to her, but she falls asleep.

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Aiko is resting on Toshinori’s bed, wearing only his shirt and her underwear. She rolls at the left side, checking her stump from her amputated arm for a few seconds before shutting her eyes again, only opening them when she hears his footsteps on the floor to see that Toshinori is sitting besides her. His hand reached her head to caress her hair.

— Are you tired?

She hums as an answer, closing her eyes and enjoy the feeling of his big hand over her hair. It calms her more than she is.

Toshinori smiles and lays down besides her, pulling her against him by his arms. They stay like this for half an hour since they fall asleep, and the first to wake up it was Toshinori, which he sneaks out the bed to not wake her up. Before he leaves, he takes a look to her, tuck her body a little more with the blankets and leaves to return with the paperwork.

It didn’t pass ten minutes from doing his work that he saw Aiko appearing all of the sudden in his kitchen, with a blanket around her body and a tired face which makes him to smile.

— Hey, honey, are you going to eat something?

The brunette stares at him in silence before making a sound and starting to move where the chair are. She moves them, lining them on a line, she lay down on them and keep resting there. This makes Toshinori looks at her amused.

— Um… Aiko… aren’t you uncomfortable?

She stays quiet.

— I miss you.

That simple answer makes Toshinori chuckles a bit.

— And don’t you want to wait me in bed? — he asks with a sly smile as he keeps looking down at her —.

— No — her frowned brows and eyes closed —, you’re not going now.

Her complain makes him grin and rest his hand over her head.

— Don’t take too much time, Toshi.

He huffs air from his nostrils, finding it so endearing how much she wants to spend time with him. He’s going to check a few more exams before taking Aiko between his arms to his bedroom; she’s going to love that gesture.

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She was busy with some tasks for a video game that she’s creating with a team she’s part of. She didn’t expect to be able to do such things like music, programming and drawing almost at the same time, but even if she’s proud of that, she’s also exhausted. She doesn’t have to finish everything right now, and despite that it was a lot, what she couldn’t stand, it was how unbearable her colleagues are to her and that makes her complain as Toshinori listens.

— I mean, if you wanted to sound like that, you should tell me before I started creating it!

Toshinori hums, knowing that she wants to be listened more than finding a solution. They have this type of conversation on many occasions.

— How much time do you have to end it? I mean, the game.

— A few months…

She sighs and passes her hands over her face as Toshinori moves to stand beside her, looking down at her distressed state. His left hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing it softly in a supportive way.

— There isn't much time left, you can do it.

His words make her smile and shift her head up to look at him, making an approval noise, but she doesn’t change her position, like she was waiting for something. Toshinori realized this after three seconds, and he leans down to kiss her lips, making her smile, feeling how her stress was melting away. The kiss didn’t endure too much, but it was enough to make her feel more calmed than minutes ago.

— Nooo... — she protested, seeing how he doesn’t move completely away from her face — it’s not enough.

Her comment makes him chuckle under his breath.

— Do you want more?

She nodded.

— I deserve it, you must pamper me.

This makes Toshinori mover a bit away to laugh and not disturb her with the sound of his laughter.

— Is that how it works? — He asks with a sly smile.

— It is — Aiko imitates his smirk —, you pamper me, and I pamper you back.

— Mh… that sound fair.

Toshinori cut the distance between their faces to kiss her again for a couple of seconds, and Aiko stopped the kiss to search for her earphones.

— Give me an opinion of that.

She gave him the earphones and let him hear what she creates, and before they knew, they spent the time checking and talking about what she did all morning.

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Aiko always searches for Toshinori’s touch, more than him with her since he’s more verbal than physical when it comes to Aiko. At least in the beginning of their relationship, since Toshinori loves to have Aiko very near to him, Aiko needs to touch Toshinori. Maybe it was because as a child, she never received so much parental affection from her parents, her father was always away from home and her mother... was difficult to interact, to say at least. When it comes to her sisters, every one of them was dealing with her own personal struggles, and Aiko didn't want to bother anyone with the neediness that she was dealing with, always standing by everyone's needs except her since it wasn't a big deal, it wasn't important, she doesn't have to be that way. She must be perfect at obeying to not disturb anyone with her presence, even if no one of her family thought that, except her mother. Her mother always hated that Aiko had a quirk, and she was very aware of that, but she never said that to anyone until she lived in Musutafu and some events came out of nowhere towards her and her quirk. And of course, she told Toshinori when their friendship increased and they trusted each other with some personal things.

Today, Aiko was starving for her boyfriend's presence, so, she leaves her stuff on the computer and go to find him, which she searched directly at his room. He was sitting on his bed, reading, but he stopped doing it when he heard Aiko there, making him smile.

— Hi, love.

She doesn’t say anything and crawls over the bed to reach him, and when she does, she curls like a puppy at his side. This makes him chuckle and put his book down over his lap, as one of his hands started to caress her back up and down.

— What is it? Something happened?

Aiko denied snuggling her forehead against his hip. Toshinori stares at her for a while as she stays in silence, but before he says anything, he returns his attention to his book and never stopped caressing her back. He sensed that she isn't going to speak, knowing very well when she gets nonverbal to him, it usually is because she's dealing with a lot of stuff in her head, so, she let her be without stopping caressing her back.
Toshinori couldn't help but get rid of his book to get down to his bed to pulling her against his chest in a hug, staying in silence as Aiko nuzzles and let him cuddle her.

Aiko always feels safe with Toshinori, since the beginning of their friendship and now that they're a couple, not being able to imagine her to be in a better place than his arms.

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— It’s not a dog. I mean, it looks like a dog, but it isn’t — Aiko snorted —. I don’t know how people keep saying that.

She drank her latte and bite her scone before returning with her talk.

— It was hilarious.

Toshinori smiled at her and looked down where the “dog” was, standing right at her feet and staring up at him with those dot eyes and that three shaped mouth. He finds it cute how Aiko’s quirk has this shape, all rounded with stick four legs and a tail with the shape of a triangle.

— I realized it… that it expresses just like you.

— Huh?

Aiko’s expression makes him huff a soft chuckle.

— Yeah, when you’re happy, “he” looks happy, when you’re sad, “he” behaves sad, and when you get frustrated, “he” disappears.

She stares at him before looking down at her meal, remembering those times where her quirk expressed the same emotions as her, but she can’t recall because she never paid attention to that before and now she wonders if it was always like that.

— I think it’s a new thing — she looks up at Toshinori —, when I was a kid, my quirk always “smiled” to me, even if I was sad or mad. It also did it when I made it disappear for a while when I pretended, I didn’t have a quirk.

Aiko looks down to find the creature, which it stares at her back with the same cheerful expression, and it makes her pout and extends her hands to it.

— Sorry, baby — she sees how her little “animal” hops to her lap and stays there, looking at her —, you didn’t deserve that.

She patted the little back as she said that. Toshinori stares in silence their interaction, how sweet Aiko is with her own quirk and the way he regrets her decisions towards her own self. He smiles and decides to not say anything to not break her moment.

Chapter Text

Despite Aiko is a very sociable person, there are times when she’s very shameful and doesn’t like to be the center of attention. At least with things that she doesn’t usually do, and one of them is dancing.

Aiko likes to dance, but it’s limited to some moves and in the privacy of her house when no one is watching, since she thinks she doesn’t have absolute control of her entire body like the dancers do, obviously.

Both of them were invited to a party and they were having so much fun with the group on the table, until Hizashi put some music when someone asked Aiko if she ever danced and she said that the last time she danced in some kind of party it was when she was an adolescent, and that fact only makes Hizashi to bother her, saying to do something good to herself and feel the music through her body. At Aiko’s despair to get rid from Hizashi’s request, Toshinori says that he would like to dance with her, if she wants that. Aiko accepts, relieved, and stands up to bring Toshinori with her.

They were body to body, hand in hand and moving their body softly at the music’s rhythm. Thankfully, it was slow.

Aiko didn’t speak until some seconds passed, chuckling under her breath, making Toshinori look at her curiously.

— I wonder when you’re going to stop being my first in something.

Toshinori blushed a bit, remembering a few things that they did when they started dating, and he smiled.

— Have you ever been taken to dance?

The brunette denied with her head.

— Not like this.

After her answer, Toshinori pulled her carefully against his body with his arm, and they only kept dancing with joy in their chests.

Chapter Text

One time, Toshinori took Aiko with her to some place, only to show her where the location was. He mentioned it some weeks ago and now that this is his free time, he wanted to show her as an excuse to spend time with her. 

There was a moment, when they were talking about something, Toshinori and some woman with dark green hair stopped on their tracks, greeting politely and started talking with each other like it’s been a while since the last time they spoke. Toshinori presented Aiko and Inko, which they greet in a polite manner too, as Toshinori mentioned that she was Midoriya’s mother. 

After that fact, Aiko started to sense something on air and she wasn’t sure what it was, but it makes her chest feel tight at the second she started to think as she watched them. 

Why am I feeling like this?

Like… this is… right. 

She keeps staring and thinking about why she’s feeling something she can’t recall. It wasn’t jealousy because their interaction is polite, almost soft to watch. 

Aiko thinks that this could be because she seems more mature, knowing that she’s a mother, which implies that she’s older than her and it’s more approachable at Toshinori’s age. And they look good together, more believable than her fantasy with her and Toshinori. Her heart aches and she smiles to Inko when she leaves, getting back at her thoughts about this crush she have for Toshinori is just a fantasy, something that would never transcend to something more than friendship, just a ridiculous crush that is one sided and it will stay like that, like all her previous romantic interests that passed in her entire life. Besides, what could a twenty-five-year-old virgin woman gives to him? There isn’t experience enough or worth at her age to a man that is in his fifty. Liking a man like him, so mighty, so kind, it was too good to be true. 

If at least she was forty… 

Toshinori looks at her, asking if she was alright, and she smiles saying that she was good. 

Chapter Text

Aiko really loves Toshinori, so damn much that it was hard for her to stay away from him now that they’re finally dating. Besides, it’s her first boyfriend! She can’t contain her excitement at being able to touch him, caress him, kiss him, and the best part, hugging him. She has a thing for physical touch as much as him, fortunately. Of course, her favorite part of the day was when it ended it, because it means going to bed and being able to glue on him like a koala; Toshinori finds Aiko’s behavior so cute.

There are times when she goes to bed when he’s already there, since Aiko likes to slide under the sheets to crawl over his body, making Toshinori laugh before trapping her between his legs and arms. He usually moves his head down to see her face started popping from the beginning of the sheet, and he kisses her forehead to earn a giggle from her. That fulfils his heart with pure joy as they cuddle on his bed, like every night since they started dating.

Chapter Text

— Oh gosh, guys — Aiko giggles as she speaks to her three sisters —, you don’t know how good he kisses me.

Aiko blushes as she feels her heartbeat increasing like she never felt before.

— Every time we kiss, it’s like… magic, for real — as she speaks, she remembers how he uses to kiss her, making her smile wide —. It’s so… perfect. Besides it’s crazy how it makes me feel so safe, so… seen.

There was a specific day that they kissed on the counter of his kitchen, how Toshinori looked right into her eyes after every peck he gave to her and she started. Her skin prickled at the memory and kept explaining her sisters how it feels living with him, being one of the vivid moments she ever felt and it only makes her love him more in his absence. Toshinori makes her feel so safe, so loved and so seen with his words, his touches and his kisses. Aiko never expected to kiss someone she loves and that experience it was enough to feel her vulnerability kicking in, remembering those times she trusted him with her entire heart, her soul, and tears comes to her eyes, starting to cry and saying how much she loves him. Her sisters got closer to reassuring her with words and caresses over her back. Aiko chuckles and swallows.

— I wish I had never lost my arm to feel him with my hand! — She gestures with her left prosthetic hand as she smiles, sniffing. — I swear, that man is my salvation and thinking that is so wonderful and weird at the same time — she pauses, thinking for a moment —. Love is so weird.

Her own words make her tingles on her chest, and she leans between the sisters that are closer to her. She sighs, thinking how lucky she is right now, being around those she loved and being able to feel how it is to fall in love.

She can’t ask for something better.

Chapter Text

Toshinori was very nervous about that day. The day he was going to meet Aiko’s family. He isn’t sure if it was a good idea, but considering that he’s her boyfriend, the very first one, he must to meet them properly. Despite how his brain never stopped thinking that he’ll be rejected by them thanks to the huge age gap between them, but Aiko is there to reassure him with some words and holding his hand when she sensed his nervousness.

When they arrived at her family’s house, he was received with an amount of gasps. Not because of his looks, but that she was dating All Might from all people.

The evening was great, making him feel very welcomed despite the surprised glares towards him, the one who chatted the most was her father. It was… weird, but at the same time it felt right chatting with someone around his age, a little more older than him, which it surprises him. Toshinori could see and feel how Aiko was very appreciated on her family, making him sense a huge relieve for her, knowing that she could rely with so many people, except for her mother.

Aiko’s sisters weren’t so chatty except for two of them, the eldest ones. One of them couldn’t stop making questions about how they met and when they started dating, and the other one asked about his health and over his actual career. Now he gets why Aiko is a bit of everything. But then, when they were eating, it comes the coughs and the blood, making her family to preoccupied for him. Aiko attended him so fast that everything was on check really quickly, but for Toshinori was an eternity. No matter how much he apologized, he couldn’t get rid off the embarrassment and the guilt for his condition, for how Aiko doesn’t have an arm thanks to him, and—.

— Toshi, breath with me.

Aiko’s voice makes him stop thinking and start letting being guided for her soft tone and the caresses from her prosthetic hand over his back, seeing how her father put his dish away to give him more space and one of her sisters bring some napkins as other ones asked if they could help. He's surrounded with such kindness that makes him forget for a moment the pain from his lungs.

When everything settled down, he apologized and he was dismissed for everyone there, saying that he doesn’t need to worry for nothing and the dinner keep going when he assure them that it wasn’t necessary to visit any hospital, since it’s an usual thing.

The dinner ended a few hours ago and now that both are at his place, in bed, he could express the embarrassment that was hanging on his chest, saying to Aiko that he ruined everything. Toshinori felt Aiko’s bare weight on him, and how his hands, that were on his face, were moving apart.

— Stop saying that — she complain —, everything was perfect.

Aiko doesn’t let him to reply her, leaning down to kiss his lips.

— They admire you, Toshinori. — She sighs softly. — There’s no way you could ruin something because we got through a lot before we met you.

That reminder makes him sigh, closing his eyes.

— I… I know, I’m sorry--.

Aiko’s hands over his face makes him open his eyes to look at her.

— I know that you could feel this way, you wanted it to be perfect, but you did nothing wrong. Everything is okay.

She smiled at him before moving out from him to lay besides him, getting welcomed at his side by one of his arms hugging her, making him think how lucky he is.

Chapter Text

They were invited to a Halloween party and Toshinori was excited only because he could wear a match outfit for tonight. On the other hand, Aiko wasn’t feeling enthusiastic about it, since parties weren’t something she likes a lot, but she makes exceptions like tonight and only because she loves to hang out with Toshinori at everywhere they could.

Party was fine for now, there was a lot of people, but there are also Toshinori’s colleges which Aiko is glad only because she knows them. For at least a bit.

Toshinori and Aiko were chatting with some people, one of them is Miss Joke.

— Oh! Skeleton outfit! — She pointed at them, and they smile, making some comments about it. — You’re almost there to become a real one, Toshinori! — And she laughs.

Toshinori didn’t mind, but Aiko looks at her dead in the eye after she was in disbelief. It’s not like she didn’t know her and her joking tendencies, but it offended her either way. She stays in silence, not replaying at anything for a long moment, only to avoid making a scene or say something rude , considering how angry she was; Toshinori notices his demeanor, but he don’t say anything to not making her feel more upset than she already was.

The party keeps going and everyone is having fun except for Aiko, but at this point she’s faking smiles and everything as she figures how to calm down. She wanted to go to where that woman is and speak her mind out, but she doesn’t do that because she didn’t want to harm Toshinori’s image, since he’s a teacher like Miss Joke. Everything started to feel so much, making her think that is probably she would leave there before she does something stupid, but then, Toshinori guides her to a lonely corner to speak to her.

— Ai, are you alright?

She looks away, trying to not burst into him.

— Kinda…

— What is it? — His hands holds her arms to express support and it makes her sighs.

— It was that joke… about your outfit.

Toshinori tries to remember what joke she’s referring to, until it comes to his mind.

— Ohh, that! But Aiko, it was just a joke. — He smiles and caress her arms up and down.

Aiko’s brows frowned at his words.

— It wasn’t for me, I didn’t like that.

They keep talking about that over a few minutes before returning to the party, not reaching an agreement with their respective points of view.

At the rest of the event, they were clouded with thoughts as they keep enjoying themselves at the same time. Aiko was wondering if she was exaggerating and Toshinori thinks if he invalidates her with his opinion.

When they get to Toshinori’s car, he speaks when she was about to turn on the radio.

— Aiko.

She looks at him, curious and without any sign of resentment.

— Sorry… about earlier.

Aiko listens to him, feeling relived at the sound of his apology.

— I didn’t intend to brush you off, it’s just that I don’t mind people joking about my age--.

— It’s not about that — she interrupted him and immediately apologized to him —. It’s not that, it’s about that I almost lost you in that war — her gaze moves down at that event and Toshinori’s chest feels tight for a second at that memory and how she keeps feeling bad about that after all this time —, and I can’t help it but… getting angry. I-I can’t control it, I’m sorry.

Toshinori moves his torso forward to pull her into a hug, one uncomfortable, but he didn’t minded.

— Don’t apologize, Ai — he murmured —. I’m the one who’s sorry.

They stay like that for a while, comforting on each other presence in that not cozy hug.