train rides | midoriya izuku

13 | hibernation

AIKO LIKED SUMMER BETTER THAN WINTER

It was only for a moment, but Aiko could feel the abrupt cold breeze brushing the naked ankles of her feet through the cracks of the doors. Though it was a moment the girl had gotten used to, she missed the warmth of summer air and cicada crickets.

Aiko watches the bleak sky adorned with passing withered trees of the once fallen, tiny snowflakes crawling from the edges of the crystalline windows as water droplets raced down to its doom. The once, colourful sky of painted clouds was only replaced by sullen whites as of yesterday as if its purpose was now washed off the blank canvas. It was already the start of winter break, and Aiko had just finished the last phase of her project due today.

At first, there was nothing to look forward to today. Sure, there was hot chocolate waiting for her at home before relishing in the warm blankets wrapped around her dainty, cold body to get rid of the epidemic of winter. The snow was fun, but it's only fun if her school friends weren't living too far away. Or having friendly neighbours.

That was just the first. But now, Aiko had a small, exciting smile on her face as she drew a quick memo on her lap. The girl didn't bring her tablet this time to reduce the risk of breaking one when slipping on ice, especially walking on the way home—she'd fallen about four times without anyone looking now. So, as for the memo, that was another story happening in about two stations.

The smile on her lips grew. For the first time in two months, he was finally going to drop by—not as in just riding the train with the lilac girl, but to finally leave the dorms to visit his mother and her. Ever since the night she was told about the rules of the now boarding-systemic Yuei, the longing desire to see him grew each day, even though he had visited twice now—that one night and a weekend in the midst of fall.

She had received a text from him when she just got out of school, and it's only a rare occasion since getting permission from the school was already hard enough ever since All Might's retirement and Aiko made sure to make those seconds of theirs feel like years.

Aiko looked up from her lap, gaze already fixated at the doors before it slides open, allowing a strong winter breeze to flush in on its way in the train, causing some people to shiver and rub their arms. Despite that, the girl was left unfazed as her heart pounds at the sight of a certain green head, who was now smiling vivaciously at the one and only.

"Aiko-chan!"

She fell in love all over again.

"Izuku.." She grins, staying on her seat to resist the urge to tackle him into a hug.

"Hehe, it's been a while since we saw each other." Izuku simply plops down on the seat beside her while placing his fully packed bag of clothes on the floor. "How are you?"

"I'm good—Accomplished, actually. I just finished my project today so I can finally make use of my break."

"Eh?? Even when the winter break started you were still doing your project? I thought Aiko-chan would finish before it even started because you're talented!"

Aiko blushes and scoffed in an attempt to deny his statement. "N-No way! Well—even if you say that, people still procrastinate, ya know."

"If you say so," he chuckles, eyes flickered to the piece of paper in her hand. "What's that?"

"Oh—uh, it's for, um, for you?" She looks away when she hands him the paper. "I drew it on the way here. I couldn't get anything for you since you told me last minute you were visiting."

"R-Right! Sorry about that.. Thank you." Izuku chuckles again, cheeks red as he unfolds the paper—a doodle of him and her favourite hero. A quivering smile appears on his lips. "Were things okay while I was gone?"

"Yeah. Nothing really traumatizing happened.. Well, I learned how to punch with my dad. I kinda hit him for real though.."

And because of that, Izuku burst into laughter before quickly muffling them with his hands, causing Aiko to laugh as well as the two radiate the warmth they've been craving whenever they were apart, eventually calming down as comfortable silence clouds over them, watching as the sky behind the windows turns dark to twilight.

All was well—their friendship grows into something more that even the exceptionally perceptive Sumire Aiko didn't expect. As she sat there, head in space, the girl never thought they would come this far. She never thought she'd be friends with a certain green boy who only irked her because of his shrub of hair, never thinking of how even in high school, they would meet again over ridiculous chances. Then among being friends, they grew with each moment, each day—making it like they've known each other for years when deep down, they cared. They cared for each other.

And it's crazy, really. When all of this—this friendship, this.. relationship, this love—started with a bus ride.

So with all the thoughts cultivated caused the lilac girl to put on a shy smile to herself as she glanced at the boy whom she admired like the way she looked at the world of art. He seemed to sense her amethyst eyes trying to look at his, and he turns, causing a small rush of heat to engulf his freckled cheeks.

He smiled.

Instinctively, Aiko scoots closer, thighs and shoulders touching and bleeding with warmth for each other to beat the weather, leaning her head on his shoulder as her heart soars to the sky.

In return, Izuku leans his head on top of hers.