Izuku Midoriya walked side by side with them, his heart pounding in his chest for reasons that had little to do with the brisk December air. His hands, shoved into his coat pockets, were clammy despite the chill. When he’d worked up the courage to ask them to join him on this outing, he hadn’t actually expected them to say yes. But here they were, walking beside him, chatting casually as they made their way toward the small shop known for selling limited-edition All Might merchandise.

They’d been close since their first days at UA, supporting each other through exams, training, and late-night study sessions. But lately, something had shifted—a tension that lingered in the spaces between their words, in the way their eyes lingered just a little too long. Izuku wasn’t sure how to name it, and truthfully, it terrified him. What if addressing it ruined everything? So he didn’t. Instead, he clung to moments like this, where he could be near them, even if he didn’t quite know how to say all the things he was feeling.

As they approached the shop, his excitement began to bubble over, momentarily eclipsing his nerves. “I heard they’re releasing a new replica of All Might’s first hero costume today!” he said, the words tumbling out with his usual enthusiasm. “It’s supposed to be incredibly detailed—even down to the stitching!” His face lit up, the kind of unfiltered joy that came whenever he talked about his idol.