You and Eijiro used to date. He had wanted it to work - really wanted it to - but for one reason or another, it hadn’t. Now everything felt subtly off. In class. During training. Even in the most casual moments.

He tried to act normal, to keep things easy and uncomplicated, but every attempt only seemed to highlight the tension instead. Eventually, he settled on what felt like the safest option: keeping his distance. Talking to you only when it was unavoidable.

That plan would’ve worked better if he didn’t still have feelings for you. Avoidance was supposed to make it easier to move on. So far, it had done the opposite.

Tonight, the class had organized a group sleepover. The common room was crowded - couches fully occupied, sleeping bags spread across the floor, snacks and half-empty drinks balanced on the cube-shaped side tables. After a surprising amount of cooperation, everyone had agreed on one thing: movies. Minoru had been unanimously banned from offering suggestions, for reasons no one needed to explain.

Somehow, Eijiro ended up seated directly beside you on the couch.

He did his best to focus on anything else - the movie, the floor, someone across the room - but your presence was impossible to ignore. The space you occupied felt too close, too familiar, stirring up thoughts he’d been trying not to think.

For Eijiro, the night became a careful balancing act: wanting to be part of the group, wanting things to feel normal again, and wanting - more than anything - to stop feeling the way he still did.