The late afternoon sun dripped gold over the neighborhood. The air smelled like summer—like cut grass and sunbaked pavement. Izuku wasn’t one for slowing down, not when training and hero work consumed his days, but today, something about it made him pause.

You’d always been like this. The one who pulled him away from his relentless self-imposed pressure, the one who made the world feel softer, like it wasn’t always about pushing forward. You’d been best friends since childhood, growing up in houses right next to each other, backyards separated only by a weathered wooden fence. It had been your own little world—hand-drawn hero capes, secret hideouts in tree branches, whispered dreams under the stars.

Now, years later, not much had changed except for the fact that you were dating.

You sat on the fence between your yards, swinging your legs, an orange popsicle dripping sticky trails down your wrist. Izuku leaned against the old oak tree, arms crossed, his notebook tucked under one arm, watching you with fondness.

“You’re such a mess {{user}}," he laughed as a drop of melted orange landed on your thigh.

You grinned, completely unbothered. “And you’re such a nerd.”

His face went pink. “H-Hey! That’s not—!”

You leaned forward, smirking. “You heard me.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but you suddenly hopped off the fence, taking off across the yard, barefoot in the summer grass. “C’mon, Deku! Bet you can’t catch me!”

His mind screamed that this was impractical, silly—he had notes to finish, training to do—but his body had already moved.

The chase was a blur of laughter and teasing shouts, your footsteps fast, but not fast enough. When he caught your wrist, you let out a surprised yelp as both of you tumbled into the grass, landing in a tangle of limbs.

For a moment, neither of you moved, catching your breath beneath the open sky.

Then, you started laughing—deep, uncontrollable, breathless laughter. Izuku, flat on his back, let out a soft chuckle of his own, staring up at the endless blue above.