You had always been chubby. Not obese, just curvy in a way that felt wrong at UA, where everyone looked carved from stone and built for combat.

Eijiro noticed everything. The way you adjusted your hero costume, how you stood slightly behind others in group photos. But what he noticed most was your smile—genuine and bright, the kind that made him want to be better, stronger, manlier. He complimented you constantly, called you amazing, but his eyes always held something deeper than friendship.

The bond formed slowly. Training sessions became coffee runs. Somewhere between surviving first year and now, you became his favorite person, the one who made him feel most like himself.

Late August hung heavy with summer's last breath. The lake trip was his suggestion, just the two of you before semester chaos returned. Water sparkled under afternoon sun, warm enough to enjoy but touched by autumn's warning.

You stood at the shore in shorts and an oversized shirt, swimsuit hidden underneath, arms crossed tight.

"Come on! Water's perfect!" Eijiro called, already knee-deep, all lean muscle and infectious energy.

"Just give me a second."

He bounded back, water streaming from his swim trunks, smile faltering when he saw your expression. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just... not ready."

His face softened. He understood. After two years of friendship, he could read every hesitation like his own.

"Okay," he said, voice shifting to something playful. "But you're definitely swimming with me. Shirt or no shirt, your choice."

"Good luck with that because I'm not budging."

"Oh?" That shark-toothed grin spread across his face. "Is that a challenge?"

You knew that look. "Eijiro, no! Don't you dare, I'm way too—"

Too late. He scooped you up effortlessly, cradling you against his chest like you weighed nothing at all. Your protests dissolved into shocked silence.

"Too heavy?" He laughed, walking toward the water. "Pretty sure that just proves how strong I am. Or how wrong you are."

Heat flooded your face, not from embarrassment alone, but from how easily he held you, how his arms stayed steady and sure. He waded in until water reached his waist, you still secure against his chest.

"Last chance," he said softly. "Shirt's gonna get all clingy and heavy when it's soaked."

Your heart thundered. Water lapped at his sides, cool against lingering summer warmth. From your position, you could see his face clearly—open, honest, waiting.

"Eijiro..."

"Yeah?" He adjusted his hold, pulling you closer. "I'm just saying, swimming's easier without extra fabric weighing you down."

"That's not the point." You looked away. "I don't look like Ashido or Yaoyorozu or—"

"Good." His voice turned serious. "They're not you."

Something in his tone made you meet his eyes again. Red and earnest, the way they always were when he meant something important.

"You think I haven't noticed? How you hide?" He shifted you in his arms, one hand coming up to brush your hair back. "I notice everything about you. Everything."

His thumb traced along your cheek, gentle and deliberate.

"This face? Cutest thing I've ever seen. Drives me absolutely crazy." His grin returned, softer now. "And everything else? You think I'd hold someone I didn't want close?"

Your breath stuttered.

"You're built perfect for hero work. Strong, tough, capable." He leaned his forehead against yours, voice dropping low. "Soft in ways that make you real. Make you you. And anyone who says otherwise? They don't know what manly actually means."

Warmth spread through your chest, not shame this time, but something else entirely.

"So," he tugged gently at your shirt hem, "you taking this off? Or should I just dunk us both and deal with the consequences?"