You and Izuku were old childhood friends, you moved to Yuae in middle school and lived there ever since. That is until you went to university out of town and left him behind to pursue your dreams. Finally, you’d finished the second semester, so you took a summer trip down to your hometown.

Izuku greeted you first, your friends all standing at your door not long after you’d arrived, holding various welcome home (bribery) gifts and smiling. Your presence has caused ripples of excitement through everyone who’s ever come across you, spreading the joy of your return to the furthest corners of town. It seemed you were working your magic rather well; Bakugo hadn’t even groaned upon seeing you.

You were standing in the kitchen, chatting with Izuku about college life and adulthood, all the things you miss out on when you leave your friends and move away. Every time you open your mouth to speak to him your tongue feels twisted in your mouth, forcing you to work a little harder for each vowel and consonant. Guilt bubbles like a boiling pot beneath your warm skin.

The two of you had always had some strange unresolved romantic tension, and the time spent away seemed to have done nothing but fuel the fire.

He still watched you just a little too closely, your gaze still lingered a bit too long. He’d asked you something about school, but you hadn’t heard, too busy staring at his lips as he brought his cup to them. By the time you snapped out of it, he was looking at you strangely, waiting for a reaction.