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It's late in the evening one winter night as Nejire Hado makes her way to her best friends room, her boyfriend at her side walking with her. She insisted she’d be fine walking herself, but he insisted, and who was she to turn down a few more minutes spent with her boyfriend.
They walk in a comfortable silence, before making it to Yuyu’s room, Nejire knocking on the door excitedly.
Truthfully, she doesn’t need to knock, her and Yuyu are close enough that they can just burst into each other's rooms without question, but she figured if she were with Tamaki it’d be more suited to knock.
Yuyu answers, shooting her a confused look before noticing Tamaki besides her, who shoots her an awkward wave.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” She says, turning and pecking him on the cheek, giggling as his face flushed red, a timid smile making its way onto his face.
“Goodnight,” He simply responds, Nejire noticing the look Yuyu shoots him as he makes his way down the hall out of sight.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Nejire and Yuyu are really close, this was a given, how close though was undetermined by others. In Nejire’s words, they’re so close that they can literally sense each other's emotions. This was most evident now, about twenty minutes into their sleepover after their second game of Mario Kart, Nejire can practically hear something going off in her best friend's mind.
“Something on your mind Yuyu?”
“Isn’t it kind of weird how Amajiki never tells you he loves you?” She says bluntly.
Immediately, she feels herself tense, her friend's words taking a moment to process in her mind before she responds.
“Well, maybe he just isn’t there yet.”
Yuyu raises an eyebrow.
“Do you?”
“Huh?”
“Do you love him?
“Of course I do.”
“And have you told him?”
Nejire nods eagerly.
The other girl raises another eyebrow, her face fixed on a scowl.
“I don’t like that.”
“Like what?”
“That!! The fact that you can say so easily that you love him, and you’ve told him and he still hasn’t said it back!! What if he isn’t as serious as you are?”
“Yuyu…”
“Nejire, I…”
Yuyu shrugs, her shoulders slumping and face falling.
“I know Amajiki’s a great guy but still, that.” She pauses, inhaling a breath. “Ever since you guys started dating six months ago I had this fear, I know it’s probably stupid but just the idea of it makes my blood boil.” Another pause. “I just don't want you getting hurt, I don’t know what i’d do if you got your heartbroken.”
Nejire can feel a small smile form on her face at her friends' words. Truly the idea of Tamaki breaking her heart never crossed her mind, she just couldn’t see him as the type of guy that would do anything like that, but clearly Yuyu still had that worry, and as upsetting as the thought was, she still appreciated the concern.
“Aw, Yuyu,” She says, taking her friend's face in her hands. “That’s not stupid at all!! I'm glad you’re concerned about me like that.”
“Of course I am dummy, you’re my best friend.”
“I know, but, Tamaki wouldn’t hurt me, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Another small frown falls on her face.
“But he still hasn’t told you he loves you.”
Her face falls a little at the thought. Yeah, that was true, he hadn’t, and she hadn’t thought of that fact till now. To her, loving Tamaki came so easy she hadn’t noticed until she had fallen completely in love with him. In a very Nejire fashion, she was blunt and upfront about it, telling him practically the moment she had realized it herself three months ago, and in a very Tamaki fashion his face flushed tomato red as he stuttered out something between a ‘thank you’ and a ‘you’re amazing’ which was weird, but not unexpected.
From there, their relationship only grew into what they have now but at the same time, so many things stayed the same, including the fact that Tamaki had yet to tell her he loves her and even despite that, from day one there wasn’t a moment she was with him where she didn’t feel loved.
Man, this was interesting.
“I know,” She finally huffs, perking up as another thought reran through her head. “But I still think he loves me.”
Yuyu raises another eyebrow, this one a little more excited.
“In fact,” Nejire says, a hint of snarkiness in her tone. “I’d go as far as to say I know he loves me.”
Now Yuyu huffs out a laugh.
“How so?”
~~~~~~~~~~~
The first memory she gets is from their first month together, a warm summer night they had spent working overtime with their work studies only to retreat back to the comfort of their homes, video calling each other the moment they got home, Nejire rambling endlessly about her day and work while Tamaki listened attentively, a small smile etched on his face.
“You know, i’ve always wondered what it’d be like if you ate a person,” She had blurted out randomly, watching as Tamaki nearly dropped his phone out of shock.
“What?!”
“Or like drank their blood, would you be able to manifest their characteristics? Or even their quirk?!”
For the first time ever, she heard him giggle, quiet and unreserved. She swore her heart lept in her chest.
“Well I guess logically i’d be able to manifest their looks, quirk is a little trickier though.”
“Maybe we should test it out one day.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Not like that silly!!” She squeaked. “We always get beaten up on missions, maybe next time I can try and save some of the blood I lose.”
“And have me drink it?”
“Yeah!! See if you can manifest my hair, or my eyes.”
“If I manifested your eyes it’d make it a lot easier for me to get lost in them.”
Her thoughts completely freeze, a small blush forming on her face at the cheesy remark.
Tamaki visibly blushes from the other screen as well, eyes wide as if he couldn’t believe he said what he said.
“Anyway,” Nejire says right before letting out a loud yawn. “We should do that sometime, but i’m really tired right now, i’ll see you tomorrow huh?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow, goodnight.”
Nejire knocks out the moment the call ends.
The next morning she checks her phone instinctively, shocked to see a message sent from Tamaki moments after their call had ended.
Sleep well darling, i’ll be dreaming of you, even though you have the craziest thoughts <3
She smiles wide, rereading the message a few times before letting out a loud squeal, dropping her phone onto the bed.
From then there wasn’t a single night she didn’t receive a message (well, except for one).
~~~~~~~~~~~
The next took place another month after that on a night autumn was approaching. They were spending the weekend together and Nejire ultimately decided to spend the night at Tamaki’s house, an idea that Tamaki uncharacteristically had no issue with.
So they had spent the evening playing video games and doing facials (you wouldn’t believe which one was Nejire’s idea) until almost midnight when they decided to finally sleep.
“So, I feel like I should clarify, we’re going to sleep…...together?”
Tamaki dropped his phone in his hand, face burning scarlet as Nejire felt a blush of her own creep on as she realized her own words.
“I-I um-”
“Not like that!!” She exclaims, grabbing the pillow besides her and pressing her face into it before letting out a laugh.
“Oh thank god,” Tamaki breathes out, picking his phone up off the floor and placing it on the nightstand. “I’m not exactly ready for that.”
“Don’t worry, me either.”
“Good.”
A very awkward pause followed.
“I’m sorry, i’ve made this awkward,” Nejire gets out, pressing her face back into her hands.
“It’s alright, we’re probably going to have a handful of awkward encounters together.”
“Yeah…”
“Anyway, um, we can share the bed if you want to.”
“I do!!” She says, probably a little too enthusiastically. “As long as you want to.”
“I do,” Tamaki responds meekly.
No other words are exchanged, only two equally adorable smiles as they settled in under the covers, muttering a small ‘goodnight’ before clicking off the lamp and allowing sleep to overtake them.
Nejire was awoken with the distinct feeling of fingers running through her hair, threading themselves through her crazy long strands.
“How did I get so lucky finding you?”
She barely hears it, his voice a mere whisper in her ear where she rests, cuddled up against his chest. Still in her half awake state, a smile finds its way onto her lips as she snuggles closer to him, relaxing in the warmth and comfort he gives off, eventually drifting back to sleep.
That was the first and only night she didn’t receive a message
~~~~~~~~~~~
The third was probably the closest he actually got to saying it without actually saying it.
She was fortunately and unfortunately fully awake this time.
Fortunately because she actually got to hear the words while fully conscious but unfortunately because she was in a lot of pain after the mission she had gone on.
The villains she fought weren't the hardest she’s faced, but they put up a big fight, leaving her in the hospital littered with bruises and some minor head trauma but still relatively fine, no need to worry. Well atleast in her opinion.
Her friends however…
“Hado!!” Toogata shouted as he burst into her hospital room, falling over in the doorway as he burst the door open, causing her to let out a loud snort before he stumbled his way over, gathering her in a hug.
A just as panicked Yuyu made her way in a few moments later, equipped with a small bottle of jasmine tea that Nejire would definitely be drinking later.
A few minutes later another familiar figure arrived, slowly making his way in and taking a seat on her hospital bed.
Yuyu and Toogata excused themselves to give them some space, Tamaki taking her face in his hand.
“You had me so worried.”
“I’m sorry,” She responds, uncharacteristically quiet.
He doesn’t respond, brushing a few loose strands of hair behind her ear before pulling her into a deep hug.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t.”
The words sent a jolt through her heart, a soft smile appearing on her face.
She doesn't respond, carding her fingers through his hair and planting a kiss to the side of his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The final one took place just half an hour before this conversation.
Another finished day of hero work and they were making their way to Yuyu’s dorm hand in hand.
“And that's when Ryukuu finally told me I could go, but that officer was being so unreasonable, ugh it was infuriating.”
She glances over at him, catching a very distinct look in his eye that makes her heart race.
“What is it?” She asks.
“Oh, nothing, it’s just,” He pauses, turning and facing her. “I swear i’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
The words come out so naturally, as if it's what he thinks every time he sees her, in fact, a part of her believes that’s actually the case.
So when he says it, right before placing a gentle kiss to her lips, she remembers, she finally understands the message behind it.
She can’t help her own smile, gripping his hand tighter before bringing it to her lips and placing a soft kiss to it.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“I’ll walk with you,” He insists.
“Oh that’s alright Tamaki, you don't have to,” She replies.
His head perks up, tilting a little before a small smile forms on his lips.
“I know,” He responds, taking her hand. “But I want to.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
“So how do you know?”
She smiles widely, right as her phone lights up with the familiar message she’d been expecting, not even having to read the contact to know who it’s from.
“He tells me in his own ways.”