Work Text:
It was late at night on Christmas Eve in Musutafu. The warm glow of the fireplace, and the night sky visible just outside the window, created a cozy atmosphere for Tobita and Aiba. The two of them were sitting on a couch in front of the fireplace, sipping peacefully at cups of tea. They were already dressed in their sleeping attire, in order to be more comfortable as they relaxed by the fire. Their conversation had been light and pleasant thus far, but at one point Aiba gazed into her teacup as a question came to mind.
"Tobita...how do you feel about this time of year?" she asked tentatively, then looked up at Tobita with a calm patience.
He hummed, lowering his cup from his lips and staring out into space as he considered the question. "Well Aiba, I must say that there has always been something magical about it for me, ever since my youth," he responded with a wistful smile. "I'm afraid I haven't experienced a proper Christmas since...I lived with my parents..." His smile faltered and he was quiet for a few moments. Aiba frowned, already knowing about his unfortunate past. Fortunately he brightened up and smiled down at her once more in that sincere way that crinkles the corners of his eyes. "But this year will certainly be more enjoyable, since I finally have company once more."
Aiba looked away as a blush spread across her cheeks. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the prospect of him appreciating her mere presence that much.
"Did your family ever have any holiday traditions, Aiba?" Tobita suddenly asked curiously.
Aiba's revelrie was interrupted as she cringed. In her younger years she had been such a recluse that she didn't even participate in the festivities with her parents. They had tried and failed to convince her to join them for a couple of years, but eventually they gave up.
"Not particularly..." she answered, intentionally vague. She'd rather not think about those times.
Tobita closed his eyes and nodded once. "I see." Then he looked at her again and gave one of charmingly handsome grins. "Well, it seems I will have to show you some of my family's traditions instead," he offered.
Aiba gazed at him with wide eyes and an innocent kind of awe. "That would be...lovely, Tobita," she agreed, holding back a giddy grin.
Tobita chuckled with delight, clearly noticing her excitement at the idea. He took one last sip of his tea before looking at the nearby wall clock. "Ah, I believe it is getting quite late," he noted, then grunted as he slowly stood from the couch. "Since we're both finished with our tea, perhaps we should head off to bed."
Aiba was saddened that their time was over, but she tried to remember that there was always tomorrow. "Yes, let's." She slid down from the couch, making sure not to drop the empty tea cup.
But then Gentle suddenly reached a hand down saying, "Oh, allow me." Aiba's brows raised in surprise at the gesture, and she looked up to see him with that same grin from before. She resisted the urge to squeak at the chivalrous gesture as she handed the cup over without a word.
"You can go ahead and get settled in for the night if you wish," Tobita informed her, and as he turned to head to the kitchen he looked back to tell her one more thing. "I bid you good night, Aiba!"
Aiba clutched the cloth of her night shirt, willing her heart to stop thumping so loudly in her chest. "Good night, Tobita," she replied meekly, then quickly turned away to hide her massive blush and walked rather briskly down the hallway to the bedroom.
Tobita, being the gentleman that he was, had practically insisted that Aiba use his bedroom for sleep while he took the couch. Initially she had been very unsure about it but it didnt take long for her to ease into the arrangement. Especially after realizing how the warm, cozy bed gave her the feeling of being at home.
But standing in the room, Aiba felt she wasn't quite tired enough to want to sleep yet. Her mind was still filled with thoughts of him. She had been with Tobita for a year now, and she couldn't remember the last time she felt so happy and fulfilled. Not to mention, this was the first of hopefully many Christmas Eves that they would spend together.
Aiba smiled soft as she thought about her present for Tobita sitting underneath their tree, neatly wrapped in ice blue paper with a silver bow (since gift-giving was about the only Christmas tradition she was familiar with). It was a box of Gold Tips Imperial, his favorite tea that was incredibly hard to come by. Her entire being tingled as she imagined the shimmer of bewilderment in his eyes and the grin of sincere appreciation. The strings she pulled to get the tea would be worth it just to see that look on his face. And she knew that her present, wrapped in apple red paper with a snow white bow, would be something thoughtful that would make her heart explode with joy.
Such a sweet sentiment kept the thoughts about Tobita coming, and along with the signature pink glow she felt the familiar sensation of her Quirk powering up. Aiba gasped in panic, not realizing that she was relishing that deeply in her own emotions. Without Tobita around, she would need a different outlet before she was harmed by her own Quirk build up - and she knew just the solution.
She hadn't written that kind of letter since...her early youth. But even after that disaster, something about the act alone had always remained so endearingly passionate in her mind. It was also a convenient way of soothing her Quirk's power.
As Aiba frantically glanced around the room, her attention was caught by what she saw on his work desk. Tobita had a rather pretty fountain pen, navy blue with silver accents, along with a small black ink well. (Such an old-fashioned writing utensil seemed very fitting for him, despite his desire to appeal to modern society.) There was also a neat stack of simple, cream-colored stationery.
He had once told her that she was free to use these supplies at any time she wanted. She supposed there was no time like the present.
With her task in mind, Aiba swiftly climbed onto the wooden chair, having plenty of practice with that action. Once she was sitting properly, she pulled the supplies towards her and pulled the pen out of the ink well with a determined expression.
It took her a few tries to get the pen to work properly, but once she was confident in her ability to write with it she flipped to a fresh blank page. As soon as the pen hit the paper, the words practically began to come out on their own accord. She focused rather intensely on the ink scribbling across the stationery, completely ignoring the passing time and the way the pink glow slowly dissapated.
Eventually Aiba wrote the last word and carefully dropped the pen back in the well. Then she held up the stationary, reading over her own words with a content smile:
To My Dearest Tobita,
Once upon a time, I was cold and alone. The world was a sea of darkness. I was swimming with no direction, no purpose, no destination. I was on the very verge of surrendering myself to that darkness.
But everything changed on that fateful day when I finally found the light. And that light was you.
Your elegance and charm drew me in. Your eloquence captivated me the longer I listened to what you had to say. And when I realized you were determined to change this cruel world for the better, I made it my mission to find you and prove to you that I could help you achieve your vision.
When I arrived on your doorstep, you did not turn me away like those from my past. Instead you welcomed me with a silent understanding. And then from that moment on you did everything you could to make me feel like I was important. To make me feel like I belonged.
All of this is to say one thing. You are the greatest gift I've ever received. I could not imagine living without your guidance and your kindness. And I promise I will do everything in my power to ensure that you never regret what you've done for me.
Yours Forever and Always,
Aiba Manami
She inhaled as she hugged the letter to her chest, the physical embodiment of her most genuine feelings, then she let out a long, dreamy sigh. After a couple of minutes Aiba finally folded the letter into a neat rectangle. Even before writing the letter she had already decided what to do. Yes, he was helping her overcome the pain from that rejection and the scars it left behind. But she was not yet ready for him to know how deeply her feelings for him ran. Maybe she would give the letter to him sometime in the future. For now, it simply felt good to have these things written out.
Aiba brought the letter with her as she climbed off of the chair. She yawned as she walked towards the bed; the fatigue was dinally starting to kick in, probably thanks to her Quirk. She moved the comforter aside and climbed onto the bed, then she pulled it snugly over her body. She slipped the letter under the pillow and nuzzled into the mattress.
It didn't take long before she was drifting off to slumber with a serene smile.