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It was a beautiful day at Takoba beach. The sun was shining, the waves were calm, and the water wasn’t too cold. It was the kind of picturesque scene you might find on a post card. Right now though, a scream echoed across the shore, shattering the peaceful atmosphere.
“Izuku, get your ass back here! I was sunbathing!” an ash blonde girl screeched as she chased her boyfriend into the sea.
Normally Izuku Midoriya would be at school, but not today. Instead of enjoying his vacation however, he was currently running for his life. He was fast, but an angry Himiko Toga was faster.
“Come on Himi, it’s the first day of summer! Have mercy, please!” he screamed with a grin on his face as he dashed across the beach. Izuku made it out of the water, but it was too late. Himiko pounced on his back and he collapsed onto the sand.
“No,” she said with a wicked grin, “I told you I didn’t want to get wet yet. For your penance, you have to carry me bridal style for five minutes.”
“Fine,” he mock pouted as she got off of him so he could get up. Soon enough Himiko was in his arms, safely above the waterline as he waded. They wandered, joking and laughing until his watch started beeping.
“Looks like your time is up,” he said with a mischievous grin.
“Ok, just put me down on the-Izu? Izu, what are you doing?” she asked in alarm as he walked deeper into the sea. A shriek pierced the air as she was dropped into the water. In less than a second, she came back up smacking him and hissing at the waves like a feline. Her yellow eyes nearly glowed as her pupils constricted into slits making her look even more cat-like then usual.
“I’m going to kill you,” she said as she ran back onto the sand.
“But we need to eat lunch,” he shot back with a laugh.
“Ok fine! Looks like you get to live for a couple more minutes,” she huffed, shooting him a glare that had no heat behind it.
Izuku opened the cooler by their towels, passing his girlfriend her sandwich and pig’s blood/tomato juice shake. They spread out on their towels as they nibbled on their food. A comfortable silence filled the space as they simply held each other.
“I still can’t believe you cleaned all of this,” Himiko said, looking at the beach in admiration. It completely boggled her how he was able to change a complete junkyard into a local gem within the span of only ten months.
“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” he responded as he blushed at the praise.
“Hey! This beach was a complete dump before you! The view is gorgeous, the shells here are beautiful, and I doubt anyone would have been able to do what you did. Plus, what have I told you about negative self-talk or underselling your hard work?” she said with a frown.
“Three times around you and I have to tell you 10 things I love about myself,” Izuku said with a sigh.
“That’s right, you’re on strike two. One more time and I will make you do 20 instead.” Himiko said, her eyes giving a soul-piercing stare. The mental damage done to the love of her life infuriated her. It was getting better, but a decade of bullying and abuse couldn’t be undone in only a few months.
“Sorry Himi.”
“It’s ok,” she replied as her smile returned, “I’m going to tan some more. Do you want to join me?”
“Later,” he said as he rose, “I need to do something first.”
While Himiko relaxed on her towel, Izuku was on a quest. Along with her impressive knife collection, Himiko was beginning an accumulation of seashells. She had all sorts of cones, limpets, and other shells he could never hope to name. He wanted to find something special for her.
After more than thirty minutes of scouring the beach, he was about to give up, seeing no sign of a shell worthy of Himiko. As he scanned the beach one last time, something caught his eye. He quickly grabbed the shell and began his inspection. It was a gorgeous curly shell with a black and white pattern. At nearly 10 inches with a fleshy pink inside, it was perfect! Euphoria filled him as he speed-walked back to their spot.
He saw Himiko perk up at his approach and his heart skipped a beat as she gained a toothy smile. He knew he would always wonder what he did to deserve her.
“Someone’s in a good mood, what happened,” she asked, noticing his excitement.
“I found something for you,” he said as he blushed, eagerness not stopping him from feeling a bit foolish. With little pomp, he presented the shell and her eyes lit up.
"I’ve been looking for a Triton’s Trumpet forever! It's so pretty." Himiko said as she examined it, "Have you been looking for it this whole time?"
"Yeah," he said sheepishly, "Do you like it?"
"I love it," she said with a bright smile, cupping his face as she brought him in for a kiss.
A day of relaxation well spent indeed.