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They share a routine, Tsuyu realized. How could they not?
Tsuyu rides the bus 3 times everyday as her primary source of transportation. She didn’t notice it at first, but without fail, the same person is on the bus with her 2 out of 3 of those times.
Now, Tsuyu was very polite and she tried to respect the general rule of privacy while riding a bus, but after a while, he did catch her eye.
He had a bird head (which, in her opinion, was pleasantly unique) and had a very deadpan resting face. No matter the weather, he had a black umbrella with him. When he was sitting, the hook hung loosely on his arm, the body batting against his leg when the bus went over a bump. That made Tsuyu curious, especially because he always seemed to wear long-sleeved black clothing. Does he not get hot? It was currently May, when spring was on its last leg- the cool winds were growing less frequent, signaling that summer was on its way. Tsuyu liked the spring. Everything was so warm and bright and cozy and…
“ Oops ,” she thought to herself. “ Went on a tangent and lost my train of thought. ”
Tsuyu’s been doing that a lot recently. Where was she? Oh yes, the recognizable stranger.
Tsuyu rode the bus in the morning to go to work, in the afternoon for various errands, appointments, and work breaks, and at night to go home. The stranger was there when she came to and from work: umbrella in hand and headphones around his neck. Tsuyu noticed that the man preferred to sit in the shady spots of the bus. That being said, he looked out the window every chance he got to stare at the sky, especially at night. The stars shone in his eyes, and he was absolutely enthralled by them. Sometimes Tsuyu looked too, hoping to see what he was looking for. But she didn’t see anything. She couldn’t understand what was so important, but it must mean something dear to him, because he sometimes had this… complex look on his face.
She learned all of this over time, of course, because it was rude to stare, and he was kind of hard to read. But she couldn’t help herself from looking once she noticed the pattern of him being there.
He seemed to recognize her too, because he started to nod to her once he got on the bus. She always smiled back, and that was the most they interacted. She wanted to talk to him, but she didn’t want to be weird, so the small movement was enough for her- they didn’t know each other, after all. But it didn’t hurt to be friendly towards a familiar face.
(Speaking of which, he had such lovely eyes. Many would think that Tsuyu’s favorite color was green, but no. It was red. A vibrant, cherry red. And his eyes were her favorite shade, coincidentally. But again, she digresses.)
One day, however, she did talk to him. More like, he talked to her first.
It was her nightly ride home, and Tsuyu had plopped onto a bus seat completely dejected. Besides being in a dour mood, she had a pounding headache, so she was feeling quite miserable. She had sighed, a bit louder than she thought, and the man’s eyes fell away from the window. The bus was emptier on these night rides, so there wasn’t much else to focus on- she caught him staring right away.
He flinched at their eye contact.
“ Aw, ” Tsuyu thought. “ He’s shy. ”
He must have built up some courage, because that’s when he spoke to her for the first time. “Are you okay?”
“Not really.” Tsuyu chuckled in spite of herself. “It was… a rougher day than usual.”
The man turned to his left and right, like he was checking for traffic, before getting up from his seat down the row. “Do you mind?”
Tsuyu shook her head and instantly regretted it; her headache didn’t appreciate that. At her subtle wince, he quickly sat down, leaving one chair in between them. “Would you like to talk about it?”
Tsuyu smiled. “Sure, I’d like that. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.”
(Something about him told her that he had a big heart, and Tsuyu was pleased to be proven right.)
“Well…” Tsuyu started. “I got into a small argument at work with a coworker. I recently had a decent health scare, but I pushed to get back in the office as soon as possible. It’s never been a problem, really. I make sure I never fall behind or do anything half-baked.”
The corners of his beak lifted ever so slightly. “How diligent of you.”
“I try.” She smiled back. “Anyway, today one of my coworkers, Yaoyorozu, expressed some concerns about me. I had a pretty bad headache during my shift, and she noticed. She thought I should be taking it easy, even going as far as suggesting I go home. But I’ve already missed enough time; I’m not fragile or incompetent.”
“I’m sure that’s not what she meant.”
“I know. But… it still felt that way. Maybe it’s self-doubt. But we did argue for quite some time, and it really brought down my mood. I don’t like to argue with people, so now I feel bad.” She rested her head in her large palm.
“Are you still having this headache?”
Tsuyu’s head turned in her hand to look at him head on. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he did look a bit concerned. How considerate.
“Yeah. But it’s okay, I can take something when I get home.”
“Pardon me asking, but when is your next stop?”
She checked her watch. “Uh, about 35 minutes?”
“That won’t do.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver square that held 4 small pills. “Pain relievers. I always have some on me. I-I know it might be strange, but-”
“That’s so sweet, thank you so much.” She took the square. “What’s the dosage?”
“Two every 6 hours.”
“Well I’ll be asleep by then, so just the two it is.” She popped open the stubs and took the pills as he watched on patiently. “Again, thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do.” Oh, that complex look on his face was back again. Before she could ponder it longer, he held out his hand. “I believe it’s… high time I introduced myself. Fumikage Tokoyami.”
Tsuyu shook it firmly, silently noting that his hands ran warm. It felt kind of nice. “Tsuyu Asui, but my friends call me Tsu. It’s nice to finally meet you for real.”
He fell silent after that. Then, he cleared his throat. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“You’ve done plenty!”
“Ah.” Tokoyami made a move to stand, but Tsuyu held a hand out. “That doesn’t mean you have to leave, per say. I’d be okay with you staying.”
“...As you wish.”
For the next 35 minutes, until Tsuyu left the bus, they chatted. Mostly conversational things, like favorite foods and whatnot. Tsuyu finally had a chance to ask about that umbrella, to which he responded: “I hate the sun with every fiber of my being.”
(Well, that was dramatic. But she feels the same about the cold, so she doesn’t have room to judge. His monotone way of speaking paired with a deep voice made it even funnier.)
His stop was after hers, so he stayed sitting when she stood up to leave. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Tokoyami!”
“See you tomorrow, Tsu.”
Tsuyu blinked twice before leaving the bus and making the short walk to her apartment. When she tells people they can call her Tsu, they often jump around it, calling her Asui multiple times with reminders that using her nickname was okay. But Tokoyami didn’t hesitate; in fact, her name sounded very comfortable on his tongue. It was refreshing.
She was happy to have this new friend.
-
2 weeks went by, and the two had moved from nodding to a “Hi, Tokoyami!” with a “Good day, Tsu.” following right after. She was slowly but surely peeling back layers and seeing a friendlier side to him, which was great! A public bus was a strange place to make a friend, but she wasn’t complaining. And neither was he.
Their routine had yet to be broken. She would see him walk up to the bus, umbrella dutifully protecting him from the sun. As he stepped up into the vehicle, he shed the item, closing it with a practiced swish of a hand. It made a clicking noise, one that gave Tsuyu a strange sense of deja vu.
Weird. Anyway.
Tsuyu found herself on the bus for an extra time in the early-evening. She had an appointment at the local hospital today, and they always put her on edge. She was fine, she was making good progress. But what if that changed? All of her worries made her lost in her own world, not paying attention like she normally does.
She didn’t notice a man sit in the seat next to her. It was crowded this time of day, so it was bound to happen. But then, he cursed under his breath, and her attention was brought towards him. He was inconspicuously trying to fish a lady’s wallet out of her purse. Tsuyu glared to herself before sliding harshly into his side, perfectly timed with a large dip in the road. He lost his prize, and the woman grabbed her purse off the floor, none the wiser.
“Sorry.” Tsuyu said innocently. The man turned to scowl at her, clearly aware of what she did. But at the sight of her, his face turned coy. He had a new prize to put his efforts into obtaining.
“Hey, little lady. What’s a cute thing like you doing on a bus by herself?”
Tsuyu turned away from him, unamused at the character beside her. “Minding her own business.”
The man looked shocked to see a bold reaction, and Tsuyu mentally smirked. She was no damsel. But the man kept pushing.
“That didn’t seem like minding your own business, but I’ll let it slide, princess. There doesn’t need to be any bad blood. How about we start over?” He leaned towards her slightly, enough to where it was uncomfortable.
“Thank you, but no thank you.” Tsuyu stated carefully. The intrusion was… well, it was something. But handling the situation calmly was always the right move- something she’s been taught to do at a young age. That seemed to tick him off, unfortunately.
“You think you’re some hot stuff because you’re playing hard to get? Maybe you should get your eyes checked, because I’m quite the catch. You’re lucky you’re even talking to me.” He leaned closer, but Tsuyu stood her ground. “That’s close enough, sir.”
“Like I’m going to listen to you.” He raised his hand with the backside facing her, and her eyes widened slightly. She knew basic self defense, but she wouldn’t be able to stand up and block quick enough-
A hand caught his arm, enclosing it in a tight grip. The man was harshly pulled into standing, and someone came between the two. Tsuyu couldn’t hide her happiness and surprise when she saw feathers.
“Don’t you dare.” Tokoyami narrowed his eyes at the man. The brute tried to push against his hold, but he was clearly winning. “Make no mistake, your immature desires shall not get past this woman. Or me. So I suggest you stand down and find a new place to sit, somewhere far away from her.”
The man tore his arm away with a glare. “You mean you’re going to defend this-”
“Tsuyu.” Tokoyami cut the man off in a deadpan tone to address her. He removed his headphones and handed them to her from behind him. “Put these on.”
“What?”
“Please.”
Tsuyu put them on, and Tokoyami also handed her his phone with Spotify open. She chose the first thing that showed up and music filled her ears. She couldn’t hear anymore, but her eyes didn’t leave the conflict in front of her.
They were arguing. The man had gestured to her at some point, probably calling her some horrid name. But Tokoyami wasn’t having it. Tsuyu wasn’t sure what he said, but when he took a step forward, the man backed up cautiously. Two other passengers grabbed the man from behind and brought him towards the front of the bus, where he was escorted off.
Tokoyami watched him leave with a hardened eyes and a frown curving his beak. When he turned back to her, his face softened. He sat in the seat the man had taken just before and gently removed his headphones, careful not to pull her hair. “There we are.”
“What was that for?”
“I wasn’t going to let you hear anything he had to say. He was undeserving to even be in your presence.”
Tsuyu gave him a warm smile, touched by the gesture. She could protect herself, sure. But the way he went the extra mile to keep him from harassing her was one of the sweetest things anyone has done for her. And his trust in her- he handed her his belongings and his unlocked phone without a thought. He’s a treasure, indeed. “I’ve been thanking you almost every time we talk, you know.”
He hummed as he put his headphones back around his neck. “No worries. Anything that merits your thanks is worth it.”
Tsuyu could feel a blush creep onto her face. “Wh-what are you doing here? You’re usually not on the bus right now.”
Smooth.
“I was just meeting a friend, and I’m returning from that endeavor. But I need to shop for some groceries as well, and there’s a store conveniently in this area. You?”
Tsuyu nodded along, something small in the back of her head hoping that this friend wasn’t a girl, which shocked her a bit. Why did she care? It was his business, and she-
Oh, he was still waiting for an answer. Whoops.
“Sorry. I have an appointment at the hospital that’s around here.”
“I see. This… has to do with the health scare you mentioned before?”
“Mhm. But it’s just a checkup, nothing too serious. It doesn’t stop me from being a bit nervous about it, though.”
“Would you like me to accompany you?”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that! You said you had things to do.”
“They’re not crucial. If you’d like the support, I would be happy to offer it.”
“...Thank you, really. I’d like that.”
The bus came to a stop, and the two stood in unison. Tokoyami was quick to open his umbrella as the sun touched everything around them, having not yet set. Tsuyu breathed in the fresh air as they merged onto the sidewalk. They walked side by side, with Tokoyami taking the end closest to the street. Tsuyu could tell he was taking extra care to make sure his umbrella didn’t hit her, even though she was shorter than him. He kept his eyes on their surroundings as he initiated conversation. “Do you mind me asking what your scare was?”
“Not at all. I hit my head about a month or so back- got a nasty concussion. I was cleared recently for normal activities, but I just have to check in now and then. I think it might’ve been a robber? Or some sort of night out. I just know there were people present.”
“That’s horrible, Tsuyu.” Tokoyami said softly, and she froze. He did, too. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to use your given name- I just spaced out and- wasn’t thinking, I suppose.”
“It’s… okay.”
“Uh… What song did you choose when I gave you my phone?” Tokoyami quickly changed the topic, ans Tsuyu thought back to what she heard.
“Oh, the first thing that I saw. ‘Star Man’ by David Bowie.”
“Ah. It’s a good song. I’m just happy nothing embarrassing came up.”
“What’s considered embarrassing?”
Tokoyami cleared his throat. “I have an interesting taste in music. Mostly hard rock, a little bit of classical.”
Tsuyu smirked. “That’s not bad at all. Different, but it sounds interesting. You’ll have to recommend some songs, I wouldn’t know which ones are the best.”
“Well, if you insist. Now let me guess… Are you a lo-fi fan?”
“I am. How did you know?”
“Luck, I suppose.”
“Very lucky. But where does David Bowie fall into your tastes?”
He shrugged. “That’s the only song from him I listen to. It’s calming, and… I like the lyrics.”
“You and your stars.” Tsuyu shook her head in good nature. Tokoyami blinked owlishly at her. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at them on the bus. No judgment, just an observation. But I see why you like the lyrics; they match you. If you told me you were sent from the stars themselves, I wouldn’t be surprised. You’ve really been a blessing sent from the Heavens.”
She was close enough where she could see his feathers puff up in a blush, and notice how his gaze lingered before looking back to the street. “I think that’s the best compliment I’ve ever received. Thank you.”
He didn’t see how Tsuyu’s gaze was just as (mind the pun) starstruck. “You’re welcome.”
When they got to the hospital waiting room, they sat in silence. Rather than leaving space between them, he took the chair right next to her to save room, but she didn’t mind; in fact, she was glad he offered to come with her.
Tsuyu was aimlessly looking around the room when she felt his headphones slide over her ears. Once again, he was careful to mind her hair, and this time, lo-fi filled her ears. Her favorite track, actually.
Wow. Tokoyami just kept surprising her in the best ways.
Tokoyami’s beak was moving, so she lifted an ear. “What?”
“Sorry. This is the only lo-fi album I’m aware of. I hope it suits your tastes.”
“It’s perfect, actually. But you’re sure you don’t mind waiting?”
“I do not. There certainly are longer things to wait for.”
Eventually, a nurse called Tsuyu’s name. The nurse was someone Tsuyu had gotten to know over her visits, so when she saw Tsuyu, she smiled. With a quick glance behind her, she walked out to greet her. “Hi, Ms. Asui!”
“Hello Ms. Uraraka. It’s nice to see you.” Tsuyu handed Tokoyami's headphones back to him and stood up from her seat with her own smile.
“Just a scan for you, today. Progress!” Uraraka smiled and glanced at Tokoyami, who was still in his seat. “And you brought your boyfriend! That’s great!”
Tsuyu chuckled. “Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. Just a friend of mine I’ve met recently.”
“Oh… My mistake.” The nurse’s smile faltered. “Regardless, he can just wait in here. Let’s get you checked in, miss.”
Tokoyami said nothing as Tsuyu left. As she walked through the door, she peered back through the small window and her eyebrows knit together. He looked upset. It was the most emotion she’s seen from him, actually.
Tsuyu hoped for his sake her appointment went quickly. He must not like hospitals.
-
“So, everything is good on your end?” Dr. Todoroki had an image of her brain on a screen. “I’m still worried about potential memory loss.”
“Besides a headache about a week ago, I’ve been fine. A few scattered thoughts here and there. No memory loss, though.” Tsuyu said, and he hummed. “Headaches are common, but I’m glad it’s not frequent. That’s a good sign. That being said, I think we should keep having you come back.”
“What? Why?” Tsuyu straightened her posture, worry seeping into her voice.
“Because, Asui, you haven’t been making as much progress as we liked. There are still serious aspects of your concussion that haven’t gone away.”
Tsuyu looked at the brain scan, but without the technical training her specialists had, she couldn’t tell what was amiss. “Like what?”
“Again, we’re worried about how the impact affected your hippocampus. We want to get you back to how you were before your accident, but your cooperation and understanding is needed.” Todoroki stood in front of her, hands at his sides. “You have yet to remember certain people.”
Tsuyu’s eyes widened. “It’s… Still that bad? Who have I forgotten?”
“Fumikage Tokoyami- do you remember anything about him?”
That got Tsuyu's brain to stall. She… knew Tokoyami? Before her accident? What?
“Ms. Asui. Are you okay?”
Tsuyu blinked and recentered her focus. “I recognized him on the bus I take everywhere, and we just became friends about 2 weeks ago. That’s all I know.”
“...I see.”
So this whole time, he actually knew her, but pretended he didn’t. Why? The question felt like a pang in her chest. “Dr. Todoroki, if I can ask. Were we anything… special?”
“That’s beyond what I can answer. You’ll need to talk to him yourself. Maybe it will spur something. Fate seems to be on your side if he has reentered your life unprompted, as cruel as it can be.”
“...Well. Um. Thank you, for everything. I’ll be back in…”
“2 weeks.”
“Got it.” Tsuyu got up and left the room, thoughts racing. When she checked out and walked back to the waiting room, Tokoyami was still there. Waiting for her.
The questions rose up and bounced on her tongue, but she withheld when she saw him. “Tokoyami? Are you okay?”
Tokoyami didn’t look up at her call. He was clutching his umbrella tightly and he was staring out into space. He finally noticed her when she was standing right in front of him. His emotion-filled expression didn’t change- if anything, it got worse at the sight of her.
“Tokoyami?”
“Sorry, I was lost in thought.” He said quietly. He turned to face the nearest window and looked up at the sky, just like he always did on the bus. Her appointments had lasted long enough where stars were starting to dot the sky. “Tsu, before you go home, would you like to do something?”
Tsuyu didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
“Follow me.”
Tsuyu trusted him wholeheartedly. She followed him back to the bus stop for a quick ride, and she continued to trail behind him as he walked down and turned at different streets. The peace of the night seemed to calm him down a bit, but Tsuyu watched him in concern. Something was clearly bothering him.
It was a bit of a walk, but Tokoyami brought her to a grassy field, hidden and away from the public eye. It was dark, and the only noise was the wind’s song that rustled the blades. With no city lights, the stars were visible. And popping up everywhere. It was lovely.
“Woah. This place is so much better than a bus window.” Tsuyu whispered. Her eyes landed on a bright star in the sky that had just appeared. “Look!” She pointed at it. “We caught a wishing star! Make a wish, hurry!” She quickly shut her eyes and held her breath.
“I don’t wish on stars.”
Tsuyu opened her eyes. “You don’t? Not even for fun?”
“Never. Not anymore, at least. It’s childish and impractical.”
“Oh…”
He sighed. “I’m sorry if that was rude. I just… wishing stars never worked for me. So I gave up and threw away whatever false hope came with it.”
“If you hate them so much, why are you always stargazing?”
“I don’t hate them. It’s complicated, I suppose.” He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets with a half-hearted shrug.
Tsuyu stared at him in a way that signaled she was willing to hear him out. So he sighed and began to speak, looking up at the very subject of their conversation.
“I don’t believe in anything the stars have to offer, but I come here anyway. Because they’re beautiful. So vast. So precious. Thousands of shapes in the sky for us to enjoy. It’s… peaceful. The bus suffices, but this is a place for me to go where I feel safest. I come here every night. It’s a nice reminder.”
His eyes never left the stars, but the complex look came back. Except this time, Tsuyu had a guess as to what it was.
“Tokoyami, I’m going to be blunt. I lost my memory of you, didn’t I?”
For the first time since she met him (No. No. It was clear she knew him longer), his stoic facade broke. He squeezed his eyes shut, like a physical representation of holding back his emotional floodgates. “Yes.”
Tsuyu could feel her heartbeat pick up as her next question balanced precariously on her tongue. “What the nurse said… Were we-”
Tokoyami nodded.
“...oh.”
He said nothing. The wind blew in gracefully, gently lifting her hair and tossing his feathers about. “Was it serious?”
“We were in love.” His red eyes open to meet her black ones, and she can finally pinpoint the hurt in them. His beautiful red eyes, the same color as his broken heart.
“I hate the sun. Too bright, too painful. So I took a liking to the stars. Despite us being to see them shine clearly from Earth, they don’t hurt. And like I said before, they’re beautiful.” He seemed to think for a moment before continuing. “Perhaps that’s why they remind me of you.”
“They do?”
A nod. “I saw them differently, after having met you. They became something that couldn’t compare to your brightness and constant place in my life. But now… it’s changed. They’re still beautiful, but something I can never reach.”
Tsuyu couldn’t look him in the eye anymore. “I’m sorry.”
“Never be. You didn’t ask for this.”
“You didn’t either. And you’ve been so strong about it.”
Silence. After a few minutes, he spoke again, and his voice wasn't so strong anymore.
“When the doctors couldn’t find out why it was just me you forgot, or how to fix it, I turned to the silly antics we’d do. I wished on the first star in the sky, the brightest one, the North Star, maybe even a planet once or twice. I wished so many times for you to remember me again. And it never worked. So I gave up and let you go. So you wouldn’t live a burdened life.”
“Were you there when it happened?”
“No.”
“But you’re here now, so that obviously didn’t work. Did you purposely try to find me again? To be on the bus the same time as me as many times that wouldn’t be suspicious?”
Tokoyami shook his head. “That bus is how we met. Our work schedules were similar, so we started to talk. History repeats itself, I suppose. For a while, I didn’t know how I’d react if I would have approached you; I didn’t want to be that weird person who reacts badly to memory loss like in movies. But I couldn’t sit there and watch you hurt. So I finally decided to talk to you, except with the intention of starting completely anew.”
“Tokoyami…” Tears dotted her eyes, and she tried to wipe them away. Tokoyami noticed, and his hand moved, but he stopped. Tsuyu released a shuddering breath. “It’s okay.”
Tokoyami cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears with his thumb.
“I’ve accepted that I won’t get back what we had. And I’m slowly accepting that romance might not be what you want from me anymore. But your friendship would be enough.”
More tears fell. “I want to remember. I want to, but I can’t-” A sob broke through her lips. He didn’t say anything, but his presence was enough. His hand warming her skin was like a lifeline as she cried about how fate has wronged them. He was being strong for her, even though he’s been hurting for much longer. They sat there like that for some time, until he finally let go. Having said what he needed to say, Tokoyami crouched down, continuing his descent until his back was against the grass. He folded his hands over his chest and sighed. Tsuyu watched him lie down, and decided to sit down next to him at a respective distance. She fiddled with the ends of her long hair.
“You said you don’t think we can get back what we had. Well…” She looked up at her ( their ) wishing star. “You know what they say. Shoot for the moon, reach for the stars.”
Tokoyami could feel his heart hammering in his chest as his beak fell slightly agape at her words. Was that… her way of saying that she was okay with maintaining their past relationship? Was there a chance that she still liked him?
(Well, not still. More like, develop feelings for him again. Either way, he decided to test the waters another time.)
“I don’t agree with that either.” Slowly, his hand rests atop of her hand, sandwiching it between the cool tickling of the grass and the weighted warmth that was purely him. “Why reach for the stars when you’re right here with me?”
That got her to chuckle, even if it was watery and pathetic. “That was corny.”
“A side that only you are privy to see, if you want to.”
“I’d like that.” Tsuyu smiled at him, and her heart was warmed by the joy that appeared on his face. Happiness was strange on his features- she hadn’t seen him so outright joyful or expressive before. But she liked it, and hoped to see it more often.
“You’ve always encouraged me to do this, so I’m going to be blunt with you.”
“That sounds like something I’d say.” Tsuyu joked, but fell silent so he could say whatever was on his heart.
“Tsu, I know you don’t remember the relationship that we had. But do you see these stars?” He removed his hand and pointed at the sky in all its splendor. “As many stars that are in the sky, I’d take the chance to be in your life, no matter what happens. Even if it means starting from scratch. Because I love you.”
A small gasp escaped her. It was like he swore to be by her side forever and beyond. She never thought that these feelings would be so powerful, and it was all for her. Damn, was she lucky. And she was even luckier that he came back after she had lost him the first time. She took the hand that was still gesturing at the sky and lifted it up to her mouth. She gently kissed the top of his hand, lips brushing against his knuckles.
The hand that gave her pain reliever.
The hand that stopped an assault.
The hand that gave her music suited to her liking.
The hand that made her feel warm and safe.
The hand that, even if she couldn’t remember it, held hers countless times as they walked the streets together, while the other held a black umbrella.
“I hate to break it to you, but I think I’m going to have to prove you wrong about the wishing star thing.”
“Oh?”
“Mhm. Because mine just came true.”
“And what would that be?”
Tsuyu stuck her tongue out playfully before lying backwards on the grass, mimicking his position. She turned to look at him, and he did the same, albeit with a slight blush. “I wished that you’d stay in my life for a very long time, preferably in a relationship kind of way. And I don’t think you’re going anywhere anytime soon. I’m certainly not.”
“...Oh.”
“Mhm. That seems like a granted wish to me.”
Tokoyami’s beak curved slightly. “I suppose you’re right.” He paused, soaking in her smile. “Tsu, would you like to go on your first date with me?”
“First? But you-”
“Those were wonderful memories that I’ll cherish forever. Maybe even tell you about one day. But you need to make some of your own.”
She gave him a shocked, little laugh. “You are one smooth bird, Fumikage Tokoyami.”
“I try. But only for you.”
Tsuyu’s blush was growing hotter and hotter every time he spoke. “Yes, I’ll go on a first date with you.”
Tokoyami hummed in content. “I can’t wait. Oh, and about your intellectual rebuttal about wishing on stars.”
Tsuyu scooted closer to him, stopping right in front of his beak. “Yes?”
“I’m still not convinced.”
Tsuyu fake pouted, and that actually got a chuckle out of Tokoyami. She giggled back and quickly stored the sound away in her head, daring herself to forget it.
“But… it doesn’t matter. Perhaps one day I’ll test for myself to see if it works or not. But now, I don’t need to. Because I have everything I could wish for.”
Tsuyu moved that final few inches to tuck herself against his side, her head fitting under his beak. He instinctively put his arm around her back to support her head and neck, with his hand resting on her shoulder.
“You know what, Tokoyami? I can’t argue with that.”