Archive of Our Own ^beta

There’s a new girl in their class. The one that won the sports festival. She’s quiet, obviously an introvert, but also maybe used to being bullied. Harui is determined to make her friend shaped, has been since she thoroughly flounced her in the finals. There’s a lot of strength in that petite frame. As soon as break starts, she drags Ouba across the room to Aizawa-san’s desk and introduces herself, smiling brightly. She doesn’t let the annoyed look distract her from the surprise in those dark eyes and cheers triumphantly when she gets a reluctant acceptance to join them on the roof for lunch.

Ten-Chan and Nayu-kun are both already on the roof when they arrive. Ouba skips forward, plopping herself into Nayu-kun’s lap, so only Harui notices Aizawa’s hesitation. She keeps up her chatter, looping an arm through the other girl’s and lightly dragging her forward to sit between herself and Ten-Chan. Before that day’s lunch is even over, Harui realizes her sapphic little heart sees this one as more than friend shaped.

She thinks to herself, ‘Am I allowed to look at her like that? Could it be wrong when she's just so nice to look at?’ OuChan knocks her shoulder and gives her a knowing look as they head back to class.

~

The weeks pass and the self-dubbed rooftop squad slowly bring Aizawa out of her shell. She is still quiet and most often broody, but she obviously listens to their chatter, occasionally getting this soft smile that she tries to hide. Harui is enraptured.

She learns that Aizawa is almost always tired and she smells like lemongrass and sleep. She only ever seems to drink apple juice or water and apparently peach is her favorite flavor of the nutritional jelly packs she likes so much. It may only ever be in her dreams, but Harui is sure she tastes like apple juice and peach.

~

Ouba needles her about the supposedly obvious crush over the summer vacation.
“I’d never tell! No, I’d never say a word.” Harui insists. OuChan gives her an incredulous look.
“I know it aches-“ She starts, taking Harui’s hands in hers.
“But it feels oddly good to hurt.” Harui cuts her off, offering a smile she knows is a little strained and giving a gentle squeeze to the hands holding hers. OuChan sighs and opens her mouth to continue, but to Harui’s relief, their conversation is interrupted and derailed to other topics. Harui doubts Aizawa would ever be interested in her that way. She doesn’t really seem to be into anyone. ‘I'll be okay admiring from afar’ she assures herself.

~

Harui finds out Aizawa’s birthday by chance. When she asks Aizawa about it, she won’t tell her when it is and says it’s not important, that she never celebrates it. Harui doesn’t push, but plans a picnic that just so happens to be on that day. Tenri is busy with her baby sister, but OuChan and Nay-kun are coming. She picks up a cake on the way there.

Yamada is obviously the popular type. Bright smile, long blonde hair, fairly tall, near perfect body, and a great quirk for a limelight hero. Shota is immediately wary when she sees the girl marching towards her desk dragging Shirakumo along. Shota is used to the popular girls being mean to her, but they’re not usually bold enough to do it in front of the whole class. She hides her surprise behind a careful expression of annoyance when the blonde invites her to have lunch with them, on the roof of all places. She studies Yamada’s face while she continues gushing about the nice weather. The girl looks so earnest about the whole thing and she notes a couple of classmates rolling their eyes or whispering like it’s perfectly normal and expected that Yamada would be talking to her. She reluctantly accepts the invitation, trying to keep the hope from blooming in her heart.

Shota’s steps falter when they get out onto the roof and there are two more people there. This isn’t some weird ambush, right? She’s pretty sure the guy is a second year Hero course student and the pretty tall girl with blue hair is in class 1B. Surely four hero course students wouldn’t beat her up or lock her on the school roof. Her brief panic eases slightly as Shirakumo practically leaps into the boy’s lap and Yamada loops their arms together to pull her forward. It’s obvious the guy is Shirakumo’s boyfriend and the blue haired girl is offering a friendly smile as she’s pulled to sit next to her. Yamada keeps their arms looped, which forces Shota to sit closer to the other girl than she normally would have. She’s surprised to find she doesn’t mind it.

~

The rooftop idiots are slowly climbing over her walls. Shota won’t just start trusting everyone, so it’s not like her walls are gone, but she’s starting to test out a tentative trust with Ouba, Harui, Iida, and Kayama. Ouba and Harui had insisted she start using their given names, even though she’s already informal with the way she never uses honorifics. Apparently, they both come from large families and don’t always respond to their family names, so pretty much everyone uses their given names, even a couple of the teachers. At least they’re kind of entertaining. Shota has to duck her chin into her capture weapon to hide the smile as Harui and Ouba sing and skip around Kayama who is looking at her with pleading eyes as if there is any way she’s going to help him out of this chaotic disaster.

~

Harui asked about her birthday. Shota’s never had friends to celebrate with and the one time she let her classmates throw her a party, they had locked her in the closet and enjoyed the party without her. Shota brushes it off, but Harui doesn’t let it go. She invites the rooftop idiots to a picnic at the park. Harui doesn’t say it’s for her birthday, but it is on her birthday. Shota eyes the beautiful blonde suspiciously as she says she can come. Harui only offers a bright smile before turning to the others, knee knocking against Shota’s own. She ducks her face into her capture scarf hoping it will hide the blush on her face. She tries to convince herself it’s just from the slight chill in the air, but deep down she knows it’s not.

The day of the picnic, Shota walks up as Ouba is laying out a blanket beneath a big tree that’s still hanging onto a few leaves. It’s a sunny day and warmer than might be expected for nearly mid November. Nayu smiles at her from where he stands next to the tree, holding a heavy looking basket, bag, and large bento. Shota stifles a smirk at how laden he is while Ouba skips up to wrap her in a hug. Shota still isn’t used to all the kind contact, but melts into it every time.

Harui is the last to arrive, as she usually is, and plops down next to Shota. She’s not as close as she normally is when they sit next to each other and Shota finds herself missing the proximity. Instead, Harui places a cake down between them. It’s one of the strawberry Chantilly ones with eight beautifully red strawberries on top, shiny with candy coating.

Ouba is immediately shaking Harui, questioning the reason for the cake between expressions of excitement. Harui shrugs, but she looks directly into Shota’s eyes when she says “Just wanted to.” Shota leans forward, pretending to inspect the cake, an attempt to hide both the blush and the slump of relief that Harui isn’t making a big deal about anything.

When they’ve finished eating the massive picnic, Shota pulls out one of her favorite peach flavored jelly packs. She had tried at least a bite of everything, but there are very few things she actually likes eating. Harui begins excitedly telling them about the new support gear that will help her control the direction of her quirk and limit collateral damage. She cuts a large slice of the cake, holding it out to Shota but she shakes her head. Harui balances the piece on her own knee instead, continuing the expressive description.

It’s in that moment that Shota realizes her little ‘maybe crush’ on the blonde is much more than that. She can feel the soft smile on her face as her eyes track Harui’s movements. It’s the same moment she decides she can never say anything. ‘Cause even when she's next to me, we could not be more far apart. Shota thinks as she watches Harui gesturing with her story, smiling wide as the sun shines on her hair in just the right way to create a glowing halo effect. Shota feels her smile fall. ‘Cause she tastes like birthday cake, and story-time, and fall, but to her I taste of nothing at all’ Shota is sure of it.

Shota sighs and it sounds a little wistful. Nayu catches her and smirks in a knowing way. Shota wishes Tenri were here so she could punch the other girl (in a loving admonishment). She’s probably the reason Nayu thinks he knows anything. She’s the only one that knows Shota’s sexuality and had immediate guessed about her maybe crush. Shota’s been half adopted by the Iida family and regularly helps Tenri watch her baby sister, which is how the topic had come up. Shota had admitted she’d love to have kids but probably never will with a rueful smile, before having to explain her aversion to the opposite sex.

Shota mentally shakes her head, returning her attention to Harui’s excited chatter and cutting another large piece of cake to pass to Ouba. It’ll be fine. She can just be happy to have friends now.

~

As their first year comes to a close, Harui asks her to view the cherry blossoms. Shota can’t quite squash the illogical hope that blooms in her heart when Harui adds that it would just be the two of them with a slight blush high on her cheeks.

OuChan is needling her about her feelings for Shota, again. She’s insisting that Shota likes her back and that she should go for it.
“You don’t want to keep pining for two more years if there’s a chance you could actually be together for that time, right?” OuChan asks, and, well, she makes a good point. She has noticed that Shota tends to sit closer to her than the others. Even with how close she’s gotten with Riri, who claims her parents have basically adopted the dark-haired girl.

So, Harui takes a chance. She decides the cherry blossoms will be a good excuse for a break from studying and a chance to spend time alone with Shota. She knows there’s a blush on her cheeks when Shota says she’ll go.

The day they’ve scheduled to meet at the park is cloudy but beautiful weather. Harui is staring in her mirror, trying to decide if her outfit and makeup are okay, when her eyes catch on the old Polaroid camera sitting on her bookshelf. She loves vintage stuff, but it’s even better when it is something old that still works. She doesn’t take the camera out much. It’s not like she can get a bunch of the film very easily. Today feels special though. She slips her phone in a pocket and hangs the camera strap over her shoulder. Nerves turning into excitement as she heads toward the front door to change into her shoes.

Harui practically skips the whole way to the park, thankful that she doesn’t have to take the train on such a beautiful day. Her steps falter as she reaches the main path. Shota is already here, sitting on the back of a bench with one foot on the seat and looking up at the trees. A small breeze blows around some of the light pink petals and Harui’s breath catches. She’s so pretty. It’s a picture perfect moment and Harui silently rejoices that she brought the camera. She quietly shifts her camera forward and takes a picture.

The sound of the Polaroid dispensing is enough to draw Shota’s attention, even though Harui is still at least 60 yards away. There’s a light blush on her cheeks and a twitch to her lips as she raises one eyebrow. Harui grabs the Polaroid and drops the camera so that it’s back to hanging off her shoulder, offering a bashful smile before skipping forward. Feeling bold, Harui slides onto the bench backwards and rests her cheeks against Shota’s knee, making it so she has to look up at the other girl. Shota hides her flustered confusion well, but Harui thinks she’s gotten pretty good at reading her.

“I have a question. It might seem strange.” Harui blurts instead of a greeting and Shota’s lips press together but she offers a nod.
“How are your lungs? Are they in pain?” Harui watches Shota’s confusion become more apparent and rushes on.
“Because mine are aching. But I think I know why. I kinda like it, though. You want to try?” Harui smiles and knows her whole face is probably flushed pink. Her eyes flick to the slight blush on Shota’s cheeks even as the girl’s brow furrows.
“What are you talking about, Haru?” Shota leans back, supported by her hands on the fence, but tries to keep her legs from shifting. Harui can feel her smile grow softer at the new shortened version of her name and the action that seems to be trying to avoid dislodging their point of contact.
“Would you be so kind, as to fall in love with me? You see. I’m trying to tell you that I like you, and that can be enough, but if you will, please fall in love with me.” Harui’s heart is pounding so hard she almost doesn’t hear Shota’s soft stuttering intake of breath. For a moment, she only stares and Harui’s heart squeezes. Harui’s gaze drops and she begins lifting her head at the same time as Shota moves her hand forward. Harui’s eyes snap back to Shota’s face as her hand brushes against her cheek.
“I-,” a breath, “I like you, too.” Shota’s voice is soft; barely even a whisper, and Harui only knows for sure what she said from the shapes her lips make as she speaks. She tips her cheek further into Shota’s hand and is surprised when her own voice comes out just as soft.
“Really?” And as Shota nods, a tiny smile appears on her face. Harui is once again entranced by the dark-haired girl known as Aizawa Shota.

They stay at the park for a few hours, holding hands as they wander under the cherry blossoms. More than once, they brush a petal from the other’s hair and Harui is delighted by how soft Shota’s hair is, despite how messy it usually looks. When it comes time to part and Harui declares it a successful first date, Shota is the one to lean in for a chaste kiss. Harui’s tongue darts over her bottom lip as she pulls away, happy to find she was right. ‘ She smells like lemongrass and sleep. She tastes like apple juice and peach.

‘You would find her in a polaroid picture, and she means everything to me’ Harui smiles down at the picture of her girlfriend and skips toward her house.

When she gets home, Harui labels and pins the Polaroid to her bulletin board right next to a Post-it about their test on Monday, which she had forgotten and needs to study for. Harui gathers her study materials from around the room in a panicked whirlwind, then settles at her desk and turns on some Lofi music to study. If she occasionally finds herself staring at the picture with a soft smile on her face, well, maybe having Sho-Chan in class will help with her information recall.