ᴇᴄʜᴏᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴜꜱ

MNM - PART 3

Izuko's POV:

The warmth of the room seemed to seep into Izuko's cheeks as Sarah's eyes lingered on her. The weight of that gaze was both thrilling and unnerving, making Izuko shift slightly, trying to maintain her composure. A smile teased the corner of Sarah's lips, the kind that made Izuko's heart flip. It was that look—the one that said Sarah knew exactly how flustered Izuko was, and she was enjoying every second of it.

"You're staring," Izuko whispered, the words almost getting lost in the space between them.

Sarah chuckled, the sound low and rich, and it made Izuko's skin prickle. "Can you blame me?" Sarah's voice was smooth, confident, and laced with an unspoken promise. "You're beautiful when you're nervous."

Izuko bit her lip and looked down, only to feel Sarah's hand tilt her chin back up, guiding her eyes to meet those deep ones that made her heart stutter. The playful energy between them was electric. Izuko could feel it crackling, making the small space they shared seem more intimate.

"Are you trying to embarrass me?" Izuko challenged, her voice steadier than she felt.

Sarah leaned in just a fraction, the distance between them shrinking until Izuko could count the faint freckles on her face. "If I was trying, you'd know," Sarah teased, but there was a flicker in her eyes—something deeper, something that sent a thrill down Izuko's spine. For a split second, the air thickened as Sarah's gaze wandered over Izuko's flustered expression, lingering on the way her eyes darted nervously and how her lips parted just a bit.

Izuko's heart thudded wildly, and she felt her pulse beat at her throat. There was something about Sarah's closeness, the way her eyes softened but held a glint of something more. It was like Sarah's confidence reached out and wrapped around her, reassuring yet exciting.

"Sarah..." Izuko's voice was a whisper, almost a plea.

The sound of her name spoken like that had Sarah's breath hitch. For a moment, the confident glint turned more serious, as if she was fighting the urge to close the last bit of distance. Her fingers gently brushed a stray strand of hair behind Izuko's ear, the touch both tender and deliberate.

"You have no idea, do you?" Sarah murmured, her eyes searching Izuko's face, drinking in every detail. A small smile pulled at her lips as Izuko's brows furrowed slightly in confusion.

"No idea about what?" Izuko asked, feeling the butterflies in her stomach go wild at Sarah's intensity.

"How much I—" Sarah's words were cut off by the shrill beep of Izuko's phone, making them both jump.

Izuko let out a breathless laugh, glancing at the screen lighting up with the group chat notifications. "Saved by Aysh and Nya, I guess," she said, the tension breaking as she read the messages.

Sarah smirked, the playful spark returning. "They're so lucky they interrupted. You have no idea what you do to me, Izuko."

Izuko's cheeks turned crimson as she hid her face in her hands, giggling nervously. Sarah watched, a different kind of warmth pooling in her chest. She reached out and gently pulled Izuko's hands away from her face, holding them in her own.

"Don't hide from me," Sarah said, voice softer now. "I want to see all of you."

Izuko looked up at Sarah, eyes wide but no longer afraid to meet hers. And for that moment, she let herself believe Sarah's words without a shadow of doubt.

Aysh's POV (scrolling through the chat):

Aysh was cackling at the flood of emojis Nya sent. "They have to be blushing like crazy right now," she typed.

Nya's reply popped up instantly, "Bet Sarah is enjoying the view."

Aysh laughed as she imagined Izuko's flustered face and Sarah's knowing grin. "We better get ALL the details tomorrow," she wrote, settling into her bed, ready to wait for whatever was next.