Sparring Partners (MidoriyaxKendo)

Chapter 4: Calm Before...

Izuku and Ryuko are once again stargazing from their favorite spot on the cliff, near the secret springs known only by them. They both came to love these moments they share at night. They can shed the stress of the day, and let the tension evaporate into the air from each other's warm presence. There's no romantic or sexual tension between them. No expectations or desires. Just... bliss. They can truly relax and become one with the night. They've spent a lot of hours together, both silent and talking. Izuku had opened up about a lot of things from his past and childhood, and even his struggles now. Telling her things even he had forgotten. She too became an open book, spilling her heart and soul out to a cup that waits to be filled. They had helped each other too. Often at the end of a day, they would be scratched and banged up. They'd repair each other and forget about the pain. They'd relax in the hot spring, and create their own constellations in the endless ocean of lights up above. There was an unshakable trust between the two of them. Ryuko and Izuku. In those moments alone, there was no such thing as heroes. Two souls intertwined just as their bodies were.

"Tomorrow is the last day before you head back," the blonde said as she raised her eyes to the man whose chest she lies, body entombed in his arms.

"I know. I was wishing it'd never come," he said as he ran his fingers through the luscious golden field emitting from her head, "I don't think I've ever been so at ease as when I-... we're up here," he stated as he met her gaze with a sad half-smile. She was caught off guard by his odd self-correction.

"Well, Mr. Midoriya, I guess I'll just have to hire you the moment you graduate!" She said with a big smile as she crawled up to meet him eye to eye, now perched over him with her hair creating a tunnel leading from her warm face to his. His hands were on her hips as they gaze into each other's eyes. Even through the smile, a single drop from the oceans in her eyes leaks down onto his cheek.

"I'm just really gonna miss this, Izu..." she weakly pushes out between sniffles. She finds herself falling ever much closer to him, eyes becoming foggier and closing to try and bat away the tears. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her down closer to him, until their body's touch, and she's resting on him. Her face buried in his neck as she opens the flood gates and dreads the idea of being alone again. Being cold.

"I know, Ryu. Me too," he admitted as he sank his lips into her hair once again, "But I'll come back any chance I get," he rolled them over, and sat up, pulling her up with him as he straddled her legs, "And it doesn't matter if we have this place. Anywhere together is better than here alone," he said as he held both of her hands on his lap. He stood up, helping her up with him. Still holding one of her hands, he leads her over to the spring, where they both slip off their shoes. "But while we are here, we can still enjoy it," he says with a subtle, but reassuring smile as he steps in first, and provides support for her as she follows. He turns away as they both disrobe and sink into the warm soothing water, covered with white foam. He sits behind her with his chest against her back, and his hands wrapping around her front, searching for hers. As he finds them, they give each other a quick squeeze, and he releases himself from her gentle grip. He slides back a bit and softly places his hands on her lower back, gliding up to her shoulder blades, and then to her shoulders. He digs his fingers into her, pulling a quiet moan from her lips. Massaging the knots of sadness out of her before they even began to fully form. He could tell she needed it.

"Izu, I should tell you," she let out with a whisper as that's all it took to reach him.

"Yes, Ryu?" he replied softly as he continued to relax her.

"There won't be any training tomorrow. After all summer of hard, nonstop work, we're finally giving your classes a day to enjoy regular camp," she breathed out with closed eyes and a swaying head, following the waves he creates with his hands.