From Distant Lands - A BNHA Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty

After spending the day with Shiori and taking some much needed time to actually relax in the hot springs, I finally head back to my room feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The cool night air makes me shiver a bit as I walk, my wet hair making it that much worse, but as I make my way back to my cabin, I pause to see Shoto sitting on a small porch, legs hanging over the side. He waves.

"Hey" he says and I wave back.

"Out here alone?" I wonder and he laughs a little, making a face.

"I needed a minute" he replies. I nod, biting the inside of my cheek.

"Want to join me?" he asks and I smile, heart warming.

"Are you sure you want me intruding on your minute?" I inquire and he smiles.

"Of course" he tells me. I walk up the steps and sit beside him, dangling my feet over the edge of the porch alongside his and taking a deep breath.

"I can see the appeal" I say, looking out over the grounds of the resort, darkness wrapping the place under its cloak. It's a truly beautiful sight, the evenly spaced cabins nestling into the night time like a scene out of a movie.

"It's quieter here" Shoto tells me and I laugh, nodding in agreement.

"That it definitely is" I confirm and he lets out a small chuckle, one that sounds equal parts happy and bitterly nostalgic. I frown, worry blossoming in my gut.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. He looks back up at me a bit surprised.

"Do you ever wish you could go back?" he asks me in a quiet voice and I can tell something is paining him. I tilt my head, gazing at him in concern.

"To when?" I wonder and he makes a face as he looks off into the distance.

"To a simpler time... a time when you were fearless?" he answers. I take a deep breath, letting it out shakily. Fearless? I don't think I've felt that way in a long time.

"I wish I could remember the last time I felt that way" I say, feeling an intense yearning and sadness for a time like that. Shoto looks at me then, his eyes watching me so closely that my entire body stiffens. I catch my breath, wondering why my heart's racing all of a sudden.

"I remember the last time I did" he tells me, voice low. I swallow, raising my eyebrows.

"When?" I wonder softly, hardly able to breathe.

"That night on the ice... our first date. I don't think I ever felt more fearless than I did in that moment" he admits, gaze locked on mine. My face heats, stomach flipping. How can Shoto be so honest? How can he say things like that and remind me why I liked him so much in the first place? How can he look at me and tear my heart in half without any effort? I look away, remembering the way he held me that night and the anticipation I felt, watching him glide around me as graceful as any dancer. He was beautiful... and when he kissed me... I close my eyes. I was fearless then... so unconcerned by the things in the world that plagued me.

"I felt it too" I murmur, chest aching at the words. Of course I felt it. How could I not?

"But things have changed... haven't they?" Shoto asks me. He looks at me so warmly, the light from the main building making his eyes bright and softening the planes of his face. He's so handsome it makes me want to cry and I can feel my heartbeat quickening.

"Shoto..." I whisper, feeling drawn in by his gaze and completely hypnotized by the moment. His hand comes up and cups the side of my face and I instinctively lean into it, the coolness of his palm oddly comforting even on a cool night, and I close my eyes. Why couldn't I have chosen him? Chosen this? His thumb strokes my cheek gently and I open my eyes again to look up at him. He exhales, eyes watching me in wonder.